Quick, someone bottle up Luella Bartley and Katie Hillier’s energy and prescribe it to any designer in desperate need of a boost. The collection they presented in a dark vast hangar space, illuminated by fluoro lights and laser beams, is only their second and yet it feels entirely their own. 'This is our house', the beat pulsated and out of a wall of speakers walked the MBMJ gang.
Layering and clashing was the order of the day. A gathered t-shirt over black patent sleeves and leggings and a plastic polka dot skirt and Chelsea boots. Another ruched up into a bra top and teamed with the ninja trousers the designers premiered last season. A grey sweatshirt over a yellow polka dot dress. Hybrid half t-shirt/half jackets over tulle skirts. It takes skill and nerve to walk the ugly-but-good line and these two can do it with their eyes closed – like a bubblegum pink nylon shirt over a matching skirt or a sunny-side-up yellow slip dress. Everything was tempered with utilitarian straps and big pockets and everything was plastic, plastic fantastic. And it looked just as good marching to techno tunes as to an intercutting Johann Strauss number.
