KWK by Kay Kwok returned to London Fashion Week for AW23 as the brand celebrated the beginnings its 10thAnniversary Year under the Creative Directorship of designer Kay Kwok. Founded on a philosophy of Experimental Expression, looking forward through time and imagining a global society which we’re yet to arrive at has become central to the brand’s singularly unique vision. Genderless, experimental, and confronting in their artistry and aesthetic, KWK by Kay Kwok collections challenge convection, liberated from tradition and stereotypes with a creative proposition that is boldly unapologetically avant-garde and futuristic.
Digitalisation-driven, KWK by Kay Kwok presents seasonal brand avatars, embodying values, ethics, and stories we see in the real world but transported to a distant future. Free from the expectations of the material world, these ambassadors for independent and diverse thought present an out-of-self opportunity for creativity in the third person. The brand’s story is seen through her lens.
LALA’s story is set in the year 2100. The Earth has become so toxic is barely resembles home. Everyone has left for other distant planets to rebuild, but LALA has been left behind, her friends and family gone and never to return. Imperfect and unconventional, when the call to evacuate came, LALA was overlooked, imperfect and unconventional, part-person part-robot – not a candidate for the new world. The surface has become too inhospitable, the air too hot, the land too infertile. In the exodus from earth, strange creatures have come to rule. LALA lives underground, hundreds of metres in the wet and the dark. Her only companion a dragon – part-robot like her – offers protection and companionship in this dark and hopeless existence. Passing her days in this strange and unfriendly place – she dreams to meet her parents again.
Darya, a visionary sound producer, violinist, and singer provides the soundscape for this season’s collection and LALA’s story. Creating music from the depths of her imagination, her unique sound and artists brings to life an alternate universe. Inspired by imaginary worlds, her sound art is a reflection of Darya’s thoughts and emotions, channelled through the notes of ChatGPT, creating a unique sound this is at once futuristic, but rooted in the technology of tomorrow as it exists in the present day. Like Kwok, through her art, she creates a world of her own, a world where she is in control and free to express herself as she’s chooses – both an escape, and a way to connect with others.
In KWK by Kay Kwok’s AW23 show at London Fashion Week, subcultures collide in a rich visual interplay between our world today and that of tomorrow, imagining what lies ahead and the possibility of what could be in a strong message of individuality, diversity, liberation from expectation, and new-age human confidence.SHOW CREDITSDesign & Creative Direction by Kay Kwok Hair by Tim Furssedonn using Matrix Hair CareMake-up by Michelle Webb for AOFMPro using Dermatologica Music by Daria Fisher| Show Production by Dani Wall & Luka Dijan at North Wall Production |Technical Production by Hydra Design | Show Photographer by Chris Yates | Show Video by Project Video