Christopher Kane

for Self-Portrait

Fashion is at its best when brands and their makers are woven together. Take Jean Paul Gaultier and his guest designer scheme or H&M and their wildly popular luxury capsules, both of which are producing some defining fashion moments at either end of the market. Now, London-based brand Self-Portrait launch their first ever residency programme, and their first resident is none other than Mr Christopher Kane. A darling of the fashion industry and king of the British fashion scene for over a decade, Chistopher Kane had to – shockingly – shutter operations in 2023 in the wake of Covid and Brexit. It would be tricky to summarise what Christopher means to fashion and his absence from the sartorial calendar is massively felt, so his return to design in tow with Self-Portrait is, how do we put this lightly? Pretty fucking exciting! 

Han Chong, founder, creative director and general wonderboy of Self-Portrait conceived the residency programme with the hopes of fostering a design hub; providing the space and the infrastructure to support independent designers with Self-Portrait’s impressive global reach and backing. In an announcement of the programme, Han expressed the hopes of creating something that “focuses on community over competition” – and with his appointment of Christopher as the brand’s initial resident, it seems that Han understands the importance of collaboration in an industry that tips more towards rivalry. 

Taking us back to where it all began, Christopher’s collection at Self-Portrait is rooted in his debut SS07 show, the moment he went from student to stardom overnight. Although both Christopher and Han share a penchant for feminine aesthetics, embellishment and lace, the collection is, at its very heart, all Kane. Consisting of 30 pieces, there’s rhinestones, ruffles, lace, and cutouts beyond your wildest dreams (but not Christopher’s). Kicking off the launch with a dinner in London, guests were seated in front of a studio set-up, where amongst the flurry of dishes and bubbly drinks, the collection was shot and styled in front of guest’s eyes (now that’s what we call dinner and a show) Oh! And Carine Roitfeld is the face of the residency campaign, because of course she is! Opening up their worlds both to each other and to us, Self-Portrait and Christopher Kane have mastered the art of collaboration in a way that allows each to shine individually while reminding us of their collective efforts. 

Available to shop from November 22, the collection is a smorgasbord of girly goodness, with classic Kane codes finding form in a skintight, lace pink bodysuit, crystal fishnet mini skirts and froufrou black dresses. For Self-Portrait, this bodes well as a truly exciting endeavour into what will surely be a triumphant residency programme. And for Christopher Kane, all we can say is, my goodness how we’ve missed you, it’s great to have you back xx

Now quit reading and start shopping here!