London’s Hayward Gallery, a hulking Brutalist landmark on the South Bank, is rarely available as a fashion show venue. But it fortuitously freed up between exhibitions for Tove, one of London’s most compelling nascent labels, which utilized its rough, exposed concrete walls as a backdrop for a streamlined take on femininity.
There’s lots of talk in London this week about the purpose of runway shows, which remain prohibitively expensive for many. Why not host a lo-fi party instead, or seed some product, or channel your efforts into inciting a TikTok trend? But while acknowledging the myriad challenges independent labels face today, designers Holly Wright and Camille Perry were determined to build on the momentum they ignited last season with their debut show. The biggest draw of a catwalk presentation for them was that magic word: storytelling. “Last season was the first time we’d been able to really set the collection in our world,” said Perry at a preview, “and the magnitude of it was amazing, in terms of wholesale, brand awareness, and our direct-to-consumer sales. Definitely our European business has had a massive uplift off the back of it.” Wright added: “Our aesthetic is so different from everything in London. We really stand out because of that.”
They’ve got a point. There are only a handful of designers in London making low-key luxury clothes with a cool-girl twist that sing from the same aesthetic hymn sheet as The Row but don’t require the auctioning off of a kidney to afford them. (The imminent arrival of Phoebe Philo’s highly anticipated label won’t change that.) In the four years since it launched, Tove has built up a repertoire of dresses that quietly dazzle; generous, floor-sweeping coats that lend shruggable elegance to any outfit; and jeans that fit like the perfect washed-out 501s you snagged from a vintage store in a far-flung European city. For spring, the designers added shoes and jewelry to their repertoire, with a pair of flat ballet pumps with a high vamp in Italian leather, babouche slippers in mottled leather made in Portugal, and a pair of minimalist dental-floss sandals. “We wanted a shoe that was beautiful but not precious—you can wear it anywhere and with anything,” said Perry.
Wearability continues to define their offering, but for spring they also honed in on tactility, redrawing their signatures in fabrics that gave you a reason to buy, ahem, yet another trench coat. (But didn’t it look effortless and airy, falling off a shoulder, in lightweight linen-silk taupe?) Equally desirable were the dry-jersey and silk bias-cut dresses, some backless save for a single spaghetti strap, and a chinoiserie-inspired tunic paired with a column skirt. It was fun to see the designers get a little frivolous: Lest a white silk maxiskirt with an ostrich-feather underlayer feel a little too try-hard, it was offset with a sloppy, loose-weave sweater. Same goes for lace, that formerly prim staple that’s fast becoming one of spring’s favorite themes, made mellow thanks to its pairing with sharply tailored black trousers. “We don’t want anyone to feel too ‘done,’” said Wright in conclusion. For confirmation of the vibe, see actor Laura Harrier, who was snapped drinking Champagne and eating french fries in the label’s Lana skintight jersey shirtdress last week. Laid-back London polish has rarely looked so good.
