Styles that Move You: AW25 Fashion
Meet the trio of Northern Soul dancers starring in our new season fashion campaign
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Styles that Move You: AW25 Fashion
Meet the trio of Northern Soul dancers starring in our new season fashion campaign
An expressive, free-thinking and boundary breaking new season is here. Joyous to the core, this autumn we pay homage to the styles that move us, and the creativity, vibrancy and heritage that connects us.
Find a roster of brands primed to fuel self-expression at its finest, with artful pieces that speak to the radical Sartorialist: a new avant-garde committed to dressing, designing and dancing, to their own artisan beat. Expect brands including Dries Van Noten, Simone Rocha, LOEWE, Vivienne Westwood and more.
Inspired by the communities around Northern Soul, our new season campaign stars three dancers embodying the freedom, exuberance and style of our autumn roster of brands. As the campaign debuts, we share their insights into self-expression, escapism and their personal journeys into the world of Northern Soul.
Meet the Dancers
Durassie Kiangangu
Actor, Dancer & Performer
"I was involved in a film in the film called Northern Soul, directed by Elaine Constantine, which came out in 2014.I was familiar with the music because my parents were into soul music when I was a kid, so there was an immediate affinity.
I was trained in Northern Soul dancing for that film, and it looks a lot easier than it is! We spent a couple of years learning it, being trained by the original Wigan Casino attendees who were teenagers back in the 1970s.
You know what? If you love the music, the music is amazing and it really, really helps [to lose yourself in the dance]. Every once in a while, when your song comes on it's so visceral. It’s not quite right to say it’s like being in a trance state, because you have your training and you've been going to Northern Soul nights, and because you enjoy the music and love it. But it's somewhere close to that.
Since I started dancing Northern Soul, my dress sense has become a bit more eclectic. I love a good high waist trousers and a knitted waistcoat which works really well on the floor. My refined palette for it has developed further, especially watching young people and people my age dress accordingly to the Northen Soul style. It is quite spectacle in a sense: there's a bit of a pageantry that comes with it. "
Schaeffer Mclean
Dancer & DJ
“My sister got into Northern Soul first. So I knew what it was, but I almost rejected it because it was what my older sibling was into. It took me going to a Northern Soul night and seeing the sense community and the escapism aspect, that really drew me to it. I wouldn't even say it's mostly the dancing. It's more about being where you belong, on the scene.
For me it was pure escapism. Monday to Friday, you do your everyday life. Then as soon as Friday hits, you go to a Northern Soul night and it's your family away from family. You see the same old faces up and down the country and you spend the whole weekend together. Then you all go back to normal life on Monday and wait to Friday to do it all over again. It's kind of addictive really.
[Northern Soul] definitely attracts a certain type of person, who needs somewhere to belong because they don't fit in anywhere else in the world. You join up with these strangers and you all appreciate the same kind of music and do weird dancing all night.
For me, dancing is my expression. For those three minutes of a song, I don't think about anything else. I don't think about what people are thinking about me. I don't think about what I've got to do tomorrow. I'm just thinking about dancing to that song. It's a great escapism for me.
I love to wear baggy trousers [when I dance], because then my legs feel much more free. With the history that the Northern Soul scene has, there are a lot of eras of style that come with it. I like to experiment with those vintage styles myself and look back at the years before me, and see what people were wearing and take inspiration from them.”
Levanna Mclean
Dancer, Presenter & DJ
“Everyone has their unique journey into it, but the way people relate to Northern Soul is so different. I always say that people find Northern Soul when they need it the most. You can listen to Northern Soul here and there and even go to a Northern Soul night. But until you're ready for it, it won't stay with you. And then when it does stay with you, that's it for life.
I was going through a really hard time when I came to Northern Soul. I think a lot of people end up going through a really hard time and feel this release when they find Northern Soul. When I am on the dance floor, surrounded by the music and I'm in my own world, I think that is when I feel the most myself. As you grow older, you grow this armour and this barrier, you always have this ‘face’ on out in the world. But you don't need that on the dance floor. When that right song comes on and you're right at the peak of the night, that's it.
Dance is so important to me as a form of self-expression. It’s the ultimate escapism when you're on the dance floor, not thinking about anything else, but also just being able to be completely you and not feel any kind of judgement. That, to me, is so important. Northern Soul, and movement in general for me, has really allowed me to express myself where if I wasn't able to before. And that translates to how I dress, and actually how I dress changes the way I move on the dance floor. I love being comfortable, but I also love stuff that moves really freely on the dance floor, moves with you, which is really important to me.”
Simone Rocha
Turbo Embellished Ruffle Rugby Shirt
Free UK Standard delivery within 5 working days on all orders over £100
Strathberry
Charlotte Leather Drawstring Bag
Free UK Standard delivery within 5 working days on all orders over £100
Free UK Standard delivery within 5 working days on all orders over £100
Simone Rocha
Sheer Bow Ribbon Tail Dress
Free UK Standard delivery within 5 working days on all orders over £100
Loewe
Khaki Green Silk Anagram Tank Top
Free UK Standard delivery within 5 working days on all orders over £100
Liberty
Iphis Mini Marlborough Cross-Body Tote Bag
Free UK Standard delivery within 5 working days on all orders over £100
TOPSHOP
Washed Brown Faux Leather High-Shine Trench Coat
Free UK Standard delivery within 5 working days on all orders over £100
Free UK Standard delivery within 5 working days on all orders over £100
Marané
El Abrazo Natural Cotton Shirt
Free UK Standard delivery within 5 working days on all orders over £100
Aje
Carmen Denim Jacket
Free UK Standard delivery within 5 working days on all orders over £100
S Max Mara
Midnight Blue Doris Wool Robe Coat
Free UK Standard delivery within 5 working days on all orders over £100
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