LFW AW14: Bas Kosters-Clowns are people too

Bas Kosters played on coulrophobia- the irrational fear of clowns, which combined with a heightened sense of campness, created his latest collection for London Fashion Week.

The scene was reminiscent of a rocky horror picture show party, where the eccentric and wild unite and form an alliance of individualism. This wasn’t your standard fashion show, there was a collection of models ranging from different sizes, breaking the industry rules and showcasing the energy and vibrancy of the body in movement- as opposed to the stone cold faces of high fashion models. Celebrity Noel Fielding, was the special guest, sashaying down the runway wearing an oversized jacket in a traffic cone colour scheme of orange and white. The colours clashed marvellously against his 70s style flared trousers with an array of multicoloured clowns images on.

In front of the catwalk lay a large screen releasing moving images of eerie clowns: laughing, crying or simply staring at the screen-daring you to continue watching. A subtle melody played in the background, adding to the effect of an uncomfortable and uneasy environment. The audience was hooked from the moment the first model entered the stage, wearing a sequined cut-off suit, complete with pink hair and a face filled with clown makeup.

The collection featured a strong theme of sexuality with one of the male models strutting down the cat walk with clown body paint covering his semi-nude state and another wearing a tight bodysuit made from clown images, with purple see-through underwear over it. Featuring typical oversized shoes and printed onsies, the designer stayed true to the traditional clown attire but added a more glamorous aesthetic of multicoloured sequins, printed fabrics and plastic textured materials to bring to life the modern, perhaps unstable clown.

Kosters’ diverse show was set to entertain and thrill you with a strange and fascinating display of sheer ludicracy, including a live birthing of what appeared to be, a baby Mr Blobby! Each model played a perfect role of enticing the audience in to the bizarre and wondrous land of Bas Kosters.

(Bas kosters modelling his own collection- photo by Jonas Gustavsson)