You have to get up very early—or stay up extremely late—to catch a new entry on the London fashion scene these days. Alistair Carr—whose name might (just) have rung a bell with anyone who attended the Central Saint Martins master's degree show a couple of years ago—made his official debut at a breakfast presentation in the Royal Academy of Arts. Nice venue—but there was plenty of pre-show grumbling among the valiant ranks of attendees who waited interminably for his act to begin. Why were we here, anyway?
The answer wasn't all that clear even by the time Carr's last outfit—a double-tiered meringue of white and ombré blue tulle with a kind of sport top—had made its exit. His collection had worked its way, puzzlingly, around voluminous techno-fabric blousons, hammerhead studded decoration, pleats, and dresses in which the skirts were suspended from the tops. While many of these novelties have been seen before, Carr did pull off a single merge that had the stamp of genuine innovation: a couple of shiny black nylon wraps with romantic, puffy chiffon inserts bouncing in the hem. That hasn't been seen before, and Carr really may have what it takes, over time. In the meanwhile, though, he needs to learn how to focus a collection on a couple of ideas, and get them across in the quickest way possible.
