Opened by the now iconic model, Fernanda Ly, the Ashley Williams runway at London Fashion Week resembled a hodge-podge of adolescent memories. With the words “FIRST BORN” slapped across many of Williams’s designs, the young designer seemed to explore teenagedom and identity construction. Phrases like “HAIRCUT,” seem banal at first, but in the context of youth culture, it’s absolutely crucial and the most visible form of self-representation. Bibbed shirt dresses, loose cover-alls and pajama sets are a sharp contrast to Williams’s experimentation with tailoring for the Spring/Summer 2017 season. On one end is childish naiveté and on the other is a self-perceived maturation. Close to the show’s closing were dresses with exaggerated ‘80s puff-sleeves. A dramatic detail for a dramatic designer, it solidified the collection’s theme as a nostalgic yet self-aware exploration of the past.
Comments