Rich with a subversive appeal, this collection was inspired by the surreal, anatomically unconventional dolls that German artist Hans Bellmer produced in the Thirties as a riposte to the Nazi party’s idealization of physical perfection. From that starting point, Catherine Teatum and Rob Jones said they wanted to “deconstruct the body without prejudice.” They underlined their inclusive message by casting a number of models with disabilities in the show.
The collection was filled with garments that highlighted seams and stitching. A body-skimming blue dress in crushed velvet had an asymmetric split on the skirt, the two sides joined with ribbon threaded through huge metal eyelets. Angular, cutout details, meanwhile, appeared at the shoulders and elbows. A wine-colored, bias-cut dress was designed with an uneven seam at the bodice that dipped from one side to the other and layered sleeves. Fabrics had a slick, Weimar-era feel, particularly a glossy, coated wool that was fashioned into enveloping trenchcoats or tailored pencil skirts.
Teatum and Jones sent out some bulkier looks, too, such as a men’s wool overcoat covered in a bubble-like layer of clear PVC. By far the standouts were the designs that stayed close to the lines of the body, offering an intriguing take on revealing and concealing the form.