Sophia Webster’s presentation is my guilty pleasure every LFW. You can be sure she’s always got something beautifully bonkers up her sleeve and from the minute I received my RSVP, I couldn’t stop thinking about what was in store.
Cue an unsuspecting vinyl record shop that was the unlikely host for Sophia’s newest presentation, a homage to the idolised ice queen and all that she communicates. Although it wasn’t too unsuspecting, as hoards of fashionista’s were ushered in and out for the duration – slightly giving away that something exciting was happening inside.
Upon entering the store we meandered through rows of records to a staircase at the back. Heading underground it instantly became apparent we were entering a narnia-esque world, deliberately hidden by the shop above. Rough and raw in decor, the first port of call was a popsicle stand selling ice cones and slushies – a prominent clue for what was to come.
Carrying on with my journey, I was met with a giant pop-up snow dome in which two models were sporting platform snowballs and faux fur dresses, ha ving a snowball fight – and I wouldn’t have expected anything less. Sophia Webster has mastered the art of aesthetic in a way that no other designer has. She has created her own playful and unique brand based on components accessible to any designer – colour, texture and print – but has succeeded in making them her own.
Further into the presentation and I was met with an ice bar where bedazzled shoes and bejewelled bags were precariously placed and a DJ sporting perhaps the funkiest, furriest faux fur coat I’ve ever seen. The muted backdrop continued, aiming to show off the AW17 collection at it’s best – and it certainly succeeded. It’s unlike Sophia to showcase completely against white, but, as she explains, ‘ a snowy landscape was the perfect scenario’ for showing off her colourful new collection, and coupled with the theme – was the perfect introduction to a magical winter wonderland.
Building an actual ice kingdom didn’t faze her, and Webster was inspired by the colossal sculptures found at the annual Harbin International Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival. There were light up boots that read ‘Hot Like Fire, Cold Like Ice’ and Webster continued her love of slogans through clutch bags emblazoned with ‘Ice Ice Baby’ and ‘Melt Me’. Think Queen Elsa all grow up, with enough crystals to sink a ship.
