Designers Levi Palmer and Matthew Harding have been on an introspective journey for the past couple of years, using their artistic endeavors as a way to process their emotions. However, it seems they turned a fresh page for spring. “Lately we’ve been in a place of contentment, which is lovely,” said Palmer. “So this time we focused more on our processes in an organic and symbiotic way.”
Palmer has a knack for draping directly onto mannequins to generate volume and silhouette in a very hands-on, sculptural manner. Harding, on the other hand, employs a more analytical method, in which precision is achieved through sketching. The two wanted to highlight their different approaches to working together this season. “It’s about celebrating the nuances between the language of us as individuals, as well as how it all comes together to deliver an outcome,” explained Harding.
The collection investigates ideas of tension and fluidity. There are several examples that might be taken as a depiction of the push and pull in the designers’ creative partnership, such as knotted power-mesh details on the shoulders and sleeves of jumpsuits or fringe embellishments on the brand’s distinctive shirting. Highlights include a swinging, supersoft indigo denim skirt-and-jacket set and the final eco-leather look with copious amounts of fringe. The designers should continue pushing their signatures with more volume and experimental textures because it has truly paid off for them.
The collection has to be viewed in motion for full impact. “I miss the excitement of a show—they’re fun to orchestrate, even if we just do them sporadically,” beamed Harding. Watch this space—a runway spectacle may be coming up sooner rather than later.
