You’ve gotta hand it to those resourceful YouTubers who can approximate celebrity red-carpet looks with basic household items, like the lady who took a black bodysuit, a peach-colored bedsheet, some elastics and — voila! — Ariana Grande at the BAFTAs.
What would these mimics make of Jawara Alleyne’s experimental and extreme DIY creations — fabric scraps often held together with mere gravity and safety pins?
Despite all their raw, slashed, thrown-together qualities, they would not be easy to reproduce. But would you want to?
Alleyne did his utmost to bring glamor to his slithery, draped jersey skirts and barely there tops — sometimes not more than fabric tubes, a jagged swath of tulle or the remnants of a shirt placket.
Elbow-length mesh gloves, pointy heels and polished hair occasionally produced a punk princess effect.
Alleyne’s menswear was more intriguing, with slashed polo shirts and patchwork pants evoking castaways from a Ralph Lauren cruise ship.
Backstage, the designer said he’s not pursuing the traditional wholesale route — and those YouTubers don’t have his raw talent. “It’s a lot of deconstruction because there’s actually a huge customer base for that in London,” he said.
