Scene setting: Halpern tapped British set designer Shona Heath to transform a derelict house in Soho into an avant-garde show space, replete with floral arrangements and wrought iron furniture wrapped in hot pink cellophane. Graffiti tags and ripped posters littered the walls, floors and windows, while 1980s-inspired neon spotlights were projected onto the designer’s signature sequin looks as models descended the crumbling stairwells. A disco dystopia that was nothing short of fierce.
Sound bite: ‘There is a real feeling of intensity in this collection, that was on purpose. I suppose it's a reaction to the time we’re living in right now. I feel like a broken record saying this, but my clothes are pure escapism – a cross between costume and fantasy. You could say its resistance dressing, not having to adhere to fashion codes. After all, what could be more daring than wearing sequins in broad daylight?’ – Michael Halpern
Best in show: Halpern broadened his design horizons this season, experimenting with freer, more voluminous silhouettes. A blue metallic bubble dress, sequin palazzo trousers and lurex tops with gigantic sleeve-cum-scarf adornments looked especially fresh alongside his outré stalwarts – the plunging jumpsuits and structured micro-dresses that we all know and love.
Halpern A/W 2018.
Halpern A/W 2018.
-
The Hengqin Culture and Art Complex is China’s newest cultural megastructureAtelier Apeiron’s Hengqin Culture and Art Complex strides across its waterside site on vast arches, bringing a host of facilities and public spaces to one of China’s most rapidly urbanising areas
-
Inside Alessandro Michele’s showstopping debut haute couture show for ValentinoThis afternoon in Paris (29 Janaury 2025), the Italian designer hit new heights with an eclectic, era-traversing couture collection for Valentino
-
Inside Bell Labs, the modernist vision behind Severance's minimalist settingWe explore the history of Bell Labs - now known as Bell Works - the modernist Eero Saarinen-designed facility in New Jersey, which inspired the dystopian minimalist setting of 'Severance'
-
Inside Louis Vuitton’s Murakami London pop-up, a colourful cartoon wonderland with one-of-a-kind caféWallpaper* takes a tour of the Louis Vuitton x Murakami pop-up in London’s Soho, which celebrates the launch of a new ‘re-edition’ accessories collection spanning the greatest hits from the Japanese artist’s long-running collaboration with the house
-
Get to know Issey Miyake’s innovative A-POC ABLE line as it arrives in the UKAs A-POC ABLE Issey Miyake launches in London this week, designer Yoshiyuki Miyamae gives Wallpaper* the lowdown on the experimental Issey Miyake offshoot
-
Margaret Howell London Fashion Week Women's S/S 2019 -
London Fashion Week S/S 2023: Ahluwalia to Martine RoseThough slimmed-down, London Fashion Week nonetheless provided the moments of creative expression the city is known for – from Ahluwalia’s ode to Africa to Martine Rose’s much-anticipated runway return
-
Discover these fashion brands at London Craft WeekDuring London Craft Week, fashion brands including Smythson, Bally and Serapian are hosting events across the capital
-
Nicholas Daley's multicultural roots celebrated in London -
V&A spotlights the sartorial and social significance of the kimonoFor the latest endeavour of London's Victoria and Albert Museum, Kimono: Kyoto to Catwalk explores the evolution of the iconic Japanese garment
-
Erdem A/W 2020 London Fashion Week Women's
