With an endless news cycle that’s as bleak as ever, optimism has been on my mind a lot this fashion week. After watching Jawara Alleyne’s A/W 24 show it’s safe to say that I’m not the only one. Held at the St Mary Le Strand Church in Westminster, the Baroque building was the perfect scene for the designer’s exploration of human resilience in the face of chaos, and finding refuge in faith.
Dubbed ‘Eye of the Storm’, Alleyne’s latest collection was inspired by his own experience with Hurricane Ivan when he was living in Jamaica. The category five hurricane swept over the Cayman Islands in 2004, forcing residents, including Alleyne’s family, to find refuge in a hurricane shelter. The harrowing experience left the designer with a hopeful outlook on the importance of family and community.
These ideas were evident in the deconstructed nature of the collection. Since establishing his namesake, Alleyne’s aesthetic has been rooted in key motifs like his use of safety pins harkening to London’s punk past and draping. This collection a in the latter, with both light as-air materials with more rigid fabrications like waxed cotton moulded into architectural shapes like armour against the elements.
With circularity at the core of Alleyne's practice, in lieu of superfluous embellishment and accoutrement, the designer's ability to create something special from what's available. This ability is masterfully showcased with knotted belts and the reworking of blue office button-ups into tubular collars mirroring floatation devices.
As models made their way down the pews of the church, the standard stone-faced walk we've all grown accustomed to was replaced by a theatrical trek as if braving the tempest. The runway transformed into a stage where each garment told a story of defiance and strength, amplified by the expressive gestures of the models. When the final model — draped in white mesh as if the bride at an haute couture show — stood strongly at the sanctuary, she became a symbol of resilience and an avatar for Alleyne's masterful storytelling through the language of fashion.
