AW 26

"Where did all the curve models go?," the headlines asked. Nowhere. The weight of body diversity should not rest on a handful of designers. But with Karoline Vitto and her contemporaries taking a step back over the past couple seasons for one reason or another, it felt like curve model casting had all but frozen over.

As spring approaches, we experience a thaw. Models come out of a hibernation of sorts, pushing back against cultural discourse which screams that "thin is back!" Draped fabrics mimic the language of melting. Jewellery takes the shape of dried flowers coated in resin, beads of water suspended in mid-drip. The colour palette of blacks, dark blues, greys and whites recalls the moment when winter starts to give way. When the wind no longer bites and the sky feels inviting again. That first whisper of warmth and hope after an onslaught of grey days.

Shapes are drawn from late '90s and early '00s silhouettes, reimagined minus the heroin chic body ideals. A low-waisted trouser. A midriff exposed. Hips peeking through cutouts. Clothes are adjustable, doing away with the fallacy many of us lived by in previous decades: that we need to fit into the clothes, rather than clothes fitting us. In a way, this collection is the answer to Karoline's own musings as a teenager. The strappy tops she wore as a teen were a prototype of the first KV pieces, garments which confused her sister, who didn't know what hole was meant for the head, and which for the arms. In the same way, Karoline's pieces truly come alive when worn on the body, not on the hanger. It's the brand she wishes she'd had growing up, showcased on the women she wished she was seeing.

Celebrating curves rather than demonising them, zips and hidden elastics allow for adaptability to different shapes and styling preferences. Particular attention is paid to pattern cutting, creating garments which allow for playfulness.

Pieces can be worn in multiple different ways, since the idea is for them to last and grow with the wearer. The KV original studio pieces are all made from deadstock materials, using fabrics like viscose and cotton jersey, cupro, tencel... Manipulated by man but derived from a vegetable source, the materials are valued for their properties: absorbent but suitable for draping.

Facilitated by the British Fashion Council, this collection also encompasses a collaboration with the BFC NEWGEN principal sponsor Pull&Bear as part of their ongoing Canvas for Creativity project. Available to buy immediately after the show online and at selected stores, the collaboration brings the brand's design language to a more accessible price point. An important part of the process for Karoline was to extend Pull&Bear's size range, with her capsule collection going up to 2XL. It also, for the first time, brings menswear looks into the KV world.

While fashion shows are, of course, a showcase of the designer's latest collection and a way to bring the brand to new audiences, Karoline's shows are a celebration moment for the curve community. A way to say: we're here, and we're certainly not going anywhere. No matter what the trends might be.

CREATIVE DIRECTION - Karoline Vitto

STYLING - Jessica Skeete-Cross

STYLING ASSISTANT - Matylda Sala

CASTING - Chloe Rosolek at CDR Casting

CASTING ASSISTANT - Jenny Kembou

MAKE-UP - Mata Marielle

HAIR - Hair by Richard Phillipart using Authentic Beauty Concept

SHOES - Pull&Bear + KV's own

JEWELLERY - Pull&Bear (metal) + Nicole Vitto, Jessica Loydell (resin)

NAILS - Tyler Phoenix Nails

MUSIC - Jan Brzezinski

PRODUCTION - Blonstein Productions

PRESS - Raven Agency

SHOW NOTES - Anastasia Vartanian

SHOW PHOTOGRAPHY - Chris Yates

BTS PHOTOGRAPHY - Ana Flores

STUDIO TEAM

HEAD OF ATELIER - Stella Thurlow

ATELIER ASSISTANTS - Lucinda Whiteman, Rafaela Fiks

PATTERN CUTTER - Karoline Vitto

SHOW PRODUCTION ASSISTANT - Sterling Latham

STUDIO STYLING ASSISTANTS - Sterling Latham, Amelia Hunt, Jessica Lloydell

KNITWEAR - Jessica Lloydell

JEWELLERY - Jessica Lloydell, Nicole Vitto IN PARTNERSHIP WITH - Pull&Bear

WITH SPECIAL THANKS TO:

This collection would not have been possible without the immense support and generosity of our partners, mentors, team, and peers. Thank you so much to The British Fashion Council and Laura Weir, to Pull&Bear, our main sponsors this season, thank you for believing in our vision. Karoline Vitto is in Cohort One of the Fashion Residency at Studio Smithfield, a pioneering free studio and business development programme from the Mayor of London, Projekt and Paul Smith's Foundation, supported by British GQ, enabled through support from the City of London Corporation. Thank you so much Paul Smith's Foundation, Sir Paul Smith, Martha Mosse, Jake Pearce. Much love to our Raven family, Chloe Rosolek and Jessica Skeete-Cross, love working with you season after season. Richard Philipart and Authentic Beauty Concept for your stunning work on hair, Mata Marielle for always bringing fire beauty (frosty this season!), Tyler Phoenix's amazing nail work, Kate Brindley for beautifully hosting our cast, to our fantastic studio and atelier team, Nicole and Stella for being there since KV season 1, to our incredible cast and community, and loving family and friends. xxx