Several weeks ago, designer Christopher Kelly of Theatre de la Mode kindly sent me an invitation to London Fashion Week, where he presented his 2009 a/w collection entitled Elixir of the Hungarian Horseman.As I glanced over the photos, the collection began conjuring up images of the fierce Magyar horsemen that galloped about the ancient grasslands for over a thousand years. Growing intoxicated by the elixir of their valor, as if to hear the hooves of a violent stampede, I could almost see the rough riders swooping down upon their foes!
"Was my imagination running wild?" I decided to write Chris, who explained:
"Elixir of the Hungarian Horseman draws inspiration from the Hungarian prairie man. An exuberant people, the horsemen survived in the most inhospitable lands. The Hungarian prairies bore an emotive man who feared the loss of his lands to neighbouring countryman. Companionship for the lone prairie man came in the form of his trusted stead. A master on horseback, the attire of the horseman was bellowing in its function.
A silhouette of drape and bellow inspires the AW10 collection juxtaposed with intense panel work drawn from the cubist architecture of Piet Bloom. The AW10 range takes a step towards the avantgarde. Staying true to the Theatre de la Mode outsized silhouette fabrics and cut become more elaborate and ever more outsized. Pieces take the shape of heavily draped sweat hoodies, geo cap sleeved jackets, and shirts."
Christopher Kelly was born in 1976, in Winchester, England. He went on to study fashion at the University of Derby where he graduated with honors in 2000. Seven years later, he launched his spectacular label Theatre de la Mode.
Paying homage to the war-torn fashion capital of Paris, his label recalls the extraordinary resilience of the city's couturiers, who banded together in a "theater of fashion" during the austere years of the 1940's.
Despite the severe shortages in the aftermath of World War II, the Parisian theater designers would not be deterred from creating their post-war collections, which were ingeniously presented in the form of miniature mannequin dolls.
Christopher Kelly resurrects the Theatre de la Mode and, refusing to be deterred, infuses the modern-day fashion industry with a revived dose of encouragement amidst the current economic woes. Reflecting the trends that were set into motion in the post-war period, his collections are timeless and sexless.
So join in with Chris during these tough times and experience the Elixir of his Hungarian Horsemen in all their intoxicating valor and swift resilience to adversity!
Photo 2009 a/w collection Copyright Theatre de la Mode.
