LFW AW25 - ROSIE EVANS - Drowning By Numbers: Salvaging Style From The Shore
As the opener at bleaq world’s ‘I, Voyeur’, which showcases ‘next gen design’, Welsh designer Rosie Evans’ AW25 collection ‘Drowning by Numbers’ was a creative reimagining of secondhand clothing combined with an undercurrent of sustainable ethics. As London Fashion Week is taking leaps to repair the ongoing environmental and ecological problems that fast fashion imposes, Rosie Evans’ thalassic theme was informed by her personal experiences with materialism - in her newsletter she described moving house as discovering “a tidal wave of stuff”. Her profoundly dreamy collection does not let us wander too far into the clouds, instead we stay anchored to the issues polluting the industry at present. Placing emphasis on the ethereality of the worn, Evans traversed between the pelagic and the benthic, collecting what she could find, coming up for air to make something new and beautiful.
The opening look of the evening was ‘Siren’s Call Gown’ fronted by detailing of ‘Traditional Welsh Recipes’ which paid homage to Evans’ Welsh heritage on a London stage. The layering of the embroidered quilt-like fabric featuring designs of Indian elephants and trees contrast with pieces of pastel yellow tulle. Both tough and delicate fabrics may differ in purpose but are united in colour, recipes and quilts connote everyday domesticity and tulle represents occasion and sophistication. The Victorian-style basque-waist is lined by twisted ropes cinching the bodice, which transforms domestic fabrics into elegant elements. From one historical nod to the next, the astonishing gold chainmail headpiece created by Florence West enhances the eccentric grandiose of the recent medieval resurgence. In this look, we connect time and location, class and heritage.
This next look is full of seafarer whimsy. Blue and navy stripes are a staple of the nautical theme in fashion, but Rosie Evans does not slip into standard practice, she subverts it. The asymmetrical striped scrap knit buttoned cardigan with its counterpart scarf is unified by a cream yarn, yet other colours come and go as they please. Not only do the seafarer models wander across the runway themselves, but patterns, textures, and colour seem to map their way across the body. Underneath the knit is a striped tee, matching the playsuit seen previously in the show by Dakota Warren. Each look calls back to the previous in some form or another, but is worn in a new way, not tangible unless you really observe, forcing the audience to seek out details just like a seafarer would, participating in the experience of search and discovery. As our eyes move downwards, a pair of light blue wash denim jeans are horizontally dyed with a grape purple, ripe with vibrancy. Clasping a miniature sailing boat between thumb and forefinger and adorning a cap with pins including a boat and a grey cat, this look is loaded with jovial spirit, yet counteracted by the model's starkly serious gaze executing the typical effortless fashion spirit. Here we see a maritime man meandering his way across the runway, pensive and scouring.
Layered on top of a flare-sleeved black floral lace top is the ‘Sand slip’, sourced on the street and pieced together with a silk velvet rug taking space around the chest. The movement of the silk roams free, but the ‘Bed Shorts’ that peek out from under the slip are slightly stiffer, made from Sula Clothing donated cotton alongside its matching neckwear. Both neckwear and headwear (hats and bonnets) are constantly used by Evans, and rightfully so - they never go amiss and bring the whole look together. The soft woollen tricorn hat made from a shrunken lambswool jumper, in collaboration with Hannah Mae Buckingham, illuminates how garments can be reconstructed when considered ‘unwearable’ and therefore, they are reinvented and changeable. Rosie Evans ponders the plethora of potential in each found piece and makes it personally unique. Quite importantly, it displays how fashion creatives do not need to spend extortionate amounts of money to make something admirable. Even more so, being able to revive items of clothing that have lost their way can rehabilitate the piece of clothing itself as well as the environment.
The ‘Library Bonnet’ is made from offcuts from the Library Skirt - a piece Rosie Evans sells on her website, utilising scraps created from her business. Large silver hoop earrings hang underneath the bonnet with bows tied onto them, adding dimension. The billowing white shirt highlights the green emerald ‘Antler Corset’ which is made from an antique French needlepoint donated by Of Planet Earth. Animals play a crucial role in this show, not simply through the garments but the movements of models across the stage, some moved as if they were hunting or escaping something. This, combined with a sustainable approach, exhibits a profound appreciation for nature and brings forth romantic sensibilities, providing escape from our digitised society, which directly impacts the way we consume, make and sell clothing.
Rosie Evans’ 'Drowning By Numbers' is a collection consisting of transformative garments - a masterful example of what mainstream fashion brands should aim to accomplish. Smaller and independent designers are carrying the conversation surrounding sustainability and environmental issues. Let this collection remind you that the seasons ahead bring the heat of the sun and the briny billow of oceanic winds, which brushes against and falls within the microfibres of the fabric that adorns you. When you journey to the beach, and greet the tide, wouldn’t it be nice to wear our best for the sea, so it smiles and waves back at us?
All Images Courtesy of Roxy-Moon Dahal Hodson
Written by Roxy-Moon Dahal Hodson
Edited by Daisy Packwood, Fashion Editor
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