Christopher Kane is back in full force. Throughout the pandemic, the designer continued his runway activities on the DL, choosing to focus on his inexpensive line of More Joy merchandise. The Spring/Summer 2022 season saw the womenswear designer return to the London Fashion Week scene with a collection that was “Conservative yet playful, subversive yet sensual, tough versus soft, badass versus innocent.” , as described in the show notes. For Fall 2022, Kane offered a sensually flirtatious range, stemming from monstrous sex appeal.
For Christopher Kane’s SS23 presentation, the designer cut through the female body, taking a kind of surgical scalpel to outline her graceful anatomy.
The designer wrapped up London Fashion Week affairs on Sunday night, hosting (we believe) hundreds of fashion-forward guests at Camden Roundhouse, the legendary concert venue graced by Pink Floyd, Jimi Hendrix and The Doors, to name a few . Before the performance, a nationwide minute’s silence was held in honor of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. What followed showed Kane in a raucous light, demonstrating an array of tasteful material and a sense of sweet innocence, all while maintaining the sensuality he’s known for in his prime.
A thrilling musical beat set the stage as if Kane was lighting up a concert of his own. For SS23, the designer appreciated the female figure inside and out. Presenting a collection that stretched between surface skin and muscle tissue, semi-sheer organza skirt suits kicked off the offering, trimmed with lace and pleated at the hems, mimicking layers of skin. Clear vinyl cutouts dominated every look, replacing bra straps and dangling them in the air. The models glistened with every step as the shiny material roughly mimicked body parts outlining abs, chests and six-pack collar bones. The brilliant silk garments were embellished with muscular drawings of hands, arms, legs and feet, offering a comical approach to anatomical structure. These signaled the strength of the body, sealed the length of the dresses, wrapped around the waist and hung down the shoulders of the models walking the runway.
Delicate pink flowers in bloom enhanced the short-sleeved nurses’ dresses and knits, spreading a gentle message of celebration and sympathy for the Queen’s passing.
In the footwear department, Kane sent out a series of silhouettes that conveyed sharp edges as if they were produced in a surgical room, while others featured biological depictions of feet and toes.
Take a look at the Christopher Kane SS23 collection in the gallery above. Live coverage of London Fashion Week SS23 can be found on @HypebeastUK.
In other news, the 16Arlington SS23 was a symbol of eternal love.
