Agro Studios SS27
GlassBody
AGRO Studio plays with the theatricality of fashion for SS27
Writer: Ruby May Britton
Much like their previous London Fashion Week shows The Prophet and The Wanderer, there was something distinctly theatrical about AGRO Studio’s collection for SS27: Glassbody. Rather than a conventional catwalk, the collection was presented in what could only be described as a modern day colosseum, with the audience gathered around to watch the silhouettes emerge into the arena as heavy techno beats pounded in their eardrums. The clothes were not simply being shown to us, but performed for us.
Founded by Angus Cockram and George Oxby, the London-based fashion studio is particularly known for their bespoke, made to measure pieces for artists and live performances. Recently, Tems was pictured wearing one of the label’s signature style corsets, a style that was central to Glassbody. The collection undoubtedly played into AGRO’s admiration for theatricality, using clothing to transform the body into a spectacle.
At the heart of Glassbody was contradiction. Fluid tulle and delicate lace met structured tailoring and detailed corsetry, creating a subtle tension between softness and rigidity. Costume-like gowns appeared alongside more familiar garments such as classic denim jeans, uniting the everyday with the theatrical. The merging of dainty fabrics and sculpting pieces created silhouettes that were both fragile and imposing. One thing that was made clear is that AGRO remains firm in its place that a fashion show is not just a catwalk, but an event.
The gowns of Glassbody were among the most striking looks of the collection. Dusty blues and deep, romantic purples dominated the stage, whilst drop waists and layers of tulle accentuated the feminine figure. Briefly, the audience were swept away to a realm of renaissance and crafted bodices. Yet as the techno bumped even harder, a dark purple dress cut with the deepest v neck strutted onto the stage swiftly pulling the collection back into the present. This unique contrast of shaping and silhouettes is what continues to make AGRO a runway you want to return to.
Yet, Glassbody was not all gowns and glamour. The collection embraced the blurring boundaries of sport and couture, tapping into the resurgence of sportswear and the enduring influence of brands such as Adidas and Nike. Bold tracksuits walked alongside the elaborate gowns and sequined dresses, creating yet another compelling juxtaposition and highlighting our current fashion landscape where sportswear and glamour increasingly coexist and casual and couture come hand in hand.
The intersection of the familiar and the fantastical is perhaps what made Glassbody so captivating. A familiar piece such as the tracksuit is removed from its everyday setting and thus becomes something theatrical. AGRO studio has made it their mission to take pieces we recognise and pieces we don’t and combine them into a cohesive collection that just works. We are implored to consider clothing not just as something we wear, but something we perform. Most interestingly, It is almost impossible to neatly place their collections within one distinct aesthetic, resulting in a spectacle of a wardrobe that continuously catches the eyes of celebrities and performers.
