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Swedish label Cheap Monday went to the ends of the world to produce their innovative show for a spring/summer 2015 collection to remember. As we entered the large public space and found an Olympic-sized swimming pool at the center of attention in the center of the huge room, it was evident something interesting was about to happen. Tiled bleachers were filled with buyers, press and guests as they stared and speculated about what role the pool and plastic blow-up animals would play in the pending event. As the music roared with Britney Spears hits from the 1990s, models descended down a flight of stairs and walked the circumference of pool, stopping only to pose for photographers and to end their walk at the pool’s edge where, one-by-one, they took a seat and removed their shoes. The clothing exploded with color and a casual air, bright patterns, stripes, holes, denim and pieces hanging off the model’s bodies like tattered rags – but the look was cohesive.
Each gender-bending ensemble was paired with patent leather platforms, no matter man or woman wearing them. Men were in lipstick and women had their hair cut short and greased back behind their ears. The lines blurred easily. As the show wrapped-up, the last of the models sat down at the edge of the pool and suddenly, the fun began. One by one and in groups, the models jumped into the pool with their clothing on and swam towards the floating flamingos. It was a celebration and, to me, a statement about not taking ourselves so seriously in the often silly world of fashion.
