Every three months, fashion enthusiasts gather in the V&A’s Raphael Gallery to experience a new show in the ‘Fashion In Motion’ series. On Friday 18th November, the show featured the designer Peter Jensen as he celebrated his ten year anniversary with a retrospective show. The Fashion in Motion series has featured some of the greatest designers of our time such as Yohji Yamamoto, Gareth Pugh, Manish Aurora and others, making the catwalk experience accessible to everyone.
Peter Jensen is a London based designer, synonymous for his playful, upbeat garments that are bursting with colour and quirkiness. This is reflected in his prints which are a key feature in his work and frequently portray brightly coloured narratives. On one hand, Jensen’s garments are practical and wearable but on the other hand they deftly manage to be highly unconventional. Perhaps this is due to the sly appearance of an extra large pom-pom balanced precariously on the top of a woolen beanie hat or a pair of black sunglasses with rabbit ears and whiskers attached to them. It is this mischievous take on fashion that makes his designs all the more desirable.
Sitting in the Rapheal Gallery, inches away from the catwalk, I was anxious to see which pieces would form part of the show. As it was a retrospective show, it included garments from Jensen’s most recent collection along with iconic garments from past collections, collaborative set pieces and accessories which have now become synonymous with the Peter Jensen brand. Each of his collections are based around a female muse ranging from family members such as his auntie Jytte, actresses like Meryl Streep and Jodie Foster and even historical figures like 16th century Danish princesses. Over 20 muses have inspired his collections to date.
Overall, the show was a whirlwind of colour, textures and sparkle with models walking down the runway from both ends, crossing in the middle providing a key photo opportunity for the awestruck audience. Who knows what the next ‘Fashion in Motion’ event will bring?
Images from Victoria and Albert Museum, London
Grace Molan