Prepare for take off – and what take off the Bobby Abley Spring Summer 2017 show was. With the catwalk lighting up as if the show was boarding and taking off, onlookers were propelled into a galaxy of neoprene and fur, – Abley brought the dream of transporting his audience on a magic carpet journey, into reality.
In a mixture of sportswear and swimwear, models strutted down the catwalk to the likes of Space Jam and Selena Gomez, in an array of print and colour – with a noticeable play on Disney’s Aladdin imagery and inflight symbolism pulling viewers onboard and into a world of wonders.
With oversize fluorescent teddy bears accessorizing the crew and inflight neck wrests adorning models shoulders, Abley showed viewers why he is known for his charm, wit and humor – As the show progressed, print works developed into garments embellished with Arabic font and flame imagery, showing the arrival into the cave of wonders, with the final look of an oversized ultramarine fur coat swamping a leggy female model and her silk purple slip dress pushing the overall sass levels of Abley’s collection to new, magical heights.
Indeed, amongst this season’s collections of rebellic sportswear and down tones of masculinity, Abley brought back the playful nature of menswear and gave his audience a show to enjoy.
Words by Jasmine Banbury
Images by Georgia Sillitoe
