Stoke-on-Trent, one of England’s most maligned cities, can add to it’s Potteries, Robbie William’s and Stoke City Football Club, one more success story to be proud of; designer Matthew Miller. For SS14 the designer presented a collection on an almost blank canvas state of neutral monochrome and beige, echoing the white noise of a gallery space. The designer who shows through his collections his fears, laying bare his soul as an artist in refreshing openness, showed modern, utilitarian clothing with post industrial design features, that can also be seen to represent an idealised view of the future, with a slightly sinister Gattaca-esque undertone of authoritarianism.; through societal shift one day we may all become a ‘Stepfordised’ ideal. Miller, like fellow Brit Lee Roach, takes the classic sportswear aesthetic but then adds to it his own twists, such as raw denim, lazer cutting, an angular silhouette and cracked paint finishes for a deconstructionist feel. This is shown particularly in outerwear; Miller does a fantastic job at taking the ordinary trench coat and casual jacket, and turning it into an elevated fashion piece. These are everyday basics and classics, highly wearable, but also given depth and interest through Millers deft touch, creating the perfect post modern wardrobe.
Photography : Beth Alderson © CHASSEUR MAGAZINE