Thomas Tait is at a crucial point in his career - acclaimed as a graduate, then commercialised gently but successfully in recent seasons, all the while building up a reputation for clothing that is directional but also dependable.
But his Spring/Summer 2015 collection seems to have missed the next step on the trajectory somewhat. There were pieces here that held interest - midnight satin double-faced with canary yellow and worked into a shift dress and broad-shouldered leather trench, a sheer coat running with vertical stripes of neon pink, and bustiers made from the same material. These should go on to the shops and do well; they could have been developed further.
But there was much that missed the mark - not because it wasn't commercial enough but because it didn't feel considered enough not to be commercial. A one-sleeved red leather dress felt contrary. Skewed checkerboard leather skirts in yellow and black whittled to an asymmetrical point, the lower squares hanging like confetti - a nice idea, but not when part of the cutaway detailing sits right over the crotch.
Likewise, contusion dresses from viscose peaked in strange places, a way into redefining silhouette, but without much else to back them up and so the idea was lost.
Tait is a brilliant pattern cutter, and his vision is good. But for a collection that seemed predicated on perspective, it feels that he may have lacked a little of it himself this season.
