Edward Crutchley Presented Twisted Monochromatic Psychedelia for FW23
Pulling illustrative references from Richard Breton’s 1565 book, ‘The Drolatic Dreams of Pantagruel.’
Oh, you wanted a show? That is the attitude that exudes from Edward Crutchley season after season, a designer whose London Fashion Week presentations dare to be desired, tempt you to look at them in awe and amazement, and ask you to analyze what is in front of you. For Fall/Winter 2023, two-time Woolmark Prize winner Crutchley took us down a monochromatic trip — of psychedelic sorts — by using the curious works from the illustrator Richard Breton’s The Drolatic Dreams of Pantagruel (1565).
Such “fantastically bizarre and grotesque figures,” as it is so often put, came to play for FW23. The characters, some cheerful, others disturbing, danced around Merino wool elongated V-neck sweaters, black blousons of a streetwear nature, plated lurex dresses, and all over a sort of tracksuit cut from wool in elegant, formal fashions.
Such trippy-hippy undertones were contrasted by the collection’s consistent use of black, white, and gray. Never before have we witnessed a ’70s acid trip in static color, and the twist was indeed a smart one for the brand. By doing so, we could see the textures of the fabric in their luxurious glory, and likewise, there was no space to hide mistakes — of which there were none.
Tailoring was explored in multiple ways. One was cut up into a custom print comprising a Prince of Wales check, houndstooth, hopsack and gingham, while a tailored dress, thigh-high boots courtesy of ROKER, high-rise shorts, and a beanie styled on the aforementioned folklore characters all came in a split patchwork of black and gray triangles that darted across each piece.
The collection continued to twist on its own head, as silky taffeta ruffled up and down bodies in mushroom-like dresses. The animalistic hats and awkward shapes from the illustrations were translated into leather cone bras and jock straps, pointing upwards in Crutchley’s usual erotic way. And with sunglasses that were taken straight out of Woody Harrelson’s wardrobe in Natural Born Killers, the psychedelic notions were complete.
Take a look at Edward Crutchley FW23 in the gallery above, and stay tuned for more London Fashion Week FW23 content on Hypebeast over the next few days.
In other news, Fashion East FW23 proved that the industry is in capable hands.
