Last year was a real success story for London-based designer Saul Nash.
Not only did he claim the International Woolmark Prize, but was also presented with the Queen Elizabeth II Award for British Design by the then Duchess of Cambridge — perhaps the most prestigious award a young designer can win. So, it was only natural that the fashion crowds turned out in force for his AW23 runway show on Monday.
Greeted, to begin, with a sole lit lamppost at the end of the catwalk and a subtle haziness in the air, there was a wintry eeriness in The Old Selfridges Hotel.
As the models started walking one by one with a projected glacial landscape backdrop, seemingly shivering in what seemed like the crisp, frosty air, the collection’s theme suddenly became clear. “For this season I looked at cold weather garments, typically those worn for skiing, and juxtaposed them with city references to show how these are worn somewhere like London”, Nash told the Standard before the show.
In his signature style, tracksuits were cut with panels mapped to the shape of the body which delivered a cocooning feel, and his trademark two piece technical sets that he shows every season were scattered throughout.
This time, though, his outerwear more grown up when compared with AW22. Puffer ski jackets crafted using deadstock nylon and recycled down padding fitted closely to the body, and featured panels inspired by geo-mapped lines in mountainous terrain, and the structured gilets had a streamlined silhouette.
The cold-weather theme even continued to the footwear. Designed in collaboration with Ugg, the designer gave the classics an outdoorsy makeover with a hardwearing Vibram sole.
Whilst Nash says his upcoming projects are currently under wraps, if his recenlty launched womenswear collection with Net-A-Porter is anything to go by, we’re sure we’ll see a lot from the designer in 2023. Watch this space.
