Jade Cropper has “grown tired of perfection.” For spring/summer 2023, the Swedish designer’s second Copenhagen Fashion Week presentation, Cropper turned to her mother’s “photographic studies of decaying leaves and flowers.” Crinkled edges and ashy tones give way to a sort of morbid beauty.
Cropper, who hand makes her collections in her Stockholm atelier, imbues each piece with a singular personality. Fabric is distressed and hand-dyed. “The collection and its creation has been more free, driven, experimental and playful,” says Cropper. "I have dared to trust myself in designing while creating.”
Also new this season is a collaboration with Swedish brand Circulose, whose fabric is made entirely from discarded textiles. The Circulose denim, specifically, arrived to Cropper’s studio in a single wash, which was dyed and manipulated. Metal fastenings, a Cropper signature, are joined by natural stones. For a collection inspired by death, it’s very much alive.
Those who have fallen in love with Cropper’s inherent sexiness – enfant terrible Julia Fox inclusive – will not be disappointed. There are still the clingy, strappy numbers. Asymmetrical tops with unexpected cut-outs. Bare midriffs and dangerously low trousers, all underscored by a pulsating soundtrack of Missy Elliot and M.I.A. “I am always designing for the same woman,” says Cropper. "Exploring and challenging the conventions of femininity.”
Jade Cropper SS23
