Having left the runway in favour of a gig last season, for S/S 19 Matthew Miller chose to show in a carpark under Chinatown. The line outside was long, the space was cramped. I heard people discussing why Matthew Miller was drawing such traction. You could feel they were interested, that the curiosity of the cynical London crowd had been piqued.
Heralded as one of London Fashion Week Mens' 'political' designers, clothing with a message is often on the menu from Miller. This collection, a collaborative affair with K-Swiss, was entitled REDUX. The message followed thus, 'Reuse, recycle, REDUX'. This season, Matthew Miller looked to explore recycled sportswear.
The first look on the runway showed a pair of tinfoil trousers that sounded louder than the audio system refusing to reach the first seats. The shapes and silhouettes were simple, straight legged trousers and jackets. The pops of yellow, both neon and mustard, could have clashed, but against the excess of silver actually seemed jarringly pleasing.
The offering included hiking paraphernalia, slides with socks, suits, tactical vests, a bomber jacket with the phrase "Paradise Lost Spring Summer 2019" in bold white typeface, held in with double quotation marks on the back. The inspirations felt disparate, the allusions unavoidable. Comparable to ALYX, Cottweiler A/W 18, archive Helmut Lang, even OFF-White, this collection was what it said on the tin. Recycled sportswear, reused ideas.
The accessories - plastic workmen's boxes in varying sizes - appeared heavy and ungainly and unfortunately, even the boxfresh K-Swiss failed to bring the new to this collection. Disappointing, seeing as the hype for Miller is not for nothing. He's a talented designer; his tailoring and drapery have collided in past collections to show clear concepts at his core.