Remembering Meadham Kirchhoff

Have you ever identified so much with a certain brand that you feel it literally personifies you? That’s how I felt about Meadham Kirchhoff, the British fashion label founded in 2006 by Edward Meadham and Benjamin Kirchhoff.

The duo met when studying at Central Saint Martins in London and created a fashion line that put emphasis on the weird, contrasting, unusually twisted cutesy world they created. Originally founded as a menswear label, they began doing womenswear in 2008. The early designs of Meadham Kirchhoff are very different from what you may know the brand as (and what I love it for), but the innate talent was still there.

I started falling in love with the Meadham Kirchhoff brand after the fall 2010 collection debuted. The mix of goth princess, teen angst, and in-your-face bright colors coupled with the granny-chic styling made it an instant standout. “It’s eclectic dressing-up-box pretty things, Christmas cracker crowns, painted biker jackets. We just wanted drama. For it to be a visual assault,” the designer duo said of the collection.

From then on out, Meadham Kirchhoff’s collections felt like a breath of fresh air, even against the backdrop of the avant-garde scene in London. It wasn’t just the clothing – it was the attitude, the styling, the hair and the makeup. The spring 2011 show mixed pastels and delicate fabrics with totally unexpected contrasts such as khaki overshirts.

Baby pink beaded dresses were thrown over yellow turtlenecks. Sheer lacy skirts were paired with oversized t-shirts, almost messy in their disposition. It felt like spirit of a kid dressing up, and the details were endlessly good: rococo ruffles, little black bows, Guipure lace peaking out from harsh silhouettes. With hair parted straight down the center and dyed a barrage of different bright colors all mottled together and thick lashes painted on beneath the eyes, a whole other world was unleashed.

Meadham Kirchhoff excelled in playing with the gothic and lolita stereotypes while still making it all feel expensive. The clothes were fun, playful, yet serenely sophisticated because you could see the work and precision that went into them. This duo knew tailoring and craftsmanship. And in some ways, I think that was part of their downfall: the people who wanted to wear the clothes weren’t the ones who could afford it. Unfortunately, the Meadham Kirchhoff line ended — the Spring/Summer 2015 collection would be the last.

Another one of my favorite Meadham Kirchhoff collections that will forever stand out in my mind was the spring 2012 collection. A mix of 1950s Americana cafe waitresses, Marie Antoinette wannabes and characters from another land came together for the ultimate spectacular celebration of fun fashion. I still want one of those teddy bear overalls and heart printed cardigans. Or perhaps one of the divine, ruffled platform shoes in candy colored pastels.

It’s hard to imagine a brand today getting anywhere close to the fantasy and magic Meadham Kirchhoff created. It’s been six years since the last show, and I still think of it.

R.I.P. Meadham Kirchhoff, 2006 – 2014