Palmer//Harding

I first came across Levi Palmer and Matthew Harding in the NewGen tent at London Fashion Week. They were just two guys hanging out in a small space surrounded by white shirts. On a single rail they hung in perfect formation. Though at first glance the shirts looked deceivingly regular, on closer inspection it's clear they are anything but ordinary...

It must have been the simplicity and crispness that drew me in. The predominately white colour palette evokes a sort of medical cleanliness not unfamiliar to what was found in Jil Sander's recent collection. The austerity though of the traditional white shirt is dismantled by the intense focus on detail. The way the fabric is gathered and pinched reminds me of rippling sand dunes. There's a softness and a feeling that the garment is almost in motion. The rubber coated brass findings, shown above, add an unexpected weight and heaviness to the shirts - a truly unique feature.

Instead of creating a collection for the sake of show (see Matthew's CSM MA collection for an example of earlier work - it's stunning) the designers intention is to focus on something that will easily fit into peoples wardrobes. There is nothing I love more than a basic item that has been reworked into something truly covetable - Palmer//Harding shirts are just that.