Hogan McLaughlin : SS20 SOLANACEAE

Since Hogan McLaughlin’s first Spring 2012 collection, Kaidan, we can see where the designer has come from, and how he has evolved. Despite having no formal design training, McLaughlin’s collections all bring with them true precision with his design, and with it a sense of ferocity, darkness and truth. Influenced by his dance background, the designer knows movement and with each collection has consistently created a beautiful juxtaposition of both sculptured punctilious rigidity as well as a smoothness and elegance of movement and this collection is no exception. 

This sense of truth and darkness continues with McLaughlin’s SS20 collection which is entitled, “Solanaceae” taking inspiration from the 1973 psychedelic animated feature, Belladonna of Sadness.Telling the story of an abused medieval woman who takes revenge on her abusers by becoming a powerful witch. She is burned at the stake, but her pride and dignity remain undeterred. The idea of her spirit and influence living on through those around her, and that her spirit is still connected to the natural world and the exploration of how this is affecting us in this new digital age.
 
The resulting collection shows pieces in a palette of saffron, rose, celadon and obsidian. McLaughlin has created pieces with a paper-like quality of hand-drawn animation, using fabrics including faille, georgette, silk and leather. 

Further influencing the collection is Bill Crisafi’s hallucinatory illustrations, reflected in the silhouette giving a nod to the film’s eponymous deadly nightshade plant. 

There is certainly a cohesiveness with McLaughlin’s collections, but this SS20 with his use of fabrication, and strong color placement, precise tailoring and strong but feminine silhouette is certainly an exciting evolution of his design aesthetic. 

Photo credit: Courtesy of Hogan McLaughlin