The Cosmology of Women for All

6a00e5508e95a98833019b016c56f1970b-800wi.jpg

IMG_5289

I've been packing like a mad woman but the apartment still looks like I haven't made an actual dent into the mounds of stuff I've accumulated over the past five years.  In a painful process of discarding things, a folder of Meadham Kirchhoff invitations and press releases have been saved from the fate of the paper bin.  Although in reality, it's only been a one or two years since some of their seminal shows such as the pastel froth S/S 12 A Wolf in Sheep's Lamb's Clothing or their witchy A/W 11-2 "I am a lie that tells the truth" but looking back at their A Cosmology of Women series of collections (from A/W 10-A/W12) already feels like "vintage" Meadham Kirchhoff.  In a short space of time, Ben Kirchhoff and Ed Meadham have established a lexicography, a language and a devoted fanbase that have come to associate pastel frou for, witchy frocks, Lisa Frank-esque cartoon motifs and above all, don't-give-a-fuck what people think attitude with the duo.  Since then they have turned a corner and turned their attention to unadulterated and whimsical craft on their own terms and recent seasons have seen them perhaps shift away from those earlier tropes.    

Meadham Kirchhoff's second and latest collaboration with Topshop, which has just gone live today, therefore represents something of a diffused greatest hits collection.   Ben and Ed have always said they have no qualms with their younger fans recreating their looks and aesthetic on the cheap because their price points are admittedly out of their reach and so it is that Topshop have enabled them to give their Tumblr-clicking and dip-dyed tressed devotees a chance to buy into all the aesthetic strands of what Meadham Kirchhoff have built up.  The premise is that there's this fictional girl band, The Cherrys and that each of the four members represents a particular MK genre.  There's Cherry Cherie and her flouncy and dainty printed chiffons and 70s Gunne Sax vibes.  There's Cherry Satanika who loves a slick of red leather a show of lace-edged slip.  There's Cherry Pika and her fabric mash-ups of granny crochet and and frilled PVC.  Then there's Cherry Blossom, possibly Meadham Kircchoff's most widely recognisable visual trope, originating from their S/S 12 collection and has every subsequent designer doing pastels, fondant fancy fabrics and girly girly sugariness being compared to the duo.  

When playing around with the samples, it was all too tempting to go for the obvious with the Cherry Blossom looks.  My trip to Tokyo yielded a whole bag of pastel coloured wigs, which have been endlessly hilarious to try on.  Although Ben and Ed have never purposely referenced Tokyo Harajuku Lolitas, you can't help but make the comparison.  And so I present you with my quad tiered iced cake look, complete with powder blue wig, the obligatory peace sign and a mega dose of KAWAII.  The other star pieces for me such as the PVC frilly apron dungarees, the pentagram patchwork San Fran leathers and the multi-coloured chubbies are all there to be mixed, matched and mashed up in whatever way you fancy.  Hopefully The Cherrys aren't going to be too prescriptive.  Judging by the online stock availabilities, a lot of it is selling out fast, and in particular the very excellent, very me-me-me shoes (who is going to rock the green monster shoes with me‚Ķ say YES PLEASE!) seem to be popular.  That said, as with the J.W. Anderson Topshop collabs, quantities have been upped and so hopefully there'll be enough of it to go around the world over.  I look forward to seeing this stuff worn with gusto and rabid enthusiasm.  Expect rampant use of heart and stars emojis when people wearing the collection starts to filter through on Instagram.  

IMG_0207

IMG_0231

IMG_0214

IMG_0169

IMG_0234

IMG_0248

IMG_0219Meadham x Kirchhoff Topshop PVC frill mac, rainbow frill blouse, fur-edged skirt, stripy lurex tights, pastel mary jane shoes

IMG_0078

IMG_0091

IMG_0101

IMG_0094Meadham Kirchhoff x Topshop red PVC apron dungarees worn with Meadham Kirchhoff chifon shirt, vintage patchwork puffer body warmer and Valentino rock stud shoes

IMG_0102

IMG_0129

IMG_0114

IMG_0133

IMG_0123

IMG_0135Meadham Kirchhoff fo Topshop pentagram leather bomber jacket, leather trousers, monster face jumper worn with Nike liquid gold Air Max 1's

IMG_0138

IMG_0166

IMG_0160

IMG_0162

IMG_0153Meadham Kirchhoff x Topshop muli-coloured mongolian stole, star tunic, navy slip skirt worn with Marc Jacobs shoes

34 comments

  2. Like always, you can wear these wonderful colors, and combinations without looking silly!!
    Thank you.
    Jana H.

  5. I definitely think it has a Harajuku feel to it, but you definitely took it to another level in that first outfit ahahhah! I personally like the second and the third outfits better – probably more of how they wanted the pieces to be styled. A little bit fun, a little bit psychedelic, but a whole load of personality! You always manage to pull of unbelievable things (as I remember noticing every outfit you had in Sydney) and make it work. I also finds it amazing that you still do not have to pile on makeup to balance the loud outfits – that’s something that I still cannot figure out!

  19. THE HEART OVERALLS THOUGh! What the OMG! Love, love, super LOVE. I fell in total love with the ones from A Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing collection. I need them! I’m putting these on my Christmas list.

  20. Oh wow, I love Meadham Kirchhoff too much and I am so sad I haven’t been lucky enough to snap anything from the collections, these look book photos are great. You are so lucky to be wearing all of them wonderful pieces. It would be like a dream to me if I could wear them items.
    x

  21. Gah I am so jealous you’ve been able to get all these beautys~ Meadham Kirchoff just seem to keep topping themselves with collections that really push the limit in terms of aesthetic. I would love to rock those fab green monster shoes with you, but I’m broke so…

  29. Quality articles or reviews is the key to invite the
    users to visit the site, that’s what this website is providing.

Comments are closed.