Son of a Witch, but Harry Potter this was not. KTZ, ever marching perfectly in line to the beat of their own drum, showcased for SS14 a stellar collection of garments that pulls together an eccentric array of historical and pop cultural inspiration points. It drew heavily from pagan ritual wear which was melded seamlessly to the traditional loose flowing garb of nomadic desert dwelling cultures, and Medieval and fantastical warrior armor, resulting in an urban sci-fi Arabian Knights uniform for the gent who is much more inclined to the adventurous and mysterious.
In the KTZ milieu, loosely based around the concepts of protection, were the label’s signature embroidery and iconography which was present throughout on heavily cowled tops, jackets and flowing harem style pants, with the addition of a map print on both clothing and accessories. The eclectic collection segued from the tans and whites of a sweltering desert summer to a Yankees/Warriors inspired pinstripe and head to toe electric blue, plus of course the standard KTZ black; here on the more wearable aspects of the collection that take form in street goth wear.
Murmurings that the collection was a comment or cheap sensationalising on terrorism can be allayed somewhat by the fact that the symbols and talismans that KTZ are so fond of, are traditionally items worn by the wearer as a form of protection. This collection can be seen as the KTZ view on what we will one day wear in a dystopian society, one which we not only have to protect ourselves from one another, but also from the extremes of a ravaged planet. The protective theme heightened with the introduction of armour like accessories that began as visors and face shields, and grew progressively alongside the collection to culminate fantastically with the final look of an armoured helmet replete with matching jacket (or vice versa however you choose to see it), the Hound walked the London catwalk and he was magnificent. Gasps of awe were audible along the catwalk sides as attendees simultaneously reached for camera phones to snap this blinding piece de resistance. KTZ’s galaxy is far far away, and one we’d very much like to be.
Illustrations : Valerie Servais © CHASSEUR MAGAZINE