by Emily Duff
This London Fashion Week, Fashion East, a ‘talent incubators,’ continues to showcase emerging designers. This season, the spotlight was on two talents - Olly Shinder and Johanna Parv - as they presented their Autumn/Winter 2024 collections, each a testament to their unique perspectives and design philosophies.
Menswear: Olly Shinder
Olly Shinder, the creative behind his eponymous brand, has swiftly become a name synonymous with challenging hypermasculine dress codes.
Since its inception in just 2022, the brand has already become a trailblazer through blending the boundaries between fashion, art, and queer culture. Shinder's sophomore collection, titled 'Lab,' serves as a captivating exploration of the intersection between his personal narrative and the realms of workwear and military aesthetics.
The collection breathes life into seemingly mundane garments, as Shinder subverts archetypal dress codes with innovative cuts and materials.
From rubberised gauntlets to MYKITA's avant-garde optical frames, every piece tells a story of rebellion and refinement. Collaborating with protective footwear specialist Magnum, the collection introduces hi-top boots that draw inspiration from industrial toe guards, offering a fusion of style and functionality.
Artistically directed by the London-based Novacaine, the runway transformed into a canvas where Shinder's nuanced interrogation of masculinity reached new heights. Models were carefully selected from London's progressive cultural niches, to converge fashion with nightlife scenes.
Womenswear: Johanna Parv
Johanna Parv, on her third and final show as part of Fashion East, propelled her label into a darker, sexier, and more technical space for AW24.
With looks reminiscent of the near past’s ‘office-siren’ trend, we saw messenger bags and classic white shirts paired with sheer tops and low V-necks.
Inspired by the relentless energy of the city, Parv's collection is a marriage of functionality and style, capturing the essence of inner-city cycling, morning commutes, and battling the elements.
The colour palette, balancing between browns and blacks to bursts of tourmaline-blue and aqua-green, paints a vivid picture of urban life.
Parv's signature pieces of breathable shirts and lycra dresses introduced a new category; Techy Tailoring. Natural wool blazers, cycling jacket styles, insulated mini skirts, cut-out trousers, and intentional volume showcased Parv's meticulous attention to detail and functional design.
As a nod to sustainability, Parv also incorporated recycled nylons, natural fibres, and post-consumer plastics into her collection, aligning with fashions increasing conversations around environmental consciousness.