Before the underground-iconic London label Meadham Kirchhoff was forced to shut down last year, it had grown a cult following throughout the industry and become one of the most anticipated shows on the London Fashion Week schedule. The Meadham Kirchhoff aesthetic is surely indivisible from the reputation of contemporary London fashion around the world.
Having lost control of their archive in the closing of the label, and with much of it already sold off, Edward Meadham and Benjamin Kirchhoff are now asking the industry and fashion fans to help them save a vital selection of 40-55 pieces to create a small but important archive of London fashion history. The selection was made with the help of curator Shonagh Marshall, who also archived the collections of both Alexander McQueen and Isabella Blow.
Rather than being squirreled away into a private collection, archive pieces that span Meadham Kirchhoff’s 12 year history will be gifted to museums. Benjamin Kirchhoff explains that, “the aim is also to make these clothes live — that they can be borrowed for shoots, that they can be exhibited and not live in the past and be forgotten.”
The fundraising campaign hopes to raise a total of £15,000 ($21,000) to save the archive, but Edward and Benjamin are asking friends and fans to help by donating whatever they can.
Donate to Save the Meadham Kirchhoff Archive on GoFundMe.
Credits
Text Charlotte Gush
Photography Piczo