BEAUTY: Clothing--John Alexander Skelton

Regular readers know I love clothing that has an historical sense, which can manifest in the silhouette, the patterns and cuts, and of course in choices of color and materials. It is why I love the work of Westwood, Yamamoto, Anne Demeulemeester when she was head of her own house, the swashbuckling collections of Galliano, even Armani in his refined luxury. But the work of John Alexander Skelton is extraordinary. Skelton (previously here--please do take a look at some incredible past collections), who was awarded the Sarabande scholarship granted by the Lee Alexander McQueen Foundation and graduated from Central Saint Martin’s with an M.A. in fashion men’s wear in 2016, usually works closely with weavers and mills across England to create handcrafted silhouettes that reference Dickensian/19th-century menswear such as frock coats and high-waisted trousers. Treatments like hand-dying, hand washing, and patching are recurrent features in his collections, lending a romanticism to his work which I just love.

So for his Spring Summer '24 collection, presented as a lookbook photographed at a community garden in the suburb of Herne Hill in south London, Skelton looked to nature. He said, "After last season, I kept thinking about people being connected to nature and how it might benefit society at large. I was thinking: How is that possible in a modern context?...If I’d tried to do a collection based on gardening quite literally, it would have been quite boring." So instead, we get oblique references to gardening with some lovely botanical wood-block prints and horticultural embroideries, as well as patterns that feel like a William Morris wallcovering. His usual dark palette is lightened here, and there is even a rather summery rose and white striped short set (look 17)! But we still have the frock coat cut, a plethora of buttons, and a wonderful mix of canvas, linen, silk, and artisanal linen. It feels historical but eclectically current as well. (Also: kudos to Skelton for using mature models.)

https://www.johnalexanderskelton.com/
https://www.instagram.com/skeltonjohn