London’s incessant drizzle stopped just in time for Freddy Coomes and Matt Empringham’s private preview on Friday night. It was an auspicious sign, especially considering that most of their collection was made from the diaphanous crepe used to create paper flowers.
Their latest effort under their brand A Letter, formerly Aletta, builds on the duo’s Postmodernist obsession with material deconstruction.
“It’s a continuation of what we’ve been doing before with paper, but this is a lot more fragile,” Coomes explained.
He and Empringham — who both worked under Jonathan Anderson at JW Anderson and Loewe, respectively— are building a fresh, promising universe that speaks to the future of London’s fashion scene.
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Those gossamer sheets came as a mint top and cream dress cocooned around black brassieres also fashioned from the stuff. There was even a polka dot skirt set, one painstakingly hole-punched sheet layered over another.
They were offset by heavier pieces, too, like knit sweaters with rolled hems and A-line satin dresses, varieties of which are also stocked at Dover Street Market.
It’s a good thing the collection’s on display until Sunday — it’s an example of fabulous craftsmanship you want to get up close and personal with.
There was one exception: a plain black cotton T-shirt, printed with a big ‘ol “A.” A lighthearted nod to the aforementioned name change. But it begged the question: if Coomes and Empringham could be any alphabet letter, which would they be?
“F. Because that’s what my name starts with,” said Coomes.
Empringham said he would be the letter H. “I like the way it sounds,” he explained without elaborating.
