This season, Namacheko sent out a knight in sparkly armor.
Calling it “medieval grunge,” designer Dilan Lurr looked to Arthurian knights to bring in unexpected elements such as chainmail-inspired beaded hoods and vests, while outerwear was slimmed with flair.
He took the touchstones from his most recent collections, such as embellishment and knits, and went back to his roots with tailoring, his first fashion love. It came together in striking synthesis, with interesting pieces and a consistent flow as woolen jackets with toggle buttons, long-line velour vests, and tweed suits with frayed edges came down the runway.
Formfitted gear came in gradient colors of grays and greens, purples and rose and were inspired by jousting wear. Intricate knitwear that recalled breastplates in gunmetal and twisted sweaters cinched across the chest as if a very chic armor.
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Many young brands have shown a renewed interest in tailoring this season and Lurr turned his attention there too. He added intriguing details including rivets and pearl embellishments, as well as shine in a patent leather car-length coat, with his outerwear pieces cut closer to the body.
Embroidery, knits and crochet touches added layers of detail, as an ankle cuff of a slim trouser or padding across the knee, while shoulders on knitwear resembled pauldrons. Lurr also experimented with these textiles, deconstructing single-color yarns and re-blending three at a time to create new colors and a chunky texture.
For Lurr, it was time to cut down the ideas. For the past few seasons, he’s been drawing on the personal and political, and admitted that last season was “a lot.” Looking to the Arthurian legends gave him a new sense of freedom since he didn’t have to mine his own history. It served him well.
It was also the first time Lurr presented footwear, and he did so cleverly with braided derbies and a kicky Cuban heel slide made outside of Venice, Italy.
The show was coed, and Lurr sees himself moving into womenswear “more and more, without disturbing the menswear too much.” He pointed out many pieces are already gender-neutral — with men in skirts on the runway and women in voluminous coats — and won’t stray too far from that ethos.