Masha Popova’s Chaotic Ode to the Noughties It-girl
Review of Masha Popova Fall 2024 Fashion Show
By Angela Baidoo
THE COLLECTION
THE VIBE
THE THEME
Proving that London hasn’t lost its punk spirit Masha Papova presented her fall 2024 collection on a welcome mix of diverse models – varying heights, sizes, and shapes – who looked representative of her actual customer. Despite being inspired by the It girls of the 2010s, which gave the collection its look of “chaotic styling” according to the show notes, this was not an homage rather a deconstruction of that champagne lifestyle, which was lived in reality – by many – on a lemonade budget.
Texture and technique were displayed in the form of dyed and slashed jersey which had more than a passing resemblance to what Glenn Martens has been perfecting over at Diesel. But rather than polished Italian clubwear for the young glitterati, here Popova’s collection appeared more down-to-earth in its grunge styling. Millennials who will remember Camden and Portobello before gentrification and Gen Zers who were brought up on TMZ and the Bling Ring can channel both eras in cowl-neck hooded tops and jeggings, hankey-hem halters, and that most 1990s of fabric – burnt velvet – cleverly spun into a draped front camisole worn on a male model to show its versatility as a genderless classic. Of particular note was her washed jersey which mimicked denim, the result of her ongoing partnership with ISKO Denim.
With many designers reinventing Alexander McQueens ‘Bumster’ trousers in recent seasons (and fresh off the New York runways at Ludovic De Saint Sernin), here the designer gave us her cheeky (in every sense of the word) double cut-outs which could be worn at either the front or the back.
THE BUZZWORDS
Hyper-nostalgia, experimental textures, chaotic combinations
THE SHOWSTOPPER
A key fabric of the It-girl era, burnout velvet is reframed simply through the choice of model by Masha Popova. The classic cowl neck with her signature flared denim is the new uniform for those who want to relive those maximalist years.
THE DIRECTION
THE QUOTE
I’m exploring] a different kind of fast-lane; lifting the starry veil to reveal a raw take on nostalgic fashion
Masha Popova
THE WRAP UP
Making the case for the need of continued support for the next generation of designers, todays collection titled ‘Glisten’ was also a subtle commentary on the ‘All that Glitters isn’t gold’ reality which independent designers are finding themselves exposed too.
But Masha Papova is leading a co-hort of emerging talent who should be protected, if only for the fact that they are very clear on who they are and on their brand identity, have a loyal following who wear and promote their brands (which unfortunately does not always translate into significant sales), and are offering a return to renegade fashion design which is a welcome break from the homogeneous nature of both the high-street and luxury ends of the fashion business.
