John Alexander Skelton, who often finds himself building a grand and dour narrative for every collection, went in an upbeat direction for the brand’s spring 2024 collection, which is largely based on the book “On the Necessity of Gardening: An ABC of Art, Botany and Cultivation.”
To better tell the story, Skelton conscripted frequent collaborator William Waterworth to shoot the lookbook at an idyllic allotment in Herne Hill, South London.
“I grew up close to a really big allotment, and I was always fascinated by this hodgepodge-ness of it. All these shacks are cobbled together from bits of wood and old windows. I also really find it interesting how it has a dual purpose. As well as being really beautiful, a lot of people that I spoke to mentioned the mental health benefits of having an allotment,” said Skelton.
To bring the collection a step closer to nature without being too obvious, the designer repurposed utilitarian fabrics into “things that are way more interesting” than what they are supposed to be, as well as taking delicate English silks in a more utilitarian manner, by washing them repeatedly to achieve a creased wabi-sabi quality.
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“In the collection, the friction between those two for me was really interesting. I also challenged myself by using colors that I previously felt uncomfortable with to make them work in this collection,” Skelton added.
There are direct horticultural references as well, as seen on buttoned shirts, scarves and jewelry with prints Skelton dug up from 15th-century books.