Eco design duo Vim and Omi staged their brand’s biggest collection yet at the St. Pancras, the heritage Victorian train station, that included about 70 looks. This also marked the launch of their Bin 2 Body project which is a venture done in collaboration with London College of Fashion. Passengers witnessed the models adorning the collection that was inspired by a blend of underground subculture movements including punk, Nineties Club Kids, Mexican, and Harlem subcultures.
Explaining the inspiration, Vin said that, “We wanted really bright clothes, really bold silhouettes and it’s really in your face to provoke thought.”
The collection featured an assortment of elongated tank tops, emblazoned rubber pinafores, one-piece swimming attires paired with oversized track bottoms and deconstructed dresses smashed with poodle and pentagram motifs, as well as the slogan Fake News.
The choice of motifs was to champion a new religion, where intelligence (poodles are among the smartest animals), respect for the earth (the pentagram is a paegan symbol for the five elements) and responding to environmental and political issues with immediacy were key aspects of its codified beliefs.
“We really wanted to talk about a new religion because I think people just stopped thinking and we wanted to encourage it again,” explained Vin. “We wanted people to start thinking about their own actions and we’re using this collection to provoke thought.”
Vin and Omi brought a younger verve to their brand with a clubbier vibe without losing their message about sustainability. There were gorgeous eco latex dresses made from a rubber plantation in Malaysia, vegan leather bustiers paired with printed pencil skirts, neo baby-doll dresses and quilted bomber jackets with pleather detailing. Also striking were the bags and accessories, which were made in partnership with London College of Fashion. The Bin 2 Body project started during the men’s shows in June when students collected plastic bottles from the BFC Showspace and turned them into durable textiles. This season saw the fruition of their efforts in a series of bespoke bags, some resembling actual bin liners, and necklaces spelling out ‘Think’.
Shoes that were meant for the landfills were turned into hybrids, whereby old trainers were mounted on the base of other shoes or tops of bags, giving the collection a sense of playfulness and wit.
