Chalayan S/S 2018

Mood board: Surprisingly, the cerebral Hussein Chalayan made reference to FOMO and Instagram likes in the notes for his S/S 2018 menswear collection. But it is pertinent from a designer whose oeuvre looks to understand so much of our immediate environment. A fleeting Instagram story is the new handwritten thank you note. Entitled 'Momentum', Chalayan’s collection had a large emphasis on sportswear; clothing originally designed to be in constant motion. His street fashion was rendered in light cottons, crisp wools and shirting voiles that moved elegantly and snapped into more formal tailoring. The silhouette was louche, as shoulders were lower and blousons high at the back.

Best in show: Sportswear and traditional active wear details were contrasted with jacquards and artisanal prints of leaves. Standout was a quilted kimono sports jacket with matching three-quarter length track pants.

Scene setting: Chalayan’s retail store – designed by London-based ZCD Architects – opened in 2015 and has provided the backdrop to his intimate menswear shows since January this year. For S/S 2018, the backstage was brought onto the street. Chalayan himself ushered models into the shop, each taking it in turns to walk around the large boat-shaped counter. The cramped photographs of the staging shared online do it little justice. You had to be there. FOMO indeed.