Amelia’s Magazine | London Fashion Week A/W 2011 Catwalk Review: Jacob Kimmie

Waiting around for shows to start is one of the less interesting parts of London Fashion Week- unless of course you’re at Jacob Kimmie’s show where the designer had considerately placed two buff young men on plinths for our viewing, dosage clad in nothing but some strategically swathed white tulle. These classical living statues illustrated the ‘Martyr’ theme of the collection, this inspired by classical paintings and statues like The Borghese Hermaphrodite.

Illustration by Avril Kelly

But the twist on the nod to classicism was a 90s ‘street’ vibe, case harking back to a time when fashion became a form of protest. In fact, one glance at the audience showed that radical fashion is hardly restricted to the catwalk these days, with many a black-lipped attendee flying the flag for the days of punk and grunge. Jacob embraces the dark side in his muses, including True Blood’s Rutina Wesley and Lina Leanderson from ‘Let the right one in’ who he had in mind when designing.

Illustration by Avril Kelly

A number of different hair and make-up looks meant it was hard to maintain any illusion of consistency, but personally I found the variety a nice change. One group of models sported slick black eye make-up and burka-style sheer headresses revealing flawlessly toned muscular bodies, whilst another group had massive Helena Bonham-Carter-esque hair.

Whilst the collection was largely dark, splatters of red featured on the models themselves;an arm here a whole head there, and others sported silver, glittery nosebleeds. The prints on the clothes combined barbed wire and thorns to carry the Martyr theme throughout the collection.It felt tortured, it felt dark and it felt altogether timely for a recession ridden generation ready to make a statement through fashion.There was something decidedly old-school-Madonna about the religious references combined with a Gothic aesthetic; perhaps a new addition to Lady Gaga’s wardrobe?