Saul Nash FW23 Juxtaposes Inner-City Uniforms With Harsh Environments, Dance and Dreams
“When you grow up in London, you wear a lot of ski outerwear, but you never learn to ski. It’s a symbol of aspiration.”
International Woolmark Prize 2022 winner and all-around fashion darling Saul Nash has movement dancing through his veins, and for Fall/Winter 2023‘s “Juxtaposition” runway show, we saw the designer on top form.
Showcased earlier today during London Fashion Week, Nash enlisted dancers who subscribe to his streetwear-leaning aesthetic touches to produce a delicate balance of being active and being soft — a juxtaposition if you will. Fittingly, “Juxtaposition” is the name of the FW23 collection, which sees the designer contrast his functional, hybridized designs fit for the street with the harsh surroundings of the great outdoors.
The show space was narrow and packed with fans, while on the floor, black sand mounds replicated the mountains of Iceland. Cold air and smoke pumped into the room, with the models expressing this as they walked the runway warming their shivers. This was a juxtaposition in itself, as they wore tracksuits that are sure to keep you warm on top of compression knits made from Merino wool.
Explaining the juxtapositions in his show notes, Nash says: “When you grow up in London, you wear a lot of ski outerwear, but you never learn to ski. It’s a symbol of aspiration that’s juxtaposed with the realities of inner-city living. For me, the collection is like a dreamscape, a place between where I come from, and where I’m going.” With this in mind, and that fact he has now turned 30, Nash adds, “I don’t want to wear a tracksuit for the rest of my life, but I will always want to be in activewear.”
Bonded technical outerwear — of course, a ski jacket — arrives in chilled tones of ice blue, storm gray and Icelandic white. The cuts are slimmer than before and fitted, leaning away from streetwear undertones that many have put the designer in. Articulated seams add the ability for more movement, while deadstock nylon and recycled down only continue to evolve the designer’s aesthetic, that being a name that is continuously disrupting activewear norms.
Knitwear contours around the body and moves with it too, while ribbed elbows and intricately-placed paneling further Nash’s understanding of how the human structure works with the world around it. On foot, UGG®‘s Tasman LTA and Classic Mini padded ankle boots — some of which are fitted with custom Vibram sole units — add to the multitude of terrains Nash is dressing his audience for.
Saul Nash FW23 can be seen in the gallery above, while more London Fashion Week FW23 content can be found across Hypebeast.
In case you missed it, check out LABRUM’s monumental FW23 runway show.
