The Telegraph recently posed a question of how British is British Fashion, with regards to foreign ownership and investment injected into the British biggies. It's also a bit of a redundant question to ask when it comes to the origins of the majority of designers who show in London, if you're going to be pedantic and ask them what passport they hold. Take Antipodium. Creative director Geoffrey J. Finch originally hails from Australia and his contemporary label that always promises bags of fun-fuelled wearability, was originally spawned from a London-based showroom and PR company, promoting labels from down under. Now Antipodium is firmly rooted to East London and has been in an upward ascent in popularity with its concept-n-art infused designs at smart prices.
Its A/W 13-4 collection was a multimedia mashup, both in texture and in inspiration. Sex, Lies & CCTV is the title that preambles this sleaze-filled collection. Spy cams, sex tapes and guilty pleasure trash thrillers like Sliver and Basic Instinct set the scene for this sartorial investigation of modern day voyeurism. There's a delectable unease about the textures - sickly pistachio or muddy berry slick patent, fluffy sheepskin contrasted with flashy lilac metallic panels, faux pony and velvet sit in one tactile but slightly disturbed "Trophy" coat. This was a collection full of deceptive outerwear options where front-on, you'd see one thing, and then you turn to the side or round the back and you see another. Antipodium have once again collaborated with duo Craig & Karl on the prints, which are based on CCTV footage screencaps and security guard video walls. Oiled up patent emerged as a favoured fabric from London Fashion Week, and no doubt Antipodium's take on this "sleaze with ease" style will prove popular.
Speaking of popular, a quick gauge from my Instagram showed that people are bang into all things cork. Especially if they come in loafer form. Not since Aldo x J.W. Anderson has a high-low shoe collaboration been this awesome. Antipodium have paired up with ASOS to exclusively bring us eight mixed media syles of shoes that come in the Pathfinder loafer, the Halftone heel and the Gradient heel. Cork, mesh, patent, sheeny shiny buckles, snakeskin-effect and a touch of olive suede are all intermixed into different texture combos. The loafers are undoubtedly my favourite out of the lot and for a well affordable £75. A commenter called me out for calling Sophia Webster's shoes reasonable priced the other day. I'd maintain that they are in a designer shoe world context but I'll admit I was a bit overenthused about my pricing language. This sweet little collab though is well and truly within most means, with plenty of design packed into the price tag. Quite pleased that in one outfit, cork, pvc sheeting and clear plastic manage to come together, like a jumbled up Blue Peter craft project.
Wearing Swash bomber jacket, Simone Rocha yellow plastic and cream tweed skirt, Ostwald Helgason x Noel Stewart cap
