Basso & Brooke

Love 'em or hate 'em Basso and Brooke's shows are always a feast for the eyes. With their penchant for experimental prints and their theatrical silhouettes theirs are presentations that always keep the audience gripped.

This season was no different and in the dramatic and full-to-brimming old sorting office the original Fashion Fringe winners sent out an aw08 collection which draws on the iconic architecture of Zaha Hadid, Norman Foster and Antonio Gaud – whose organic Arts and Crafts aesthetic inform darting and cutting of sleeves and waists. Even the peaks of Moscow's basilica are referenced in the shoulders of dresses and shirts.

Views of landmarks seen from multiple perspectives have been digitally manipulated and re-interpreted as striking geometric prints while structure, proportion and volume are explored through the innovative positioning of cuts and folds.

What stands out most about this collection, however, is the richness of surface detail and texture. Unexpected but delicious combinations of fabric (woven raffia, patent leather, embossed velvet, shiny polyamide and boucle jersey – even tape reel) are further embellished with ruffles, embroidery, Swarovski crystals, quilting, patchwork. The overwhelming impression is that you want to dive in and roll around in the clothes, the better to get a sense of their lavishness.

Topping things off, literally, was a collection of quirky Stephen Jones knitted hats that looked like giant pebbles, some of which have split open to reveal sparkling red interiors.

Bound to be a massive hit with adventurous stylists and fabulous dressers alike these are clothes for those who like their style statements loud, proud and way out there.

Words: Maia Adams
Photos: Ian Gillett