Photographer Saskia Pfeiffer
Words Ellen Coyle
Pursued by a bear and quite the terrifying one at that – its large gaping mouth (Munch’s ‘Scream’ for this generation) was the epitome of Liam Hodges’ show: noise. “If silence is death than noise must be life…fuck that noise.” In the politically deafening world of today, it’s hard not to agree with this brand’s press statement.
In the mix of grime and urban chic, the models were jaunty - strutting to a beat of their own making. Sleeves overlapped the arms with fabric that almost met the floor, denim was tied with drawstrings at the hips and leather caps covered ears in protection against the noise that Liam Hodges spoke of. The colours battled against it, with golden yellows, rose pinks and khaki greens becoming a weapon against the noise of your newsfeed and if damaged, easily fixed within an almost DIY aesthetic. The collection was sportswear meets workwear - found nowhere else except for within an urban setting. Within each passing look, some became branded with “noise” - always present to remind you what to battle against.
The hair takes you on a trip back in time with braiding and slicked gel, weaving it’s way through the models locks. Make up remained simple, except for those few randomly placed boys with large open mouths painted over their own. They were ready to bring their own sound, their own noise.
A spinning thread weaved throughout the show was the inspiration taken from FILA - the brand’s first creative director was ever present in the iconography and pinstripe detailing that Liam managed to capture within his stitching. He created a statement, a protest - noise battled noise in an urban landscape convincing us that we should go fight alongside him.