Established in 2008, Sibling has slowly but surely secured a cult status amongst fashion followers not only in London but internationally, with their collections stocked in retailers in Belgium, France, Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, Russia and Saudi Arabia. Despite the pressure to produce another successful collection, their inaugural menswear runway show during London Collections: Men did not disappoint the interested audience that turned up early in the morning of 16 June 2012 for the first event of the day.
For Spring/Summer 2013, Sibling developed playful subversions of classic knitwear styles (as has been expected of Joe Bates, Sid Bryan and Cozette McCreery, the designers behind the label) that were presented in a highly stylised format by doyenne of London fashion, Katie Grand. Entitled ‘Revolution’, the collection focused on the notion that social turmoil can lead to regenerative change by uniting individuals in a collective mission. This confluence of idealism is achieved on the macro level of societal mores by bringing together the diverse micro levels of eclectic street subcultures through fashion, reflecting the coexistence of diverse ethnic and social groups in world metropolises like London or Tokyo.
To mirror the patchwork layers of eclectic urban tribes, the range of clothes proposed by Sibling mixed oversized knitted sleeveless sweatshirts, baseball pants in elegant Arabesque motifs, running shorts layered over leggings, bolero jackets, and outerwear encrusted in giant square sequins. In addition, Sibling’s deviant silhouettes are illustrated in garments such as a distorted t-shirt that becomes a four-sleeved top as a trompe-l’oeil thrown-on cardigan. Textures are accented with fluorescent pink tipped with lurex trims, and gold accents are juxtaposed against an all-white palette. Stylish hats with gold embroidery by Hawthorn & Heaney added a fine touch to the collection. And, to confirm Sibling’s command of sartorial languages (and awareness of high cultures in the history of fashion), Willow-patterned fabrics are introduced into the collection as a way to mix Chinoiserie with sportswear in a highly successful process.
Overall, this was an accomplished collection that confirmed, once more, the creative energy that Sibling has been consistently replenishing on the fashion arena in London.
