Dear Shaded Viewers and Diane,
Showcasing her new collection, Truss, as part of the Fashion East line-up for fall 2019, Charlotte Knowles refines and defines the language her young brand speaks. It is, there’s no more doubt, one of sexuality: not shun nor performed but leant into, moulded into shape and sustained with minimally-boned corsetry and soft, puffy push-up bras. Hers is a woman growing comfortable with sex, whose sensuality comes as threatening to patriarchal hierarchies simply by its being foreign, by refusing to be cajoled into male fantasies. The chequered wools throughout the show are a knowing reference to the spirit and pattern of rebellious British counter-culture. The Charlotte Knowles brand (CK? Now that’s a thought) is making of the female gaze its signature. Its reversed perspective is mirrored in silhouettes that make the intimate public, compact and strict in tune with the consolidation of this designer’s style. Concealed pockets return practicality, while crotch gussets a trademark detail, to her first foray into tailoring, otherwise flared, lean and lightweight. Melted combs tangled into the models’ hair and a set of combinable magnetic jewellery – a collaboration between Florence Tétier and Freeka Tet – crown a collection that marks Knowles’ departure from the Fashion East’s nest and proves her ready to take flight.
Later,
Silvia
