By Chloe Welling
Fashion has become fixated on the bottom line. Of course, given the alarming number of brands shutting up shop, it’s understandable that conversations have turned to supply chains, margins and algorithms.
Simon Cracker offered a welcome reprieve. His Spring 2027 collection, An Annoying Summer Fairy Tale, was rooted in people and play–concepts that are far less measurable. “People come first, then the clothes,” wrote Cracker in his show notes. This human-first approach has long been central to Cracker’s work, but acted as the organising principle of this year’s collection. The show functioned as somewhat of a living archive, revisiting designs dating back to 2010, but rather than resurrecting greatest hits, Cracker returned to the details that had elicited the strongest reactions, particularly those that have irritated critics.
Dreamlike whimsy rippled through the presentation in the form of ruffles, layers and bubble hems–although, there was nothing precious about the collection. Cracker recalled his childhood fascination with Cinderella, specifically the scene in which mice scuttle around transforming fabric scraps into dress. It was, perhaps, an early lesson in what is now dubbed “upcycling,” which permeates much of Cracker’s work (outerwear in this collection was cut from reclaimed white bedsheets boiled and dyed into faded, organic shades of sage green, dusty rose, and smoke).
“I imagined putting forty wedding dresses into a giant blender,” wrote Cracker. The result was a range of Frankenstein silhouettes that redistributed volume where it usually wouldn’t be found, such as mushroom-shaped capes topped with bows appearing alongside explosive accumulations of ruffles and layers of crinoline spread.
Heat was a recurring motif that was evident throughout the collection. Shoes were speckled with jellybeaned-shaped dollops of colour, mimicking the slow drip of ice cream on a sweltering Milanese day. Similar shapes also appeared on sunglasses, lending a subtle surrealist quality to the collection.
Many designers this season are embracing a lean, attenuated silhouette. Cracker evidently practices what he preaches, remaining true to himself and proposing silhouettes in generously baggy proportions, with multiple layers of fabrics swallowing the body.
What made the collection resonate, however, was its sincerity. Beneath the layers lay a pointed commentary on the reality of being an independent designer in this economy. Cracker addressed the anxiety permeating fashion’s economic landscape, particularly for what he described as creatives that remain stilted or “eternally emerging.” Rather than bend to commerciality, Cracker doubled down on individuality. A laudable move that may be prosperous. Because, if commercial success is no longer guaranteed, then authenticity may be the only path left.
The collection’s final message was directed at the next generation of designers trying to find a place for themselves within an increasingly difficult industry. If there isn’t room, make it for yourself. It’s an idea that could easily sound naïve, but coming from a designer whose career has been built on transforming scraps into something with conviction, it sure felt convincing.