Wool Modern

Left to right: John Galliano, Sonia Rykiel, Vivienne Westwood & Rick Owens

JW Anderson, Lanvin & Alexander McQueen

Erdem & JW Anderson

One of the ‘Egg Twins’ by Giles Deacon!

‘Wolf in Sheeps Clothing’ by Mark Fast

Craig Lawrence (Lanvin in background)

Lock up your pet sheep, the wool circus is in town! La Galleria Pall Mall has given over several bright, spacious showrooms to Wool Modern, an exhibition celebrating how this most fuzzy of fibres has been deployed by some of the most influential designers and artists of the 20th and 21st Century.  This exhibition is I feel rather timely, as it coincides with a 25 year high in global wool prices. At a time when we are clamouring for faster, cheaper fashion, increasing fabric prices put a serious strain on the supply chains for mainstream retailers. The price of genuine wool knitwear products looks set to rise, and if you are a knitter like me then the price of pure wool yarn is also likely to increase. However, sheep farming is a notoriously thankless business, so I for one am very pleased that the farmers and herdsmen are getting some returns for their pains!

But on to the exhibition. I cannot recommend this installation enough; apart from anything else admission is free, which is always a plus in my book. I spent a perfect afternoon examining, photographing and reading to my heart’s content. The appeal is universal. Lovers of fashion will marvel at the beauty of the garments on display, while designers, knitters and other crafty people will love examining the construction and design of each garment. I certainly spotted several styles that I might try and recreate, in my own amateurish fashion. Work from a multitude of different designers is on display, including Lanvin, Alexander McQueen, Burberry, Vivienne Westwood, Thierry Mugler and Christian Lacroix. My favourite pieces were the Savannah Coat by Erdem (March 2011, shown above) and Limo Collection by Rick Owens (AW11, also above). In fact, it is a terrible shame that the Erdem was situated so close to the security desk, it was calling to me to liberate it and wear it and love it. Oh how I wish. I have to spare a mention for The Egg Twin by Giles Deacon (one of which is shown above), an amazing cocoon garment executed in heavy wool felt with a fuzzy mohawk running down the spine. The design even contains an internal ‘fez’, presumably to make wearing it easier. Imagine carrying all that weight hanging from the top of your head, my neck feels sore just thinking about it. There are striking similarities between the Egg Twins and Yves Saint Laurent’s haute couture ‘Babushka’ wedding dress from 1965. This surreal knitwear masterpiece is also in display, but sadly I didn’t manage to get an adequate photograph.

If nothing else, all the gorgeous heavy fabrics at Wool Modern will certainly get you in the perfect mood for the oncoming AW season!