LFW; Charles Anastase, otherwise known as sheer genius

Charles Anastase owned the first day of fashion week. he even managed to upstage topshop unique, and who though that possible with the huge heart print and crazy 80s hair accoutrements. His show was girly, but in a lolita cheeky way not an infantile way. His show was cool in a way that defies thermometers. His show was one of the craziest hybrid/pastiche of fabrics and ideas that made it very odd, very quicky, very charles anastase. In other words, he fucking aced it!

It was all very classic anastase. There was the sheer skirts, the girly layers, the geek glasses, the wild hair, the quirky party dresses with something going on with the print, or the fabric. It was all lolita, innocent sexuality, if such a paradox could be used, with long sheer over skirts alluding to the black stockings and stay ups you could just see underneath, or the black leather jacket that anchors a very cutesy frock. There were ankle socks abound, ensuring that this trend manages to stay in vogue for a little while longer (despite not really flattering any body type, including the ubiquitous miss chung), or the layering which was over the top in a decadent not annoying way, which saw 3 pairs of gloves on one model, or at least 12 tiers on a mid shin length dress.

It could have been twee. It so could have been pretentious and just downright tiring. But it wasn't! It was Anastase at his best, clever and beguiling, waving the cliches in the audience's faces (geek glasses, full volume skirts, knee socks, fingerless gloves, leather jackets, blazers) and managing to do them even better than we originally remembered them before they became cliches, which in all honesty, Anastase probably started the trend in the first place.

As Susie Bubble pointed out, these clothes belong on the it girls, wandering around their lofts filled with oscar wilde, truman capote and zoe heller, pausing only to contemplate a chagall painting and water their window box plants, the cigarette smoke curling into the air through the sounds of MGMT or the howling bells. When they hit the town everyone will ooh and aah over their dress while they smile sanguinely whilst cluthing an ice cream coo that its Charles Anastase, of course.

When you see a girl stomping down the runway in huge sandals, a crinoline and a top hat you should think oh god, not another one. But with Anastase you say, welcome home oh great one. The master has returned, all hail the master. Now the only thing is, where does one purchase Anastase in Australia???

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