ISKO-commission goes on display at Love Thy Denim

By

Cajsa Lykke Carlson

Published
Aug 30, 2016

Denim manufacturer ISKO has unveiled a commission made for the exhibition Love Thy Denim at The Gallery at Winchester Discovery.

Winchester-based Kylie Crompton-Malcolm, of British label Monday I’m in Love, designed the dress together with pattern cutter Russell Wharton, using fabrics supplied by ISKO. The dress was inspired by a 18th century court dress worn by Louis XV’s mistress, Madame de Pompadour. It features a layered skirt that is supported by traditional panniers – an undergarment frame - but in a modern twist, the corset boning is on the outside of the body.

The dress also references 1970's punk styles with its five different kinds of denim, which have been bleached, washed and manipulated. "The result is a dramatic piece that combines the contradictions denim represents, uniting historical and contemporary design in a subversive but glamorous creation that defies convention," ISKO said.

Other pieces on show at the exhibition, which explores the origins and versatility of denim, from its workwear heritage in the Wild West through to its adoption into mainstream fashion, include designs by Vivienne Westwood and Jean-Paul Gaultier.

Love Thy Denim will be on until Sunday 23rd of October.