Top image: Still from Daniel w. Fletcher’s film

For SS17, the River Island x BFC Fashion Film initiative has commissioned three of London’s most exciting brands to each create an original fashion film articulating the themes explored in their new collections. YMC, Daniel w. Fletcher & Matthew Miller head up the line-up, each creating a video personal to their vision and aesthetic.

We’ve nabbed the exclusive trailers, so here’s your first chance to see the three designer’s SS17 designs as well as a preview of their films, which are set to be officially unveiled on Sunday 12th June at a special event over LC:M.

Daniel w. Fletcher

Mix Wes Anderson whimsy with the British idiosyncrasy of Richard Ayoade’s Submarine and you won’t be far off Daniel W. Fletcher’s SS17 video. Taking his cues from personal experience and his surrounds, the Central Saint Martins graduate has made a major name for himself – having your graduate collection stocked at Opening Ceremony is no mean feat – through his sharp attention to detail and culturally relevant themes such as house prices and the NHS.

“This collection is a celebration of the relationship between the UK and Europe, I hope people will see it and be reminded of what a special relationship this is and vote to remain in the EU on June 23rd,” says Fletcher. Telling the journey of eight boys travelling out of London to set up a protest camp aiming to encourage voters to stay in the EU, this new video plays out like an ode to union, showcasing his unique blend of political expression and tongue-in-cheek wit.

YMC
YMC take us on a journey through time. From 60s retro futurism featuring enough Minimoogs, 60s light effects and …. to make Andy Warhol feel right at home, to an acid drop through seedy 70s psychedelia, on to 90s Brit pop (complete with Liam Gallagher stance and Richard Ashcroft-esque mop of hair) and finally into a minimalist all-white future – think Edwina Monsoon in her minimalist phase.

It all points towards a trip through British subculture, from Jagger to Albarn, Best to Beckham. Look out for those cultural cues.

Matthew Miller

Known for syphoning societal awareness into his concepts, Matthew Miller’s astute observations of the human condition are physicalised in his collections. Rewind to his FW16 collection and you’ll remember his focus on the ‘nouveau riche’, that group of people who have earned their riches, rather than through inheritance, therefore enabling upward social mobility.

By the intensity of Miller’s video, we can assume that he’s not feeling particularly happy about current affairs. His protagonist – clad in the traditional skinhead uniform of green MA1 bomber jacket and shaved head – looks towards a coal mine, before whipping black soot-like markings across his face and walking away with determination in his stride. Ending with the words ‘The Cult of Matthew Miller’, the London designer appears to be gathering recruits, and he can count us in.