“Digital despair,” was how the designer described the current moment, with so many reliant on speedy communications, strangers’ digital judgment and opinions, and virtual relationships and tribes.
Chalayan said the collection — an elegant mix of streetwear, Middle and Far Eastern dress — was a reaction to that, and a signal to slow down.
The piece that best reflected his mood was a cobalt blue sweater with the black silhouette of a plant sprouting on the front. What appeared to be a text message conversation appeared in different colors on the front.
“They’re embroidered text messages. Each person has to wait for an embroidered response. It’s time to slow down,” said the designer.
Silhouettes recalled the East: Some trousers had long swooshing panels, recalling the look of a shalwar kameez, while sculpted jacket sleeves took their cues from the kimono.
Other shapes were more spare, as in a white blouse with a triangular fold at the front held in place by a single button; a pair of crinkly trousers with buckle and strap details, and hoodie jackets with subtle leaf jacquards or prints, a wink to the natural world and an antidote to speed and stress.
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