Art School Fall/Winter 2020 Review

Art School’s debut collection back in June 2017 was a spectacular display of gender-fluid expression and high-camp fashion performance. The brand itself is ran by two queer fashion and art criticism graduates, Eden Loweth and Tom Barratt. The design duo caught press attention after their debut collection was supported by Fashion East. Since then, however, the brand’s attempts at destroying the gender binary have slightly deluded in the years since. The entire fashion landscape has changed in nearly three years to where the idea of gender-inclusive clothing is practically accepted across the industry. Sure, most clothes are still manufactured for men or women, but the fashionable people of today mix both departments and wear whatever they want. Perhaps there’s less to fight against now that non-binary people are more accepted in fashion.

Art School’s mission to create luxury fashion for the non-binary is still admirable and certainly needed. However, there hasn’t been much growth in a brand that used to be so full of fire. Yes, fashion is cruel and the “more, more, more” mentality leads to waste and high expectations. But when a brand like Art School starts off wanting to reinvent the wheel with its punkish attitude and impactful tailoring, the clothes should jump out at you every season. Unfortunately, for Fall/Winter 2020, Art School’s collection didn’t so much as jump as… trudge. But that might be okay!

So, what actually came down the catwalk? The collection started off with lots of black; draped gowns and nice wide tailoring belted with ropes. The models immerged slowly from a misty background with chalk covering their bare feet and their eyes modified and somber. After the black came canvas gray looks covered in snap closers and small slash tears. Then more black, this time with ruffles, feathers, patient, and sequins. Straightforward glitz was to be expected of Art School, and those were the strongest pieces. Finally, a few white nurse’s uniforms concluded the show, their red eyes burning.

A great sense of somber theatricality ran throughout the show. Something that speaks on the trying political times we face in our world. Loweth and Barratt are obviously trying to speak on it with their presentation. But wouldn’t it be more effective, subversive, and long lasting to communicate that political unrest into the design of the actual clothes?

Photos Courtesy of VogueRunway.com