Meadham Kirchhoff Gets Disneyfied
The fashion set have been enamored with Minnie Mouse as of late. Barneys will feature the style-savvy rodent in its 2012 holiday campaign, and the British Fashion Council recently teamed up with Disney for a collection of Minnie Mouse Must Haves. The likes of Richard Nicoll, Piers Atkinson, Giles Deacon, and Hussam-el-Odeh created looks inspired by the beloved character, which were auctioned off during London Fashion Week. However, Meadham Kirchhoff’s ode to Minnie Mouse, which took to the catwalk yesterday afternoon, was the most enchanting.
Edward Meadham and Benjamin Kirchhoff have, perhaps subconsciously, long injected elements of Miss Minnie into their collections. “We’ve always had bows. We’ve always done polka dots. We’ve always done frilly, and we’ve always done bloomers. Those things were all in our show, and have always been in our show,” said Meadham backstage. Indeed, Minnie’s signatures appeared in the duo’s Spring 2013 collection. The designers opened the show with a long red chiffon dress trimmed in lace and covered with white polka dots. And the model, wearing a white bustier over the frock, a black bow around her neck and a red one in her hair, exuded “Minnie-ness” as she walked the runway. Ribbons galore, a pair of black bloomers, lots of girly hair bows, and a cartoonish take on femininity all recalled the mouse’s signature look. And more literal references, like a Minnie-printed T-shirt paired with a lavish light blue silk skirt, illuminated the designers’ muse.
“I think there has always been a character affinity with Minnie. The woman that we dress dresses for herself. She doesn’t dress to please men. And somehow there’s always been something about the character that’s felt quite feisty,” added Meadham. “We wanted to do something that helps her claim her independence. And to make her pretty, which is something I think people kind of forget.” Whether the designers’ embroidered, crystal-embellished garments are worn by a cartoon icon or a girl in East London, there’s little doubt that they’ll make her feel beautiful.
