Anticipation for the Edeline Lee presentation was high as queues of people lined up in and around the three-storey OXO Barge House. The opening of Lee’s AW17 collection immediately held a strong female presence, as pianist Belle Chen filled the room with classical sounds creating an atmosphere of serenity before the audience strolled upon electronic percussionist Jaeva.
Political narration travelled through the speakers with topics ranging from the European Union to George Clooney and his wife Amal Clooney now having twins. This may all seem like a random compilation of facts but becomes clear after viewing the Canadian-born, British designer’s work around the exposed room of the Barge House.
Lee’s designs were all about highlighting how the modern working woman of today dresses with comfort, ease and power. This season we’ve seen details on the arm such as leather sleeves becoming one of the hottest trends thanks to Clavin Klein and Alexander Wang. Lee kept up with this in her own simple yet effective way. Oversized white chiffon sleeves were a perfect compliment to navy pant suits and tailored pleated skirts, creating a charming twist on the usual feminine work wear.
Lee continued to keep her collection fun and relevant with stand-out pieces such as a vibrant orange fitted dress that accentuated the female form in a subtle but effective way. Other stand-out pieces included a teal dress with exaggerated nipples exposed on the outside, again drawing attention what can be construed as feminine in an entertaining way. It was clear that this was an important AW collection for Lee, depicting what she saw as the ‘Future Lady’.
Photography by Abiola Renee
How a new clothing repairs app wants to bring lasting change to the fashion industry
Meet the on-the-rise designers we won’t get to see at LFW
Five of gal-dem’s fave designers from 2020’s London Fashion Week
I protested on the Gucci catwalk because mental health is not fashion
