In addition to the ceaseless drizzle, another thing looming heavy over London this season is an air of retrospection. Across previews, a constant theme has emerged in conversation: an urge to shirk the responsibility to “say something new,” with the city’s designers instead contemplating the journey travelled thus far and parsing what it is, exactly, that makes their work distinct, what makes it them.
That was certainly the case for Levi Palmer and Matthew Harding. Rather than a pang of existential angst, however, their pensive mood was prompted by the fact that this year marks their namesake brand’s 15th anniversary. “We’ve really been looking at what makes us special, and also what we love about our label,” said Harding, sat in an airy showroom set-up in their London Fields studio. “Our focus is ultimately sculpting clothing, starting with the shirt. How do you take something that’s very mundane, and often overlooked, and turn it into something truly elevated?”
A natural point of focus became the brand’s signature shirtdress, an indulgently roomy piece whose distinction lies in the golden proportions of its geometric sleeve line, corseted waist and sharp A-line skirt, crafted in hefty cotton poplin. This season’s development began with Palmer’s fastidious study of the garment in an effort to divine something like a formula for its hallmark design approach. What then turned into, though, was something more figurative; an exploration of a broader sensibility that has defined their work over the past 15 years. “From the first season, our mantra has always been, ‘How do you make 11:00 AM on a Tuesday feel exciting?’” Palmer said.
This collection could be thought of as a material distillation of the pair’s reference-averse design logic. From denim jackets and shirts with horizontal box pleats that extended from the placket across the body, fanning out into the sleeve, to whirling seam lines that forked at the hem, construction was guided by an instinctual understanding of their fabrics, and a will to challenge their implicit associations through voluminous pleat and drape work.
As ever, the Palmer Harding wardrobe conveyed distinction and ease; elevated, though never alienating, these were clothes you’d happily wear for a day-long layabout at home or to a proper function. The more occasionwear silhouettes featured concealed inner constructions that created a sense of support beneath luxuriant volumes, and subtle belts that allowed for canny proportion play.
“I think that by grounding the work in these classic-feeling cottons, it allows us to create something that’s really special, but that can be styled instinctually,” said Palmer. “You know that you can throw some of these pieces on with a pair of jeans, but the outfit will still feel like something.” The collection was a testament to that, and proof that the designers’ instincts have remained consistent over the past decade and a half. “It ultimately comes down to bringing a sense of drama to your everyday,” Palmer added—something that’s appreciated during times that often feel pretty damn gray.
