Photography by Jack Buster
Cigarette packets and vibes of a bygone era, Christopher Shannon’s Autumn / Winter 2014 show at the recent London Collections: Men had the more mature members of the crowd gathered at the old sorting office reminiscing of the years that were the ’70s and the youthful eyes looking on in awe.
First out of the blocks and onto the runway were classic-style knits emblazoned with pixilated graphics of cigarette packets in a very classic palette of predominantly greys and blacks with a splash of subtle colour. Then came the flagship of the collection, a large number of tracksuits in various ’70s tones such as tangerine and magenta. Championing the rebirth of the tracksuit in this modern era, Shannon’s show notes pay homage to its creation: “Central to the collection is the birth of the tracksuit as casual wear in the 1970’s, when many people sewed their own from shop bought patterns.”
The modern twist was presenting them to us in a patchwork of mis-matched colours zipped together forming a seemingly slapdash, but clearly considered mid-section of the show. The final looks were composed of more tracksuits, a handful of puff jackets (daringly pared with footballer shorts), large collared shirts and trousers, all in printed fabrics featuring patterns much akin to classic ’70s floral décor.
Jack Buster
