LFW’s resident fashion brutalist and master of shock appeal, without being too brazen, is increasingly becoming one of the highlights of London’s Fashion Scout division. The scramble to secure a seat, or something within one’s eye-line at the show, signified that at least. Once every seat was filled, from then on it was all about the honing of her signature aesthetic, heavily and with increasingly more versatile qualities.
Still drawing on her fascination for “urban societies”, Jamie Wei Huang reworked the hardened street-tough utility-luxe from AW14 to work in lighter fabrics, lighter colours and all in lighter spirits. This gave the Taiwanese designer more room to the breath, exploring a higher quality of tailoring, yet avoiding anything too avant-garde to bump down the price to something more obtainable in an wise move for the still emergent designer.
Mixing up elements of casual elegance and functional sporting uniforms, from bicycle bags to skiwear, the composition of such outré inspirations came together in a refined and almost delicate manner in some instances, yet utilising contrasts for all they’re worth. This was a show that Glass found itself taken aback and more than a little bit excited about, something which is stirring up within us more and more when we experience Jamie Wei Huang each year. A designer who has places to go and is going to get there, if her trend-conscious yet not humdrum signature statements continue to have a consecutive impact.
by Liam Feltham