A Surface Issue

A fun exploration of material moods.

Photography and styling Martina Almquist and Tandi Reason Dahl

Black patent leather double breasted coat Hope.

Blue patent leather trousers, black leather boots Proenza Schouler.

Black viscose long-sleeve top with yellow leather detail Celine.

White leather jacket Bottega Veneta, black leather trousers with white and red panels, model's own.

LEATHER The Wild One is about to enter retirement age and Marlon Brando is long since dead. Surely it’s time to let go of leather’s bad boy/bad girl aura? Look instead at this material for what it is: sturdy, protective, and as luxurious as it is practical.

Multicoloured floral printed silk dress, transparent PVC sleeveless dress, purple knitted sleeves Calvin Klein.

Pink rubber shower cap with attached flowers, white plastic shower curtain dress with pink rubber flower bodice Moschino.

Navy blue polyester skirt and jacket with drawstring waist Sportmax, transparent plastic heels Moschino.

PLASTIC When you think of plastic clothes, what comes first to mind? The hospital gown or the flammable fancy-dress costume? The misshapen fetish gear or the functional raincoat? Time to put such tired associations aside. As we learned in The Graduate, there’s a great future in plastics. And, since so many of our wardrobes are full of unhappy plastic fibres, such as polyester and nylon, trying to masquerade as something else, maybe it’s time to lean in and accept plastic itself for what it really is: something smooth, shiny and noisy when you move. Listen closely. Doesn’t that sound like the real fabric of the future.

Burgundy corduroy oversized suit Acne Studios, pink faux fur cap with buckle Miu Miu.

CORDUROY Is there a more British fabric that corduroy? In parts of Europe, the cloth is simply called ”Manchester”. so that kind of settles it. But corduroy also has a homely, dependable feel, and is the kind of fabric that tells observers you can be trusted and that you’re probably somewhat of a soft soul. To be worn with an aloof demeanour, serving academic realness.

Turquoise cotton-silk short-sleeve dress with white collar, embroidery and strass details Gucci.

Red and green long-sleeve crochet dress Mulberry.

Baby pink silk dress with blue and grey floral fringe Miu Miu.

EMBELLISHMENTS Don’t let yourself grow cynical among today’s sequins and rhinestones; there’s much more to embellishment than added spangles. For example: feather-like fringing on a skirt, a pattern on a top that turns out to be delicately beaded, or just a simple layer of contrasting lace crochet. This is really about finding the unexpected within the everyday- a motivational motto that shouldn’t be dismissed as style advice.

Baby blue jersey and mesh dress with metallic details Paco Rabanne.

Iridescent sleeveless lace dress with glitter coating Christopher Kane.

Silver glitter clad boots with black patent leather toe Chanel.

GLITTER There is no purer form of fashion fantasy than glitter. Stitched into lurex or sewn on with thread, a silvery glimmer of metallic material means dreams of dancefloors and disco balls, and Saturday nights that never have to end. Here, glittering placidly on a coathanger, is the best representation of fashion’s capacity for performantivity: the item you put on in order to become someone completely new for a night. Or, at the very least, a better, shinier version of yourself.