STAMM CFW AW25’
On January 27th, STAMM showcased their newest collection before an otherworldly Adam and Eve-esque backdrop. Within the AW25 presentation, onlookers bore witness to the reconfiguration of natural elements like lush, if also vaguely decaying greenery. Whilst models, operating more so as characters, sauntered around a black pond in the attention-grabbing world of 100p Passion.
Commonly aligned with most contemporary designers, the garments are broadened along an ethos of sustainability and innovation. Two buzzwords which are constantly pinging across the fashion universe. It’s increasingly uncommon for each forthcoming seasonal manifesto to not include a reinvigorated interpretation of core values which include environmental concern. Understandably so, in a world that is consistently pushing productivity over quality where we often face the gnawing impact of palatability over individuality, it’s important that brands take a stand.
Models appeared dream-like, as if ambling through a video game world… Finding themselves unable to uncover a way out. Blush materialized, painted on in an aggressive airbrush, emulating that of spray paint application. Colourways were varied, including washed blacks, acid-adjusted pinks, and bright reds. Whilst some models lazed in the windowsill, a character ornamented in monochrome white, played on the floor. Seemingly in her own world within a world, she could be witnessed writing notes adorned by metallic stickers.
A stand-out element of the showcase was a set of chartreuse drums. This element operated as a sounding board for the rest of the presentation, pulling viewers into live performance as if they were not themselves – already enmeshed in one. The onlooker became as much a character in the presentation as the models they observed. A Jesus-reminiscent caricature stood idly by, donning what appeared to be a crown of thorns whilst sickly green luminescence cemented the ambiance.
The rose garden, a burgeoning namesake within the brand appears in the newest denim capsule collection. The motif features as a print across materials showcasing the designer’s personal passion for the flower which has reverberated throughout each season since the brand’s conception. The garments themselves were singularly distinct, featuring reworked denim pieces, as well as back catalogue elements – redefined in new light. The offerings, though noteworthy for many reasons, showcased painstaking attention to detail and dedicated handiwork as they reigned via “supersized dimensions”.
Operating as the beginning of a dialogue between character, environment, and viewer, there was much to take in. The narrative that develops amongst these overlapping layers clarifies itself as the duration of the showcase extends. A middle ground within serenity exists between subtle whispers, budding flowers, and blades of grass. All of which showcase the capacity for the garden to operate as a sanctuary. Guests are invited in and then immediately challenged to understand their positionality in spaces between grief and nature’s cyclical cycles. Those of which directly interlink between art, nature, and fashion as they inform each other.
Words by Lauren Bulla
Images by Lily Maguire