London’s grand train stations are great places for people-watching. The next time (or if ever) you find yourself in Waterloo, Liverpool Street, Paddington, or Charing Cross, take a moment to look over the concourse and see which characters catch your eye. The show that Kent Curwen staged last night in the Foreign Office’s Italianate central hall had something of that feel to it, as a cast of fresh-faced youths in sharply executed riffs on heritage tailoring and British preppy staples zipped across its marble floors.
“I was thinking about this metaphor of the train station and how it’s a place where time stands still and you are taking in all the people around you in a place like London,” said Daniel Kearns, the brand’s Chief Creative Officer. “You’re seeing all these characters, but you also have this sense of anticipation for the next chapter and where you’re going.” The sentiment feels particularly apt for Kent Curwen. This season marked its sophomore show following its ambitious relaunch last season—a show that piqued curiosity regarding where the label would be heading in its new chapter. While that show saw Kearns double down on the brand’s varsity codes, channeling the jubilant spirit of a young graduate on the cusp of adulthood, for fall the designer offered a wardrobe for the transition out of the classroom and into the real world.
That exploration translated to a rigorously executed—though slightly straitlaced—collection that offered no shortage of desirable staples. Think boulder-shouldered wool coats; fanning A-line skirts; flounced dresses; shirt and trouser coordinates in tartans that evoked a sense of lineage; and myriad riffs on rugby shirts (a standout being the iterations in poppy looped knits). “We come from clubwear, and this idea of club dressing, this notion of preppy dressing, is central to who we are,” Kearns said. “It’s important for us to always think about those codes, and in a way, they offer a sense of nostalgia that is a comfort on this journey.” While keeping a sense of heritage is important, such adherence to historical precedence can come off as overly nostalgic or, at worst, counter-progressive. While that didn’t characterize the collection, it did tinge it. How—and if—Kearns will shake that off is something to keep an eye on as Kent Curwen continues its journey.
