London Fashion Week estethica highlights: Maxjenny

The architectural designs of Maxjenny Forslund at London Fashion Week this year reveal a designer that is both imaginatively and technically at the top of her game. George Walker reveals how fabric technology, dusty paintings and sculpture have all influenced Maxjenny’s new ethical clothing collection.

The Maxjenny stand at London Fashion Week wasn’t easy to miss, even in the labyrinth that is Somerset House. With the new range of ‘Street Sculptures’, Maxjenny is using bold, colourful prints to add a distinctive dash of colour to her staple black bamboo jersey pieces. The mix of bright prints on waterproof jackets, with soft draping folds of sumptuous black jersey, offers a striking and highly covetable aesthetic for you ethical fashion lovers.

The weather jackets, or ‘Street Sculptures’ as they are called by Maxjenny, are all made using recycled plastic bottles. The fabric produced is waterproof and breathable, plus you can add insulating fabric to the garments for those cold winter months.

The jackets that really caught my eye were the ones using what appeared to be oil paintings as a fabric pattern (pictured right.) I wondered where the designer had found these exotic prints. I met Maxjenny spokeswoman Mette Kirsen at the stand and she explained: “ She [Maxjenny Forslund] went to her mum’s attic and found these paintings and actually transferred them onto the fabric. She used ‘sublimation printing’ so as to be more environmentally friendly, as digital printing isn’t as good that way.”

One of the most interesting aspects of Maxjenny designs is their deconstruction of the typical silhouette. The designer plays with geometric shapes and elaborate necklines to create highly architectural outlines that are both distinctive and flattering.

Plans for the future at Maxjenny include a new children’s range of waterproof jackets, using the same materials as the women’s range. The children’s collection will consist of ponchos, pocket dresses and sweaters to keep your little ones the most warm, dry and stylish children on the playground.

The collection is produced in Sweden, Estonia and Denmark, with stockists mainly situated in Europe at the moment. See Maxjenny.com for more info.