LFW S/S’15: Phannatiq – urban warrior

As the first day of London Fashion Week came to a close, we sat in the lobby of the ME London Hotel, just a stone’s throw away from Somerset House.  The buzz of the introduction to the Spring/Summer’15 collections was still very much alive after day one, and all the more so as we awaited Phannatiq. Phannatiq is the creation of designer, Anna Skodbo. The designs draw inspiration from London’s urban decay, contrasting with materials that are all made from organic natural and unbleached fabric. The brand is proud to present eco-green produced clothing, designed and manufactured in Europe.

The build up for the presentation felt somewhat unusual as none of us were quite sure what to expect.  As we saw a flash of something fluorescent from the corner of our eye, to our surprise we were asked to head outside to the front of the hotel for the presentation.  A very different experience to any presentation we have seen before, we all gathered in a circle in the middle of the street around the Phannatiq dancers.  As a rhythmic beat started up we knew that we were in for a spectacle! Male and female dancers emerged from behind the pillars of the hotel and began to move with the rhythm of the beat. The dancers acted in a circle and performed a range of street dance routines as well as free styling.

The acrobatic moves and flips reflected the casual, flexible, sports daywear style of the clothes. The female dancers sported organic cotton vests and loose printed silk T-shirts and tops in dark colours and urban prints. The male models wore similar printed T-shirts and black slack trousers and shorts with trainers.  Some of the dancers also wore visors and urban war street paint on their faces.  The printed grey and white organic bamboo cotton leggings worn by the female dancers stood outagainst their black trainers, and their wrist cuffs portrayed an “urban warrior” feel.  The dancers carried neon vibrant light strips, the colours clashing with their muted tones. It gave the impression of an underground rave, with these being the type of clothes that you could dance all night in. The presentation ended with the dancers retreating back behind the pillars, just as they had emerged.

Sophie Halbert

To learn more about Phannatiq click here.