The hum of arrival has settled on Agape Mdumulla and Sam Cotton—better known as Agi & Sam. Only a season out from their 18-month stint in the young-designer-supporting MAN shows, they've got a new Topshop collection (out now), support from the industry (from Paul Smith to E. Tautz's Patrick Grant), and a restless energy that makes even frenetic London look poky by comparison. (Their show today featured collaborations with separate companies to create shoes, bags, and laptop cases.)
Perhaps because of this and-the-kitchen-sink mentality, their collections vary widely season to season, though it's usually safe to say they'll be brightly colored and boldly printed. Both, broadly speaking, were true here. But the emphasis on sartorial pyrotechnics—the taped seams, the rubbery treatments, the three-dimensional "prints"—undercut some of the naïve charm that has animated collections past. This one, in any case, came prefaced by a sweetly meandering parable about an old man, attached to his usual clothes but curious about the outfits worn by the kids he sees on the bus. Hence, a bus-bench print. But the collection's overall message was garbled. Sometimes, despite assurances to the contrary, it's not just about the journey. It is the destination.
