There are some designers who have the ability to create an air of mystery and magic wherever they go – Luke Azzopardi is one of those rare creatures. Like a Victorian magician, he pulls rabbits out of hats and pushes you down the rabbit hole until you’re not sure whether what you’ve just experienced is real or a lucid dream.
The above description could be true of all his shows; however, it was particularly true of ‘Synthetic Dreams’ where the designer was “foraging for dreams in a Midsummer’s mushrooming, in search of nature’s greatest alchemist.” Held in Azzopardi’s newly done-up studio, the first thing my eyes were drawn to were the charming mushroom and flower arrangements put together with much love and care by ‘The Blooming Bunch’. They helped set a playful tone for the night, which was further compounded when the fantastic artist and performer Klonn crept out mischievously.
As haunting vocals filled the air courtesy of Hannah Theuma and Kym Pepe, the atmosphere became even thicker and more theatrical, making viewers feel like they were in a heady bower full of mushrooms of all kinds and poisonous flowers. Interestingly, although the dresses were every bit as dramatic as I have come to expect from the designer, they were still very wearable. With a colour palette dominated by various greens, metallic and otherwise, yellows, and blacks, the designer’s gravitational pull to the Victorian era was palpable, yet the restraint that the period is so often associated with happily frolicked with freeing columns of fabric more associated with the 1920s.
My favourite piece of the night, aptly named the ‘Hemlock Gown’, was a chiffon lavender confection fit for a goddess or a wood nymph that married flowing form with a black French lace and chiffon structured corset; however, it would be highly remiss of me not to mention the ‘Vine Dress’. Crafted in tulle and manipulated faux-horsehair crinoline with feathers attached to it at intervals, this corset-dress museum piece was more art than garment. I honestly can’t wait to see how it will be styled in future photoshoots.
‘Synthetic Dreams’ took us on a psychedelic trip worthy of an Alice in Wonderland remake and celebrated Luke Azzopardi’s greatest strength: the ability to transport his audience to a more colourful and vibrant world where everyone is a main character, and everything is possible. In this collection, he not only pulled a rabbit out of his hat; he made us want to get into the hat and never leave.