Style & Design
On/Off Presents
Originally published on Tuesday, 24th February 2009
On|Off Presents
On|Off’s showcase for its select group of four designers always pulls in a crowd with its promise of hot young talent and a dash of theatrics. Gok Wan, Jodie Kidd, PPQ designers Amy Molyneaux and Percy Parker, Jasmine Guinness and Jamie Winstone were all firmly ensconced on the front row as the lights went down and a saucy whisper announced "It’s about to begin," over the sound system.
Berlin based label q.e.d presented a moody, dark menswear collection full of slouchy, distressed knits, cool looped hoods, and wet look harem pants that would put Twilight to shame.
Cecelia Mary Robson’s collection followed with girls in skin-tight body suits incorporating clever quilted panels, developing into sculptured, paniered dresses, topped with headpieces reminiscent of aviator caps.
Rozalb de Mura’s men looked like they’d survived some kind of futuristic trench war, in asymmetric grey suit jackets, slouchy trousers and coats with exaggerated padded shoulders. But if there was a star of the show, it was Rachel Freire . The Liverpudlian designer’s history in theatrics certainly shone through as strong, sexy vixens emerged variously in corseted and fiercely structured, or soft and delicately ruffled pieces. The cage-like material encasing legs, and stomping, horn-backed shoes alongside a colour palette of nudes, browns and smudged neutrals, made the collection look like a troupe of eroticised, animé cave women out to eat the audience alive.
See the photos below…
