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Studio Lamea – HFW 2023: Battling Provocative Stereotypes
Studio Lamea’s mantra of ‘saving the planet while looking fabulous’ couldn’t have been truer at yesterday’s show. Exploring the ‘Madonna-Whore’ complex (their words, not mine) the collection was a dichotomy of purity and provocation, tied up in beautiful velvets, fringing, laces and crosses a plenty.
The craftsmanship and juxtaposition was beautiful – rich reds, greens and blacks met sparkling jewels, lots of cheeky (literally) cutouts and just the right amount of skin to make the point that opposing qualities can exist in a person. My favourite look was a a pair of burgundy lace leggings and veil dripping with crosses and emblazoned with the word ‘pure’ accompanied by a pair of huge velvet bowed stilettos Mysterious, sexy and anything but ‘pure’ in the religious sense, but again, who says the person underneath isn’t?
Unafraid to put a man in a full lace look complete with chaps, Studio Lamea‘s was nothing new, but tackled a topic that never dies – how society imposes ideals on individuals, often through the male gaze, that dictate how they should dress and how they are perceived, for no other reason than ‘that’s the way it’s always been’. The collection’s theme was well executed, but I don’t if I left knowing who Studio Lamea actually are as designers and what their personal take on the topic actually is, other than playing to the stereotypes in a beautiful way?
To end the show, a runaway bride complete with «pussy cat’ knickers really was the icing on the cake – ‘Like A Virgin’, anyone?
