Initial reaction:
A truly electrifying show that set our souls blazing. Slimane has the rare ability to ignite cultural shifts that go far beyond the confines of fashion. Last night, we witnessed psych rock’s new rising. It was a moment that will forever be cemented in fashion folklore and its influence will reverberate through to the streets – and inspire more than a few to pack their bags and head to Cali to trip out under the desert stars.
Cult casting:
Although Slimane is known for his cult casting – filling his shows with a mix of models, musicians and street-cast boys – this season he brought girls back into the mix, much like his AW13 menswear debut. A fiery-haired Natalie Westling walked alongside actor Jack Kilmer (the star of Gia Coppola’s directorial debut Palo Alto) and musicians from bands including: Swim Deep, Skinnybones, White Room, Froth – who produced the soundtrack to AW14, The Invaders, Psychic Warden and Los Rips. Together girls and boys emerged on the runway dripping in feathered chains, tasselled leather, hallucinogenic metallics and intricate embellished capes that flew off the shoulders. Classic cowboy boots had been reworked in snakeskin, and girls stomped down the runway in metallic lace up boots covered in red stars.
Collaborations:
LA-based psych band Mystic Braves were invited to soundtrack the show with their track "Bright Blue Day Haze", which took influence from the dreamy sounds of the 60s. This season’s invitation manifesto (which Slimane always fills with the work of a Californian artist, past collaborators including John Baldessari and Raymond Pettibon) featured the work of the late Bruce Conner. It was an appropriate choice for Slimane – after all, Conner is regarded as of the pioneering figures of psych art. He is perhaps best known for his erotically-charged works, including the cult 1961 experimental film Cosmic Ray, which features a nude woman dripping in pearls set against footage of atomic bombs and set to Ray Charles’s track "What’d I Say".
The band behind SS15's soundtrack:
To learn more about Bruce Conner, check out the film about the experimental artist and filmmaker below:
Last season, Slimane set Paris blazing with a collection that shimmered and sparkled, as fans sat cross-legged on the floor. See it below:
