A show in the Ditto gallery by menswear designer Liam Hodges and photographer James Pearson-Howes, Ceremony brought together their creative output in a wholly original way, looking at the iconography of British folk rituals and the aesthetics of these ancient ceremonies in a modern world. The show was a mixture of new and archive material, drawing parallels between their work, creating a space for dialogue between the garments, prints, images and video. Hodges is a trailblazing new designer who, since graduating from the Royal College, has shown with both Fashion East and MAN, producing ever engaging and progressive menswear. Pearson-Howes, a long-time Ditto collaborator, has been expertly documenting British youth culture, for the past 10 years, publishing his work globally. The work of Pearson-Howes has provided much of the visual stimulus for Liam’s collections, inspired by the distinct aesthetic of these rituals and the cultural contradictions between rural tradition and modern life. The show coincided with the launch of James Pearson-Howes’ latest publication, the eagerly anticipated third book in the series ‘British Folk’ which was art directed by Ben Freeman. Liam Hodges produced a limited edition run of t-shirts, produced exclusively for the exhibition.
