When London-based designer Feben announced her upcoming AW24 show would be supported by Dolce & Gabbana's talent incubator programme set to take place in Milan, taking a pause away from the London Fashion Week schedule, the Ethiopian, Sweden-reared designer piqued the interest of editors across the industry, and no doubt her roster of A-list clientele too – Beyoncé, Erykah Badu and Michaela Coel, to name but a few.
Following in the footsteps of Karoline Vitto, Matty Bovan, Miss Sohee and Tomo Koizumi, who were all taken under Dolce & Gabanna’s wing as a guest designer, Feben brought a slice of London to Milan with her after-dark-ready dresses and textured garments.
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Here is everything you need to know about 'Speed', Feben's AW24 collection unveiled in Milan.
The Inspirations
An ode to the eternal joys of readying oneself for a night out, and the adrenaline rush which comes as a result of rapidly creating a collection, the line combined signature tactile garments first introduced during her Central Saint Martins MA final collection (eg the 'Twist' dress) and animal prints plucked from the Dolce & Gabbana archive. ‘I was thinking [about] how quickly you have to make a collection,’ Feben said of the riotous line. ‘ I really related to the 1990s archive animal prints – for me, that is very Dolce & Gabbana!’.
A surrealist lens contributed to the designer's playful take on the nostalgic prints as the designer became enamoured by German artist Isa Genzken, best known for her experimental and varied work across sculptures and installations. ‘I was inspired when I stumbled on how Isa [Genzken] had fun making duct tape stripes in colours. I like finding that balance, on the edge of what is ugly. And making it cool.’
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The Collection
The radical collection oscillated between colour-packed pieces and muted neutrals, plush outerwear, and seductive and form-fitting dresses on the runway. The Twist dress made an appearance reimagined in crushed velvet for the first time: inky black, lapis-blue and a daffodil hue. The driving force behind the new direction of dress being the creative's desire for women to ‘feel like a work of art’. Shades of blue, yellow, and black permeated the collection, capturing the vibrancy of the line.
Further highlights included vibrant slashed print tops in multicoloured prints teamed with chaps, and a sleeveless beige, calf-skimming dress with draping and flashes of animal print on the hips. Feben explained the importance of spiked dresses inspired by a jagged dress statue by artist Simone Yvette Leigh. From afar, and to the naked eye, Feben’s garments looked like they were fashioned from solid spikes but in actuality, they were crafted using mesh material. Arguably, the pièce-de-résistance this season was an oatmeal, knee-length padded coat/dress hybrid comprising ribbed side detailing that no doubt made it to the top of every editor's wish list before it had even exited the runway.
Sustainability is instrumental to the designer's creative process – and this season was no different. Upcycled beading work courtesy of artisans in Accra, Ghana (with whom she has a longstanding relationship) appeared on chaps, jewellery and handbags.
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The Casting
Body diversity was key for Feben and it was evident in the casting: Aoki Lee Simmons, daughter of legendary model and founder of Noughties label Baby Phat, Kimora Lee Simmons, made her debut for the brand alongside editor Tish Weinstock and Vivienne Westwood's granddaughter Cora Corré inside Dolce & Gabbana headquarters. Feben called on esteemed model Ashley Graham to walk in a blue dress with a sheer overlay and then close the show in a sensual black, plunging V-neck dress with sheer black gloves.
The Music
Feben worked with Chicago native DJ Syd Falls to curate a soundtrack that evoked the sounds of London using ‘Mind The Gap’ sound bites.
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