Cottweiler, the brainchild of Ben Cottrell and Matthew Dainty, now have NEWGEN sponsorship, so there was new pressure on this S/S 16 presentation. At first it felt like they were toying with attendees and critics. A sportswear brand showing in the squash court of a sports centre? Groundbreaking. But maybe that was the point or a clever joke. The pair were demonstrating that they can do far more than typical sporty shapes, breaking out of that arena and carefully moving away from the associations with boisterous, confrontational, laddish dressing by embracing a purer, more adult sensibility that prioritised cut and craft. There was a calm feel - the palette was all white, and the draped and pleated shaped drew on religious robes.
The conch shell was another starting point - it appeared on our invite and as props within the presentation. Perhaps its shape inspired the layers of fabric enveloping the body, or maybe its associations with luck and fending off evil gave the pair the confidence to break with tradition and whisper rather than shout with their garments. Continuation came in that vague otherworldliness - a chilly, haunting appeal that separates their work from the rest of the high fashion tracksuit pack.
