You’ve gotta hand it to those resourceful YouTubers who can approximate celebrity red-carpet looks with basic household items, like the lady who took a black bodysuit, a peach-colored bedsheet, some elastics and – voila! – Ariana Grande at the BAFTAs.
What would these mimics make of Jawara Alleyne’s experimental and extreme DIY creations – fabric scraps often held together with mere gravity and safety pins?
Despite all their raw, slashed, thrown-together qualities, they would not be easy to reproduce. But would you want to?
Alleyne did his utmost to bring glamor to his slithery, draped jersey skirts and barely-there tops – sometimes not more than fabric tubes, a jagged swath of tulle or the remnants of a shirt placket.
Elbow-length mesh gloves, pointy heels and polished hair occasionally produced a punk princess effect.
Alleyne’s menswear was more intriguing, with slashed polo shirts and patchwork pants evoking castaways from a Ralph Lauren cruise ship.
Backstage, the designer said he’s not pursuing the traditional wholesale route – and those YouTubers don’t have his raw talent. “It’s a lot of deconstruction because there’s actually a huge customer base for that in London,” he said.
