Hocus Pocus

Meadham Kirchoff AW11

Our Meadham Kirchoff girl has moved on from SS11. Her colourful hair has faded, grown out, and is bleached through to the ends with curls influenced by Orthodox Jew’s payos curls. Her make-up, theatrical and off-beat is unsymmetrical and individual. Blue dots highlight the inner and outer areas of the eyes and MAC’s Lady Danger was applied to lips using fingers and then a brush loaded with colour was blotted to intensify the colour. Most striking was the religious overtones of the collection, from runway through to collection, nods to religion was evident and there was a hint that this girl had joined a cult or religious sect of some sort.

The show ran 25 minutes late and was over in literally a minute. The lightening quick drama aided the unnerving atmosphere created from the moment the models menacingly ascended the catwalk. ‘Uncompromising, aware and individual’ was the hint given by Edward Meadham and Benjamin Kirchoff of what to expect, and it was completely what we got.

A pallete of red, white and black layered and heavily textured concotions resembled Salem witches circa 1692. Russian and Swiss like stitching can be seen on the cuffs and hems. A raspberry pink tweed pinafore was teamed with a chunky knit egg blue sweater and red tiered skirts were placed with Chanel-esque jackets with heart-shaped buttons. Shoes were designed with Pollini by Nicholas Kirkwood; lace ups with pointy toe and kitten heel and chunky knit socks, adding to the witchy effect.

The theme tune to Alfred Hitchock’s ‘Psycho’ was the accompanying runway music and added to the unnerving atmosphere created by the two large effigies/memorials on the runway which were made up of candles, crosses and bits and bobs from the childhood of both designers.