Cimone - London Fashion Week

Article : Ross Pollard
Image Selection: Simon Armstrong

Carli Pearson returned to Fashion Scout for her second consecutive season and having been one of the stand out shows during SS17 the expectation and anticipation was high for the follow up, it lived up to everything I’d hoped for. The Cimone AW17 collection was so layered, storied and complex we weren’t sold a takeaway, we were given a full dark, deep, multi-coursed banquet of her vision so filling I was still digesting the looks the next morning.

Red and grey checks, panels, stripes, whatever the look each garment was delivered with body depth and texture with a touch of drama embedded in the otherworldly, a touch of The Brothers Grimm mixed with a verve and swagger missing so often in collections this season. Gone was the fun, light playfulness of last season and a new book begun but still retaining a playfulness in its creative tour de force.

While many designers may never embrace their visions, Pearson has grabbed her history at some of the edgiest fashion houses in Britain and delivered a collection of hits in her trademark exaggerated proportions and statement looks. In fashion as in music or art you have your entire life to create the first collection, then the next is almost instantly due. The jump to brutalist and dystopian lines and structure is a brave move some would say, I wouldn’t, I firmly believe that designers should grow and go with their inspirations and thought processes to the very margins of their creativity.
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Carli has done this and it pays off so much, these aren’t looks that can be fully appreciated in a single viewing, the poised use of shape, colour, texture and pattern is one that needs to be savoured, drunk in and enjoyed in a deeper way, each is a look that you can go back to over and over. The looks define the label, rebellious, mixed of chaos and creativity, spun with experimentation. It feels like London has a gem here and I can’t wait to see what she does next.

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