It’s true that Nom*D’s clothing falls on the ‘challenging’ end of the aesthetic spectrum. Even defining what the garments are can be difficult. At last night’s show for example, what looked like a vest turned out to be part of a dress. Pinafores merged into shirts, and peaked caps were actually snoods that draped around the neck and back.
But who wants ordinary anyway? Certainly not the huge crowd of fans – the largest so far – that crammed into Golden Dawn for the fourth Marr Factory show of the week. Trying to get even a half decent view of the models was difficult behind the small galaxy of iPhones straining to capture the experience.
Hardly surprising, because it’s a rare evening where such otherworldly creatures stomp through a bar to the sounds of thunder and birdsong. The SS 12/13 collection, entitled ‘A Raven’s Tale’ has been in store a while now, but Robertson’s creatively destructed garments are best observed in motion.
The hanging cords and fabric whipped and flowed around the body in a way that was oddly entrancing, even with the soundtrack segueing into thumping death metal.
The MAC team was once again proving why we call them makeup 'artists', erasing out the models’ lips to keep focus on the eyes, beautifully accented with glimmery black shadow. The Stephen Marr team twisted ponytails tightly along the top of the head, with tendrils falling down around the face. Imagine you got caught in a tropical storm on an alien planet. We loved it.
Overall, the show was ethereal, intense, unusual – call it anything but ordinary. We’re hoping these Marr Factory events become a bit less rare in future.
– Delaney MacDonald
Imagery: Oliver Rose