Illustration by Ankolie
Úna Burke‘s presentation took place in one of the rooms at the Freemason’s Hall. The invite read ‘Digital Presentation’ and you never really know what you’re going to get. In this case, tadalafil one of the imposing rooms had been transformed with a large screen showing a film, drugs surrounded by Úna Burke’s latest collection.
Úna Burke specialises in S&M-inspired leather goods. I like this. I like the fusion of fashion and fetish.There’s a lot of it around at the moment – God knows why – maybe in times economic decline, the best thing we can all do to lift our spirits is to get strapped up and gagged and have a gay old time. I’m marketing it as the Blitz spirit for my generation.
The film began with unsettling close ups of wide-eyed women who appeared to be not having a very good time at all; smokey eyed, they peered over Úna’s pieces and seemed to be in a state of distress. I suppose that’s all part of the process. Extreme close-ups of pulled flesh appeared, as did manic faces, reminiscent of Matthew Barney‘s arthouse productions (I was told this, I didn’t know at the time, but I’ve since Googled his work and expect my P45 to arrive shortly).
Illustration by Joana Faria
As the film played with eery noises in the background, I took a good look at what was on offer. The show piece dominated at the opposite end of this grand hall; a complicated leather number featured intricate straps that worked around the Rubenesque dummy, with a complimentary cuff and a second piece in black that worked over the shoulders. It is my last intention to sound like a pervert, but I would have liked this piece to appear on a live model – I think Una’s message would have been clearer if we could see exactly what kind of woman would werk this fetish as fashion.
Set on either side of the room, the rest of Úna’s collection continued with these theme, and appeared alongside more unsettling images of scenes of a slightly sexual nature, processed like old Victorian prints. Harnesses and cuffs in black and brown are the mainstay; strips of soft leather work across each other in an almost organic fashion, fused together with rivets and studs. Gauntlets appeared in tan, while the more structural, all-in-one pieces came in darker browns and, inevitably, black leather.
It was an inspiring, raunchy treat, and a stark contrast to some of the prettier, feminine fashion I’d seen that morning. I’m in no way complaining.
All photography by Matt Bramford
You can see more of Joana Faria’s illustrations in Amelia’s Compendium of Fashion Illustration.
Categories ,A/W 2011, ,Bondage, ,Corsets, ,Digital Presentation, ,fashion, ,Fetish, ,Freemasons’ Hall, ,Gauntlets, ,leather, ,review, ,Rivets, ,S&M, ,SEX, ,Úna Burke, ,Vauxhall Fashion Scout
Similar Posts:
- London Fashion Week A/W 2011 Presentation Review: Úna Burke (by Amelia)
- London Fashion Week A/W 2010: Lake & Liberty Pop-Up
- London Fashion Week A/W 2011 Catwalk Review: Jean Pierre Braganza (by Matt)
- London Fashion Week A/W 2011 Menswear Day Presentation Review: Mr Start
- London Fashion Week S/S 2011 Video Presentation Review: Lall London