The Tamesis
Sustainably sewn and heavily sown, this beautiful Phoebe English collection seems as ingrained in folk as it is in fashion, thanks to a 12-look narrative that’s part corsage, part calendar. It also represents, by the Brit’s estimation, the most decorated collection she has ever shown: “I don’t know where it came from,” she said ahead of the first of three permanent exhibitions this afternoon.
The idea behind the exhibition and collection is a wearable botanical almanac. Each shape represents a month, as well as a flower or plant. Starting with No. 1 and January, these organic totems are: snowdrops, dandelions, goldenrod, apple blossoms, nettles, foxgloves, ferns, rocket, rosehips, cyclamen, ivy berries and catkins. “These plants sustain me all year long,” English said. “It’s about a transfer of energy in these natural creatures.”
Many of the clothes were embellished with material reproductions of the plants from which their ideas blossomed, especially the February dandelions, which were particularly lovely. Other times, like ferns in July, the outlines of inspiration are pressed into fruition. Each garment is made from a mix of fabrics, much of which is scrap offcuts collected from a network of manufacturers working with the UK. The companies specialize in bridal wear, which explains the all-white color palette, although in the hands of this designer the color story evokes Druids and Paganism: very old England.
The designer says she and her team craft each piece around the body in a way that’s meant to reflect the natural structure of the plant it’s sourced from. There are asymmetrical tangles, trailing ribbons, gathering bushes. Once the clothes are made, they are gently processed by steaming, crushing, wrinkling and twisting. This process creates texture and tension as the fabric reacts in different ways.
Human bouquets are as diverse as Britain’s flora, and this collection has an appealing air of organic ritual. English has been building her own label for 15 years after graduating from fashion school. Despite the recent harsh climate, she’s still thriving as an independent person, which qualifies her as a strong evergreen. This season she blossomed too.
