Harrison Wong Reforms the Status Quo with Interwoven Kinetics | LFW SS27

Set against the street-lit backdrop of Notting Hill, Harrison Wong’s SS27 menswear collection titled Interwoven Kinetics opened with expertly tailored black suits, layered with knee-length skirts and accessorised with a range of matching hats. A graduate from London College of Fashion, Wong founded his eponymous label in 2005, aiming to redefine menswear through tailoring and craftsmanship. Despite ensuring each collection follows the direction of the fashion industry, Wong has been able to keep a consistent brand identity since its conception 21 years ago.

The SS27 collection reimagined and refined asymmetric waistcoats, double denim outfits and mesh shirts, while retaining its strongly established brand heritage. The winner of the Young Designer Competition at Hong Kong Fashion Week 1996, Wong has very little to prove within the industry: his work and longevity speak for themselves. Despite this, each collection highlights his deep love of the brand and its work. By creating elegant yet unique formal menswear pieces, Wong reforms the status quo.

Every model within the show was unsigned, some with very little catwalk experience. This was a requirement of the brand, emphasising the desire to support newcomers within the fashion industry.

Navy denim made up a good number of the showcased designs, often in the form of a matching jacket and trousers to be worn together or individually. Through their simplicity, Wong is able to create an elegant and understated mood, in which craftsmanship and silhouettes shine. The mesh button-up shirts were particularly interesting, especially after Heated Rivalry stars Connor Storrie and Hudson Williams were seen in similar designs (much to the internet’s delight) at the Vanity Fair Oscars party. Clearly, this particular design is here to stay.

The collection closed with all-white looks: one, a crochet-style shirt and tailored trousers; another as a structured crochet-style blazer and suit trousers. These marked a distinctive shift from the rest of the collection, which stuck to dark neutrals and understated pieces.

A long denim gilet-style top drew the most attention, constructed in a bright blue fabric with a pale ombre and square print at the base. Paired with jeans in the same style, this look felt particularly playful and more casual than the rest of the collection.