At Craig Green's show last season I was part of the mass Mexican-wave of emotion that flooded thru the basement of Victoria House, as the emotive music and sheer beauty of the collection mysteriously overtook us. This time round I had another privileged experience but from a perspective at the other side of the process, behind the scenes. The storm of the show starts with the serenity of Craig's calm and remains still like a mill pond throughout. The ease of his nature filters down from the top, all the way out to the rest of his team with an atmosphere of reassurance that is almost disquieting to the site crew more used to backstage mayhem. It's with this military precision in planning and confidence before his models step out from the trenches of preparation onto the frontline of the runway that I understand his affinity with all things uniform. Each look of multi-layered sections is exquisitely pieced together from the body-con second-skin out to the voluminous waterproof sail size coats. My favourite thing is the quilted gilets that cocoon the torso, becoming a Craig Green classic. For the first time the designer edited the collection down to its purest essence without the finale of sculptural wood frame accessories. Although I am a fan of his fine art vs. fashion approach, I wasn't upset not to see it. He's established that sensibility and now with his second solo show at LCM stripped back the presentation to deliver a focus on the functionality of his organised wardrobe. Colour-block groups continue to choreograph the order and seemingly style the show itself.
Aside the obvious ingenuity ooozing from the clothes, I think it's an indication of a truly gifted talent that can conduct his operation with this quiet ease. If surviving the fashion industry could be compared to entering battle then no army (brand) could do be better then led by this compass of calm.
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