British Fashion Stole The Show At The Serpentine Summer Evening

A longtime highlight of the London’s social calendar, the Serpentine’s annual summer party was a more intimate affair this year, but one with great British fashion at its heart. In light of global events, the gallery replaced the traditional celebration with a private “summer evening” to thank artists and supporters, and put a spotlight on the thriving fashion scene in the UK. British designers, both established and emerging, were invited to attend with “squads” made up of their muses, friends and collaborators.

And so, Molly Goddard arrived flanked by model Edie Campbell and actor Lolly Adefope swathed in tulle. Chet Lo was joined by musician Bree Runway, producer Coucou Chloe and front-row regular Susie Lau, all wearing his unmistakable spiky neon knitwear. And models Adwoa Aboah and Alva Claire joined 16Arlington co-founder Marco Capaldo, dressed in the sort of slinky gowns that have won over everyone from Hailey Bieber to Lizzo.

Others in attendance included Erdem Moralıoğlu with Gugu Mbatha-Raw; Simone Rocha, who brought along Greta Bellamacina, Jordan Hewson, Hugh Mulhern and Gina Campone; Rejina Pyo, accompanied by artist Antonia Showering, Glassette founder Laura Jackson and writer Otegha Uwagba; and Harris Reed with musician Sam Smith and architect Sumayya Vally. Paul Smith was joined by the multidisciplinary artist Yinka Ilori and musician Moses Boyd, while Christopher Kane arrived with his sister Tammy and Bridgerton’s new heroine, Charithra Chandran.

“I wanted to invite my mates,” Goddard says simply. “All my friends are my muses but especially these guys,” adds the designer, who invited her guests to choose a piece from her archive to wear on the night. The process of getting ready “felt like hanging out with friends”, Capaldo agreed. “Because that’s exactly what it is.”

The summer evening also marked the start of a new chapter for Serpentine, which orchestrated the event around Theaster Gates’s Pavilion and the immersive Dominique Gonzalez-Foerster Alienarium 5 exhibition at Serpentine South, as it seeks to celebrate creative and diverse communities. Both artists were at the event, which was also attended by Vogue’s European editorial director and British Vogue’s editor-in-chief, Edward Enninful, and Anna Wintour, editor-in-chief of American Vogue and Condé Nast’s chief content officer.

The evening was designed to “bring London’s creative communities to life around the common goal of building new connections between artists and society”, Bettina Korek, CEO of Serpentine, tells Vogue. “Our forward programme will continue to showcase emerging, established and overlooked talents from around the world.”Read more at:light blue formal dress | Formaldressau formal dresses