Welcome to Ennis Finnerty Mackay's World of Kinks, Queerness, Distortion and Traditions
“Recontextualizing the sensual interaction kink has between body and cloth, through an elevation of bespoke tailoring.”
Kingston University isn’t a fashion school to overlook. It’s produced alumni including Bianca Saunders, accessories designer Sophie Hulme, the bespoke tailor Joshua Kane, and now for its latest marvel, Ennis Finnerty Mackay.
The young designer (who worked under Ludovic de Saint Sernin, no less), presented his first runway collection at the Kingston School of Art’s BA Fashion show in June this year, spotlighting his kink-informed tailoring and Queer representation alongside the best of the rest from this cohort. Today, Ennis Finnerty Mackay expands his vision, welcoming us into his world that’s sure to captivate an audience much like Lee Alexander McQueen‘s early work, Ann Demeulemeester‘s back catalog, and even Martin Margiela.
The references are clear, but Mackay put it best themselves:
“The choices of where and how we wear clothes upon our bodies is a personal love letter to the objects we choose to be most intimate with. This idea ignites a personal fascination with the haptic notion of clothing. My creative working process involves deconstructing Queer kink practices and semiotics from their primary interaction with the body. By applying esoteric references to historical tailoring techniques, I subvert the culture of the garments deepening the relationship between garment and body. For my graduate collection, my practice was applied via distorting proportions and the contact point of where the garment meets the body. Creating new drapes and points of tension that shift the silhouette. Coupled with the interaction between wall and latex. I created composite materials through hand screen-printing a bespoke graphic print with a latex emulsion onto traditional suiting fabric. The motivation behind this collection was to recontextualise the sensual interaction kink has between body and cloth, through an elevation of bespoke tailoring.”
With this in mind, we find a collection designed to craft a uniform for oneself. Outerwear is exquisitely tailored — sharp shoulders, tight notched lapels, an hourglass double-breasted waistline and bust, all falling into a faux fur bottom half that doubles as a high-slit skirt. More panelled faux fur crafts an animalistic shift skirt, while traditional tailoring is cut into backless dresses reminiscent of Margiela’s early work.
Likewise, raw tailoring feels akin to the Miu Miu themes of late, but is unavoidably and perfectly Mackay with the addition of bondage ropes suffocating the body; something that comes apparent throughout the lookbook. Roped leather twines with the body, adding the kink to perfectly tailored virgin grey wool trousers, backless waistcoats, and more, while rounding out the collection is more leather, here serving full dominatrix realness.
This is Ennis Finnerty Mackay’s debut collection. Remember this moment, for the future is bright here.
In other news, JUNTAE KIM FW23 is here.
