Year: 2017
Liam Hodges AW17
A line written by performance poet Hector Aponysus for Dystopia Lives, “Looking for a vocation in the decline of civilization” sums up the state we find ourselves in.The incubation of Dystopia Lives saw Liam come together with Aponysus for a process Liam calls “the benefits of looking at where things are at but through different lenses”. The point to connect to the now and create bars of poetry that can be used to emphasise the collection’s intent. Style is always an attempt to find yourself and your people. Today the only maps that seem to make sense of our present reality come from dystopian fiction, illuminatingly the genre is rich with strong aesthetics.
Dystopia Lives is also a play on the Kuato Lives graffiti seen in Total Recall, and written in defiance of the Martian governor and in honour of Kuato, the psychic alien rebel hero in hiding. Thus Dystopia Lives can be read as signal of mutual understanding that darkness can be beat. The overwhelmingly streetcast show makes clear these are clothes designed for wearing by individuals not clones.
BOBBY ABLEY AW17
Bobby Abley Powers Up for Autumn/Winter 2017 with Bobby Abley x Power Rangers, a collection inspired by the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. Premiering in 1993, it is one of the longest running and most-watched kids action series in television history. With a mix of iconic imagery and nostalgia, Saban’s Power Rangers provides the perfect inspiration to Bobby Abley’s signature blending of playful imagery with cutting edge, contemporary design.
XANDER ZHOU AW17
We are young, but we are no longer children. We have grown up. We have come to understand ourselves. First by looking at others, because it was easier than looking at ourselves. That journey provided us with a frame of reference. it taught us about our identity in relation to others. It taught us about our position in the world. And the position of Asia in the world. We are the new generation.