The brand, first established ten years ago has grown and developed into an internationally recognized label over time. Upon entering the Iconic Images Gallery, attendees were greeted by a wall covered in “Phoebe English” printed posters and accompanying poem which encapsulated the aim of the collection. I’ve included a verse for reference below,
“They are the cloud shield The shelter and the guard
Unreplicated
Through brightest star split broken
fractured piece
Radiating in waves
loves love again again “
The collection is dedicated to love and the way we share connection with our most important loved ones and strangers alike. Comforting heart motifs present across many of the garments. Models presented the shape via shaved hairlines where hearts were expertly cut out to emulate the same design seen across the garments.
Focused on the concept of sustainability and circular fashion, I chatted briefly with Phoebe to discuss the collection, entitled Cloud Cover.
What was the specific inspiration behind this collection?
It is about love. The love that we have for the people in our lives, that can form a sanctuary – a safe space. In opposition to external fears and worries. It’s about using love as a tool to cope with big external scary things.
The concept of love is imbued throughout the collection via heart motifs. I also saw heart cutouts in the models hairstyles. Can you tell us more about the creative direction behind the hair, makeup and the ways the models gaze into the audience?
Yeah so the models are individual so all the hair is different – it’s not a blanket thing. It’s a bit more relaxed, sometimes there’s a bit more narrative. The shaved hearts – they mirror the textiles in the collection.
Hemlines in delicate materials overlap into each other, almost creating a nod to other textures despite being composed of the same material. I was curious about the vision behind the way the garments are layered?
Yeah – just making use of things that we have leftover. Including things like old threads we have in our working space. The whole collection is made from things that would’ve otherwise gone to waste.
When you imagine people interacting with your clothing, what is the ideal reaction to what you make?
Maybe not noticing it at the beginning, and then after you’ve spent some time with the garments, detail slowly reveals itself. These works are much more subtle than a loud print.
Oh I see – like a whisper as opposed to a scream?
Yes exactly.
The hearts are also reminiscent of monstera leaves and plant life. Though this was not part of the initial inspiration of the collection, it makes sense that the natural world could come into play. Our connection to each other is directly reflected by our connection to the earth. We are all beings of the planet, beings of love if we’re lucky and even luckier if we can share that lovingness with others.
The works were detail oriented, revealing textural value as otherwise simple materials were layered over and over, creating a seeming combination of different fabrics. Shapes were simple yet multi-faceted, structures that would’ve otherwise been modest presented via cutouts. These details presented a subtle unveiling of skin in a delicate sultriness that didn’t take away from the construction of the pieces.
Phoebe English shows us that sometimes the tiniest details can tell the biggest story. Much like the smallest acts of kindness can detail a much more significant narrative about love, it’s all circular, we might as well pay attention.