Entitled “The Retro-Spective,” Claire Barrow’s London presentation was inspired by garments from a wide range of decades. The pieces were deconstructed and presented in their most raw form, which injected them with a beautiful modernity.
Tiered ruffle tops, silk separates, and embroidered knitwear were used as canvases for Barrow’s signature illustrations. Specially commissioned films from Duke Brooks, Liv Fontaine, and Alice Neale played in the background took the clothing out of dimly lit basement of the ICA and into the rightful spotlight as pieces of art.
Barrow’s nod to the past was apparent, but nostalgia did nothing to tarnish her singular vision. Her part-punk, part-Victorian references came together perfectly by way of white briefs, delicate lace skirts, and scarfs doubling as head shawls. She played with themes of repetition and sentimentality in a way that felt like a purposeful slowing down from the industry’s relentless and fast-paced churn. Yesterday’s showing made it clear Claire want us to stand still and respect the past while having the future in sight.
Credits
Text Lynette Nylander
Photography Jason Lloyd Evans