#LFW – Linus Leonardsson, Bethany Williams, Olubiyi Thomas, EFTYCHIA, Matty Bovan + Vinti Andrews

  Linus Leonardsson

Linus Leonardsson creates clothes for everyone, irrespective of gender. All his garments are designed with an ethical mindset, using a combination of recycled, upcycled, dead stock and biodegradable materials. While the designers manufacturing approach is motivated by sustainability, the artist amazes us by creating juxtaposition through the concept of his collections, often inspired by forest raves and capitalist hierarchies. The artists non-conforming approach to design provokes a conversation about the sustainable future of fashion we all need to have.

 The A/W 21 collection looks at the rise of digital culture as well as pays an homage to the everyday life. Both are topics humanity has been very much concerned with throughout the past year, where we have been stripped of our privilege for life to be flexible, being left with the everyday and the internet.

 The almost cartoonish texture of his A/W 21 collection contrasts with the natural print patterns who display almost tech-like colours.

We love the mixture of exciting and bright colours combined with dramatic silhouettes which transform the wearer into part of a digital utopia craving for some nature.

We especially loved the blunt display of one print from top to bottom as well as the clashing of two separate ones in one outfit, expressing direct nonconformity and individualism.

We cannot wait to see more!

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Bethany Williams

While Bethany Williams did not create a collection for this fashion week (we’ve heard a new one may be coming in April) she did use the opportunity of LFW to drop a new collection of coats that will be sold exclusively at that original London emporium Selfridges.

The coats are created from blankets she found at local markets and through vintage dealers. And 20% of all her profits will go to the Magpie Project’s work supporting homeless mothers and their children. Within the charity, Williams has set up the Bethany Williams Benevolent Fund to support emergency expenses which are not usually covered by the trust.

Bethany told Vogue UK “For women in crisis who are sometimes given 12 hours notice to leave their temporary accommodation, they don’t have the funds to pay for a removal van. They might have saved to spend money on furniture and lose it all [unless there’s aid].” So Bethany is there giving the needed aid. And we love seeing designer’s like Bethany and Studio 189 and others whose values inform their process.

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 Olubiyi Thomas

Lagos born, Glasgow raised, London based Olubiyi Thomas is a graduate of Central Saint Martins and was recently shortlisted for the BFC/Vogue Fashion Fund.

He takes an artisanal approach to design, exploring archaic textiles and reinterpreting historical references for garments. The signature style is elongated, tailored silhouettes that drape and layer exquisitely, with raw edges that complete the deconstructed avant garde aesthetic.

The label explores stories of multiculturalism and hidden identity, borne out of creative director Olubiyi’s self-reflection on his Nigerian origins and Scottish upbringing. Inspired by his heritage, Olubiyi vividly reimagines the linkages between British Post-Colonialism and African cultural history. Focusing on carefully sourced sustainable textiles and craftsmanship each piece is handmade in London.

From the styling. the photography and the clothes themselves this FW21 collection feels tribal –the clothes seem interchangeable between the models, and not simply “gender fluid” but as though they are a collective that shares garments amongst themselves and along with them a history. We find the results compelling.


 EFTYCHIA

EFTYCHIA is a British brand that was launched in 2018, by Greek born designer Eftychia Karamolegkou, a year after she graduated from Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design with her Masters. The womenswear brand balances traditional menswear tailoring with innovative design for a powerful feminine look.

LIFE BEFORE BIRTH (AW21) An ode to emotional struggle, depression, isolation, fear and all “tortuous” feelings one’s going through while trying to give birth to a project. Birth is an ending rather than a beginning.

Designer Eftychia Karamolegkou talks about the video for the collection by Polly Brown:

“I had a really extremely bad time, feeling low and depressed in the fall—and at the same time, I was trying to work, to be creative about this collection. So I thought the video should be about the pain, struggle, and anger we’re all going through,” she remembers. “I’d started searching for therapies on YouTube, like tapping and meditation to help me. And as soon as I realized I could use that as design material,” she laughs, “I started to feel better!”

EFTYCHIA is for women who are dressing for business, which might have you wondering if we will ever find ourselves out of the virtual office. Regardless, it is about female empowerment and redefining the masculine and feminine details within our clothing. EFTYCHIA is creating a new type of power suit, one that plays with the menswear silhouette and femininity. The neutrals and creative tailoring for womenswear is designed for mixing and matching to transform each piece into a different look.

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 Matty Bovan

Matty Bovan is a York based 2015 Central Saint Martins graduate and LVMH Graduate Prize recipient. As a knitwear major Matty Bovan embraces the sculptural creative potential of textiles. Bovan’s practice is centered around sustainability through sourcing end-of-line materials such as dead stock fabrics and found accessories.

For A/W 2021 Matty Bovan’s collection, “Odyssey”, is a technicolor apocalyptic epic through fashion. Matty Bovan states “‘Odyssey’ is ultimately about humanity’s constant survival against external forces, and a battle with reality”. He imagines the story of man against the sea in a three part series much like a tale from Greek antiquity.

The collection’s “battle” is imagined through collage with textiles layered on top of one another and cut various shapes. Some of the collection’s pieces are decorated with accessories and up-cycled adornments such as hardware and Swarovski crystals. Red is the main character that elevates the overall dramatics of the collection. When paired with the various prints and patterns, bright red connects the garments serving as a narrative element.

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Vinti Andrews

Vinti Andrews is the design team of Vinti Tan and Paul Andrews. And as far as we can tell, neither of them graduated from Central St Martins. (because if they had, that would be in the first 2 sentences of the bio, generally speaking.) And sidenote: there’s also a shoe designer named Paul Andrews so independent research shows very little outside their “about” paragraph playing on repeat on every site. So if you want to see that you can find it elsewhere.

The Vinti Andrew girl AW21 looks like a witchy grunge girl perhaps going to a rave. She has an independent spirit and her own style that is both strong and beguiling. This design duo is very much into recycling and restructuring clothes and it seems to be reflected in the designs and the styling. The video has a slightly creepy vibe and shows a girl stomping through a small town. She is the unapologetic, misunderstood loner who will be stylish in her isolation until she can make her way in the world and find her tribe –who will no doubt be wearing Vinti Andrews.


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