LFW SS27 - Tuuli Turunen “Ain’t Nice”
Located below a small cafe in Angel, lies a worn-out mattress adorned with a velvet blanket, vintage oak chairs, and coffee tables, each lit up by a single candle; the scene transports us back to 1970s London, a time when creatives converged to foster intellectual stimulation.
“The world ain’t nice”, says Turunen. In today's climate of uncertainty, marked by constant talk of war, violence, revolution, and resistance, Turunen’s newest collection uses surrealism to ask where our world is heading.
A large selection of velvets and satin trousers form a cohesive dialogue of uniformity without conformity to society’s expectations: both simultaneously falling apart and put together. Trousers that cut off above the ankle with hems that looked like they were disheveled by the harsh climate — together, they speak as a rebellion against traditional forms of military jackets and uniforms.
“This was a big step outside my comfort zone; I don’t normally work with colours, and I’m using them for the first time in this collection,” Turunen shared. Certainly, the collection is a departure from her usual monochromatic palette, instead featuring a range of purples and mauvy pinks appearing as a deconstructed off-shoulder top and satin skirt, contrasted by the sheer dress adorned with large silver medals that was worn by Abigail from Last Dinner Party as she performed on the makeshift stage in the centre of the room.
Before the show, we spoke with Turunen about her newest collection and how she navigates the process of deconstructing the creative concept whilst expanding her narrative.
Q: What does this collection represent, and what sort of motifs inspired you or draw from?
“The collection sprang from certain feelings of anguish, particularly about the direction the world is… going, and the kind of powerlessness I feel. Even though we have a heightened access to different forms of technology and information, I feel that because it's held in the hands of a few people, an individual going about their day-to-day activities can feel very powerless in a way. The starting point for the collection is a lot of these archetypes of male violence we hear about. Taking inspiration from the '60s and '70s hippie and anti-war movements. For example, the film Performance by Nicolas Roeg and Mick Jagger has been a big inspiration. But I think mainly the attitude of? is the heart of that collection.
Q: You mention that you often reference books and cinema in your work; what were the particular inspirations for this collection?
Absolutely, I feel like the main inspiration for my work always comes from outside of fashion. I read Clemens Meyer’s While We're Dreaming, which is kind of his coming-to-light story in Berlin, about the skinhead culture there and the conflict between that and the poverty around that area. Also, I was reading Svetlana Alexievich, Boys in Zinc, which is about the Afghan War and how people from Russia were sent there without knowledge of what they were taking part in, and just never coming back. It’s a combination of trying to introduce this other idea of a uniform that wouldn't necessarily have to be so severe, and it wouldn't have to be so violent in order for it to be equally important or something to be respected.
Q: Regarding your educational background, having recently graduated from Central Saint Martins MA Womenswear course, how has that experience informed your creative thinking?
I didn't have a background in fashion before I went to the MA; I studied documentary photography. I've been doing fashion work as a kind of side thing for a while, so I had a portfolio which I applied to CSM with. But I feel like during the MA, I wanted to go there to refine that voice inside of me because I'm clearly drawn to certain things and motifs that kind of reappear. But the course definitely has such a heavy emphasis on figuring out who you are, what you want to do, and what you say, which helps define who I want to be dressing currently with my work.
Q: Ultimately, what sort of message do you wish your audience to take away as they exit your showcase today?
For their own sake and for the sake of the world, I hope that they take a moment to really realize that not everything that feels very important is actually that important, and maybe practice compassion. I feel like the current world is so polarizing that we forget we have a space for conversation where you wouldn't be immediately judged no matter what your opinions are, and that we need to listen and be more open.
While one takes out a cigarette box but never its cigarette, Turunen exposes the indecency of the world today, while reminding the audience that judgment and conformity would not be able to silence people’s creativity or voices.
All images courtesy of Sabrina Hau.
Edited by Katie Sweeney, Co-fashion Editor.
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