Chet Lo presented its Fall/Winter 2024 showcase at London Fashion Week, drawing inspiration from the discovery of the Terracotta Army, which took place back in 1974 in Shaanxi, China. Initially created by the first emperor, Qin Shi Huangdi, the army comprised over 8,000 soldiers, 600 horses and 100 chariots, and were placed around Huangdi’s mausoleum in a bid to “greet him in the afterlife.”
The brightly painted lacquer faded away over the years, unearthing a reddish-brown terracotta clay base which served as the inspiration this season. Influenced by their uniqueness and magnitude, Lo took inspiration from the processes of oxidization and dehydration, using it as a metaphor for perseverance.
Read on for Hypebae’s review of Chet Lo FW24.
Who: The star-studded front row at Chet Lo featured fashion icons like Maya Jama, Bimini Bon Boulash and Cora Corre, alongside friends, family and fans of the brand.
Where: Once again, the vibrant showcase was held at LFW mainstay, The Old Selfridges Hotel, where the past few seasons of Chet Lo’s presentations have taken place.
See: This season’s color palette was inspired by the works of German visual artist Gerhard Ritcher, with his 1989 “Uran” painting translating into repeating square patterns and slashed visuals. Elsewhere, the ready-to-wear offering was completed by the distinctive pieces from Lo’s CHARLES & KEITH collaboration, transforming classic ballet flats and sling-backs into fierce, spiked-up creations.
Touch: Signature spikes made their way down the runway, this time arriving in new silhouettes like hooded dresses, cut-out necklines and subtle detailing on elevated gowns. Elsewhere, the brand’s unique two-toned knitwear arrived as two-piece silhouettes, interspersed with velvet skirts, lurex-style metallic dresses and liquid metal textures.
Hear: A pumping bassline soundtracked the distinctive showcase, but the most enticing of all was the sound of designer Chet Lo sprinting down the runway post-show, with a sense of joy and pride that filled the room whole.
Taste: Chet’s signature spikes are going nowhere fast and it’s clear that metallic silver, liquid chrome and foil textures are continuing to show up on FW24 runways.