Mother Of Pearl Spring 2018 Ready-To-Wear....Fashionweekly...On Fow24news.com

To encounter some of Britain’s foremost contemporary art in a more discreet location than say, the Barbican, make a beeline for Vauxhall’s Newport Street Gallery. The angular but unobtrusive space, designed by Caruso St John Architects, houses the private collection of Turner Prize–winning Damien Hirst, whose ex-partner, designer Maia Norman, founded Mother of Pearl......
It was here that creative director Amy Powney chose to stage the label’s Spring 2018 see-now-buy-now show. “The gallery was a natural fit because this collection is a celebration of all things British that I love, in a place that celebrates British art,” she said backstage.

At the top of Powney’s love list sits David Hockney, whom she said she had “rediscovered” during his retrospective at London’s Tate Britain last year. “I was struck by the depth of his paintings; you can virtually jump into them,” she explained. The designer explored this sense of depth by giving the clothes “more body,” using various scales of the same pattern within one look. “Big checks on little checks on tiny checks,” she affirmed. Both Hockney’s work and his signature wardrobe felt especially present in the fluid silk striped shirt and wide-leg trouser combinations, which were accented with polka-dot neckerchiefs. “We nearly put round glasses in the mix, too, but decided that was a step too far,” she laughed.

The palette of Hockney’s paintings—marigold, mauve, crimson, and sky blue—reminded Powney (who was born and bred in Lancashire) of summertime in the Yorkshire countryside, which in turn led her to examine the work of Yorkshire-born poet Simon Armitage. In particular, his translation of the 14th-century poem Pearl. While even the designer herself admitted she had drawn from “a wide medley” of influences this season, the lineup felt cohesive, offering plenty of elegant, easygoing pieces that are rich in personality without being overbearing. High notes included a long-sleeved floral-print dress, a crisp white cotton shirt with the brand’s signature pearl-strewn shoulder detailing, and a neatly tailored polka-dot pencil skirt.

“I suppose this is my own exhibition, in a way,” added Powney, as guests exited through a gift shop laden with the books and posters of artists who had informed the collection. “If you’re having a fashion show in an art gallery, you’ve got to have a gift shop, no?”