"The starting point for my SS16 collection was The Mongoliad - a transmedia franchise developed by one of my favorite writers, Neil Stephenson and friends of his. Among the key characters of this fictional narrative are members of feuding monastic and military orders, each of them defined by a specific symbol or by the color of the surcoats worn by its bretheren" read the official notes at the Alexandre Plokhov Spring 2016 runway show, and the audience was no doubt thankful for the explanation, as the dark and dramatic display might have been mired in fashion mystery without it.
But regardless of the somewhat obscure inspiration, the passion behind the design, and the stunning commitment to perfecting every detail down to the hand-creased footwear was self evident, and should be enjoyed by our readers without further comment
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All images: S. Whittle for Style Wylde