It was a dark day last June when Christopher Kane announced he would be shuttering the label he founded after graduating from Central Saint Martins in 2006. Not only did it highlight the dire state of affairs for independent designers today, but it also marked the end of an era for one of the city’s most prolific and interesting designers.
So it’s no surprise that Kane’s partnership with fellow London-based brand Self-Portrait has had his long-term fans (like me) rejoicing. Kane is the inaugural designer for its new residency programme, with his 30-piece collection going on sale last week. Taking inspiration from his groundbreaking spring/summer 2007 debut — which consisted of acid-bright neon bandage dresses trimmed with lace, studded with diamantes and cinched at the waist with safety clasp belts — the designs are reinterpreted in a softer colour palette for a whole new generation.
