Why Meadham Kirchhoff bewitched the critics at London fashion week

Last season, Meadham Kirchhoff took inspiration from Taboo , the early-80s London club populated by luminaries including Boy George , performance artist Leigh Bowery , designer John Galliano and milliner Stephen Jones . It was an apt reference. Meadham Kirchhoff are the direct descendants of Taboo, a place that celebrated individualism: there were no rules, apparently, apart from the one to dress up to the nines. London as a fashion city might have grown up, but the duo are our resident mavericks, injecting a shot of undiluted creativity to fashion week. Their latest show proved it once again. If other designers of their generation are increasingly focusing their shows towards the buyers, Meadham Kirchhoff's atmospheric presentations are more like theatre, and loved by the press all the more for it. This time around, their world was about twisted fairytale motifs – featuring ribboned bodices, prints with gilt swirls, cavalier hats and highwayman boots – and a Marie Antoinette-style decadence. Models decked out in finery strolled through a set with draped taffeta, flowers, screens and – Marie would be proud – real cake, which the models tucked into. It was a fashion moment to say the least. The duo, comprising French-born Benjamin Kirchhoff and Brit Edward Meadham , have become a regular talking point of London fashion week. The last major show on the womenswear schedule for a few seasons now, theirs is the one the front row look forward to. Past efforts have featured little girls doing ballet in a giant-sized music box, multiple Courtney Love clones, models walking out simultaneously for a super-fast show and a disco set complete with streamers. While this year continued to delight, you could also see pieces that could be worn outside of their fantasy world, including structured denim jackets and a T-shirt featuring a grumpy Minnie Mouse. This evolution is only right: to take their unique vision to the rest of the world, it needs to be wearable. Although Galliano's fate wasn't anything to aim for in the end, any British fashion editor worth their salt would love to see Meadham Kirchhoff get their hands on the world of a luxury brand as he did. In this duo, London has something special. Long may they reign.