Husband and wife design teams aren’t unusual in fashion but in the case of Christina and Swaim Hutson of Obedient Sons and Daughters, Swaim meeting Christina not only led to the introduction of womenswear into their collections but almost a complete about-face for the company. Said Swaim, “When we started working together, we wanted to bring more tailoring to the collection. Before it was sportswear. We kinda relaunched it but we didn’t want to change the name.” Good decision. Because in the topsy turvy alternate universe of Obedient Sons and Daughters, anything goes.
“Turn on, tune in, drop out” was the motto of Obedient Sons and Daughters’ S/S 09 show, at times literally embroidered on the clothes. Their collections always have a rich backstory; from prep school dropouts to unisex rugby teams and this one was no exception. “Communes, a cult feel from the 70’s, but it was like a fancy commune” said Christina, backstage after the show. This translated to lace tops, floppy hats, printed jacquard short suits and a further evolution of their androgynous aesthetic – “We try to keep it uniform. We always try to look at the men’s and women’s collections separate. I feel we keep it appropriate for each.” Soundtracked by a live performance from cult band, Stars Like Fleas, this beautifully subversive collection saw the recently CFDA nominated design team go from strength to strength.