Thom Browne SS15

Initial reaction:

A little like drifting into a fever dream after a night spent in front of the TV: a surreal concoction of Thunderbirds (the hats and uniform elements), 70s cult horror Alice, Sweet Alice (the plastic masks), and a Gunther von Hagens autopsy special (the inflated muscles bursting from garments).

Give them a show:

Thom Browne is famed for his avant-garde, often utterly bizarre catwalk shows, from the theatrical staging of an Amish barn raising to – somewhat controversially – figuring audience members as inpatients at a mental health institution. SS15 proved no exception, as Browne’s own audience of men in grey suits and masks sat like neat students, watching the procession of looks pass by. Models resembled militaristic marionettes, in uniforms that, in a cartoonish parody of gender, exaggerated the proportions of the body – a Browne signature. The shoulders, muscles and groin all became larger than life, and a few models were even given Madonna-worthy cone breasts.

How it was worn:

“I surround each collection with humour or irony,” Browne told Dazed in an interview last year. “I want to make sure that it’s not too serious and that there is some element that throws it off.” This season, it was the three dimensional butterfly and flower appliques, which were grouped on shoulders and crotches, and decorated socks. The fabric choice also lightened the tone, with inflated six packs presented in childlike baby pink seersucker, patterned with flowers.

Last season, Thom Browne presented models with painted faces and hats crafted by Stephen Jones. See it below: