Jenn Lee's Fifth Year at LFW is Hotter Than Ever!

I originally allowed myself two days worth of Fashion Week, because train fare from York to London is no joke, but here I am on a LNER at twenty to six in the evening after my third day in the city this week. I had a Jenn Lee SS 26 invitation starred in my inbox and it was not one I was willing to decline - even if that meant setting my alarm for six am to catch my eight o’clock train on platform six…  

Through a detailed Instagram scroll, I familiarised myself with Jenn’s Echoes of Youth 25SS Collection, noticing an embedded motif of youthful rebellion and the punk aesthetic across her design language. For this year’s lookbook, A Darkly Poetic Love Letter, the palette runs black and red as we set foot in the literary landscape of the Dream of the Red Chamber (this season’s conceptual inspiration). 

As I stepped into East London’s urban wonderland, Shoreditch High Street, the city transformed into a palette of dark and metallic tones, where the list of invited guests to the Jenn Lee SS26 waited in line. I changed the filter on my Lumix camera to Dynamic Monochrome, capturing the graffiti-stained walls of Holywell Lane and its stylish characters in effortlessly chic, b&w. 

The street was a vast ocean of Kangol berets, distressed dark wash denim, and black pleated skirts layered on top of women’s suit trousers. Out of all of my Fashion Week attendances this week, the award for best dressed guests goes to those at the Jenn Lee show - the dedication to getting the fit on theme was unparalleled. The designer’s SS26 mood board erupted before me and I had a taste of the sleek tailoring and raw-edged pieces to come, as I descended the staircase into the dungeon-like, dimly lit interior of Village Underground. 

Glass, bulbous lanterns hung from the ceiling on metal chains, casting a fire-engine red glow which helped to set a seductive atmosphere. As the show began with a live performance from contemporary dancer Liu I-Ling, a virtual reality had already been created where dark poetry, classical literature and fashion intersect. 

The essence of Vivienne Westwood, who paved a new subculture for the fashion scene with her palate for rebellion and punk motifs, is effortlessly present within Jenn Lee’s collection. Be it a diagonal zip collar, safety pin, or asymmetrical seam, the deconstructed design approach, so synonymous with this fashion label, features throughout the entire lookbook for this season. The Jenn Lee woman is fierce and provocative. Her lips are painted black, her skin can be a haemorrhage of ink, and the waterline of her eye is coloured in using SUQQU's Gel Eyeliner Pencil to outline a deep gaze. Sartorially speaking, Jenn subverts uniformity when it comes to ruffles and even chooses to sew a zipper across the thigh. She says no to traditional takes on fashion and does things her way. 

Jenn likes a boxy look. In one of my favourite pieces she creates a sharp-shouldered silhouette, think the butler from the Addams family, shifting her direction toward the gothic aesthetic. Darts are placed on the bodice to skim the body and there is an eclectic mix of textures: satin fabric, leather and latex galore!

26SS Showlook 39

My pièce de résistance would have to be the red satin cami top paired with an asymmetrically cut, black mini skirt which folds out at the sides, creating a balloon effect. The standout of this piece for me was the fringed, tall boots; loud footwear is a main feature of this collection, it’s all about the boot! Whether that be a patent heeled boot with horizontal buckled straps climbing up the tongue, or a latex knee high boot which travels so far up the leg it’s like a second skin - there’s a boot for everybody. 

Everything about Jenn Lee’s SS26 collection screams sexy. This isn’t solely owing to the looks but also artist Cloudy Ku’s pulsating soundscape which fuses punk tracks, think Bikini Kill, with opera and classical instruments. It’s something I would blast through my headphones while lining my eyes with black pencil and painting my lips red in the club toilets. 

Jenn Lee might be the coolest person I’ve ever met, at the end she runs across the stage wearing a black rave knit top and her hair is styled in a wolf cut. I capture both her and her stylist Dennis embracing post show, it has to be the most wholesome interaction of the week, close to euphoric.

I took a trip to Shoreditch’s Flying Horse Coffee a short walk away from the venue for a caffeine-laced treat while I flicked through the imagery on my camera and hoped that one day I would be wearing this collection.