The Art of Composed Carelessness
Review of KNWLS Spring 2027 Fashion Show
By Angela Baidoo
Last showing in London two years ago (the brand decamped to Milan with a Nike collaboration in 2025) Charlotte Knowles and Alexandre Arsenault chose the right season to return. With all eyes on the city this weekend, the brand chose this moment to reveal a softer side to their heroine who is often clad in layers of engineered jersey, sculpted leathers, and printed mesh.
Describing her as coming undone, this slight deviation from their signature styling (rather than complete change in direction) may take a season-or-two for the KNWLS woman to adopt a less-streamlined silhouette and lean into the art of the undone.
THE COLLECTION
THE VIBE
Empowered Exposure, Complex Heroines, Composed Carelessness
What lies beneath, i.e. a woman’s most intimate under-layers, have been styled for spring 2027 to appear as if nonchalantly falling off the body.
Inspired by the work of celebrated French photographer Bettina Rheims first foray into colour, titled ‘Chambre Close’ (loosely translated to closed room or chamber, as in bedroom or boudoir) that was penned with art critic Serge Bramly, the duo looked to reframe ‘exposure’ into a language of empowerment. The photo-novels erotically charged images of women – seen through a voyeuristic lens in cheap motel settings – embraced unabashed exhibitionism. Recalling the heady days of Saint Laurent’s banned Opium ad campaign, starring Sophie Dahl in the throes of passion, in 2000.
By contrast, this collection chose to subtly echoe Rheims’ images, and as the notes put it “the act of coming undone.” Night and day met in the middle as corset dresses were unbuttoned to reveal men’s style Y-fronts, slinky jersey sets draped extra-low to reveal the lace-trim of a bandeau, bras were fastened back-to-front as if thrown on the morning after the night before, and straps dangled carelessly from shoulders.
The integration of utilitarian outerwear, fluid floor-grazing denim, weathered leathers, and softly-structured sets with ruffled pocket details made to mimic crushed roses, alongside the revelatory, are demonstrative of KNWLS shifting centre of gravity. Referring to it as a ‘rejection of singularity’ the brand have not strayed away from their reputation of twisting conventional ideas of femininity, with their woman now presenting as more self-assured than ever, in command of her undoing.
THE WRAP UP
We are sorely in need of designers who are skilled in the art of weaving eroticism into their work. As reductive ‘naked dressing’ has become ubiquitous in recent years. Employed to gain column inches, or court controversy with clothing that can rarely be worn outside of the bedroom.
In their return the duo has peeled back the layers of who we thought the KNWLS heroine was and asked us to reconsider her anew. Slightly unravelled, yet held together by a ‘strong, silent force.’ As what may have seemed to be a loss of control was merely an illusion.
