The Oxford glitterati were out last Friday, stalking the Union
pathways like a catwalk. The reason? UFO (Unique Fashionable
Objects), showcasing young graduate designers from Hong Kong. The show began with Rock Wong’s collection of pinstriped
corsets and sculptural Hussein Chalayan skirts. The descriptions
given to collections were slightly lost in translation from Hong
Kong to London, such as the caption for ‘Tomas’:
“My inspiration is a Cargo Box”. Many had a worldpeace
theme: Edith Sze dedicated her landscape-sewn dresses to all of
“Nature’s Shiny, Happy, Little People”. The Hussein Chalayan theme continued into Connie Wong’s
collection of white, Yamamoto-style dresses, which had human
faces sculpted into the material. There were also traces of
inspiration from Alexander McQueen and Bjork, throughout the
show, such as the white scarves wrapped around Wong’s
models’ heads, covering their faces (see left). They
resembled a disturbing combination of the Klu Klux Clan and the
recent photos from Iraq. Wong’s message, apparently, is that
“we are all united in our humanity”. The finale featured amazing bejewelled lingerie, by Jenna
Phillips. Models appeared in sub fusc and tentatively shedded
their intellecutal cloaks to reveal tiny see-through silk and
lace lingerie, covered with ribbons and jewels, while the boys
wore silk boxers and flexed their mussels. Phillips explains that for European women “sensuality is
integrated into ordinary life; wearing beautiful lingerie is a
daily ritual”. Do you hear that everyone? Chuck out your big
pants and Y-fronts, girls and boys, the time has come for a bit
of sensuality and it will give sub fusc and finals a whole new
pornographic dimension.ARCHIVE: 3rd week TT 2004
Shiny Happy Models
