DANIEL w. FLETCHER
Represented by Sane Communications.
For Spring/Summer 19, DANIEL w. FLETCHER is in search of sunrise -– the possibility of a new hope in a time of struggle and restraint whilst the darkness of a bygone night seems to linger in the air.
The wearisome pace of the business world informs the agenda for this collection. The DANIEL w. FLETCHER man is a hard worker, confronted by the labour of the day, and dragged into the darker underworld of the night as antidote to this demanding environment. In turn, this collection acts as comment on the pressures of commerciality on today’s generation of young designers – yet DANIEL w. FLETCHER remains defiant, his man trudges on, tired yet strong all at once. Classic tailoring is turned on its head, motley hemlines hung out to see; bow ties unknotted yet stitched into shirt collars; trousers slashed on the rear leg and hem, exposing flesh; binding ropes holding seams together. A perfect uniform for the night’s end.
DANIEL w. FLETCHER
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Sadistic undertones can be found in the reversal of masculine and feminine tropes and garments, corsetry and underwear worn as outerwear in hyper-male fabrics, trousers re-imagined in leather and super tight base jersey layers exposed. “Danny’s Hardware” emblazons a t-shirt – a nod to the resilience required to survive in today’s turbulent and political landscape.
Artist Caitlin Keogh also lends her work for a seasonal collaboration with Daniel. Her paintings, reminiscent of instruction manuals, act as comment on femininity and the body as object – reimagined here in the collection’s pastel hues and printed on silk shirting and scarves. Torsos are presented as Grecian female busts, bound and slashed with ropes and chains, a remark on the constraints of business for today’s women and those who choose to enter this competitive and at times misogynistic financial arena. Models march in footwear provided by Christian Louboutin – Oxford shoes that are implicative of business attire. Their soles are built up and firm, accented in Louboutin red. Daniel’s preppy man was once smart, now “f*cked up” – an acknowledgement of the infallible battle of dark versus light that can challenge us all.
SS19 marks a shift in the DANIEL w. FLETCHER label, presenting for the first time as a runway show in the designer’s university town of London. The morning setting acts as backdrop for Daniel to reflect on what it takes to be a designer in the modern age – and on a stage of which all of the world’s eyes are on. Sunrise is here.
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With love,
FWO
