SUPRIYA LELE EXAMINES CROSS-CULTURAL MINIMALISM FOR SS22

by Stella Hughes 2 years ago

by Stella Hughes 2 years ago 3min

supriya lele ss22 — Liam James for CULTED ©

Supriya Lele is the designer behind the acclaimed eponymous label based in London. Her work is deeply rooted in her own cross-cultural point of view, examining her Indian heritage and British cultural identity whilst creating work from a decidedly female viewpoint. Lele also designs with a fascination for 90s minimalism at the forefront – think cut-outs, exposure and subversion – core tenets of the brand that her LFW offering delivered and built upon.

Lele’s stardom and acclaim has been on a constant upwards trajectory since breaking on to the scene as a design graduate. Upon graduating from the RCA, Lele joined the Fashion East roster for three seasons, before being awarded full NEWGEN sponsorship from the British Fashion Council and split-winning the LVMH 2020 prize. Her SS22 collection debuted today at LFW propelled the designer further.

On the runway this morning, Lele presented her distinctive, reference-heavy aesthetic through a multitude of colours. Standouts included vibrant green, mustard yellow and deep black creations. Cut outs, a fast-becoming signature feature from the designer, also appeared en masse. This came in the form of crossover bandage tops, micro crops atop a blue tailored trouser, and centred holes set within orange ruche. This striking preoccupation with structure may have emerged from Lele’s architectural background: “I did architecture before I did fashion” she said.

Lele delivered sensual structure, explaining that she was “drawn to minimalism. I think I was shying away from my own culture—literally doing the opposite. I love Helmut Lang and Martin Margiela, how amazing it was that they could do something so nuanced and clever with a little touch or gesture.” It is clear that Lele has absorbed and built upon this philosophy: stunning with her collection of subversive, youthful yet still accessible designs.

Lele designs are also distinctive in their consistency and adaptability. It’s easy to see how garments from each curated look in the collection can be mixed and match to create an almost infinite combination of sleek full outfits. Khaki flowing shirts, matched on the runway with a high waisted bias-cut black tailored trouser, could as easily be styled on top of a cream cut out long sleeve.

Much of fashion’s relevance and interest today relies on identity and intersectionality to be at its core. Whilst Lele undoubtedly stands with that, her creative intellect is just as importantly a culmination of her Indian and British cross cultural heritage, which has rarely been manifested on a London runway from a female perspective before now.