Eden Loweth and Tom Barratt are, quite simply, too cool for art school. They met at a party and sparks flew. Eden was a fashion student at Ravensbourne, and Tom at CSM. First they fell in love, then they fell into business. Cue Art School. Drawing on their non-binary identities, and the gender fluidity of their friends, the brand is a celebration of the idiosyncratic nature of queer style. “Transformation and the evolving nature of the trans body is something very close to us,” Tom states. “We both identify at different points of the gender spectrum. This inevitably influences our work.” Their first outing at LFW, as part of Fashion East’s fall/winter 17 menswear presentations, was a riot of sound, color, and movement, as models mixed with dancers in an performance choreographed by the Theo Adams Company.
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The models, wearing an assortment of flowing chiffon dresses, overalls, and velvet frocks, shimmied around dancers in tartan suits, gingham skirts, and cropped white tees emblazoned with “Art School” in rhinestones. “We describe our aesthetic as decadent minimalism,” Eden laughs. “The way you dress and the way it defines your personality is something that’s always interested us – anyone should be able to wear our clothes.” Bold, beautiful, and full of fun, Art School offer a colorful escape from everyday life. “We’re put under so much pressure to get jobs and comply with the traditional routes of employment, it’s vital that we protect and nurture our creativity together,” Tom argues. “Working on Art School has really made this so evident to us, without our friends working alongside us it would take the heart out of what we’re doing.”
Credits
Text Tish Weinstock
Photography Tim Walker
Models Eden Loweth. Tom Barratt. Jack Powers. Josephine Jones. Jesus Diaz. Daniel Del Valle. Kevin Cordo. Eugenia Shishkina. Hannah Hetherington.
Models wear all clothing Art School fall/winter 17 and archive Art School.