Where Fantasy Meets Fashion
APUJAN brought a dreamlike world of ancient landscapes, fossils and fantasy to London Fashion Week with a collection inspired by “An Ancient Summer Night’s Dream.” Designer Apu Jan transformed the idea of a summer dream into a richly textured wardrobe, combining his signature knitwear with graphic prints, jacquards and softly flowing silhouettes. The collection imagined a world where dinosaurs, fossils, flowers and fragments of nature could exist together, turning these unexpected references into sophisticated contemporary clothing. The result was playful and imaginative, while remaining remarkably wearable.
Knitwear as Storytelling
Knitwear remained at the heart of APUJAN’s approach. Different knitting techniques were used to create texture, pattern and movement, with cotton and silk developed into garments, scarves and accessories. Rather than treating knitwear simply as a practical fabric, Apu Jan used it as a way of drawing and storytelling. Intricate jacquard patterns and unusual knitted surfaces became part of the visual language of the collection, creating garments that revealed their detail more closely they were examined. Open-weave techniques also allowed traditionally heavier knitted fabrics to become lighter and more suitable for warmer weather, giving the collection an airy quality despite its emphasis on texture.
A World of Dinosaurs and Fossils
The collection’s fantasy was rooted in the prehistoric world. Dinosaur skeletons, fossils and natural forms appeared through prints and embroidery, giving familiar garments an unexpected narrative. Woollen scarves featured small dinosaur skeleton motifs, while monochrome coats incorporated lines reminiscent of fossil formations and map contours. Floral imagery appeared alongside these prehistoric references, creating a strange but beautiful connection between ancient life and the natural world. This mixture of the scientific and the fantastical is what gave the collection its distinctive character. A dinosaur became a graphic detail; a fossil became a pattern; an ancient landscape became a fashion story.
Blue, Black and White
The colour palette created much of the collection’s dreamlike atmosphere. Shades of blue appeared alongside black, white and softer grey tones, suggesting the coolness of a summer night rather than the brighter colours traditionally associated with summer dressing. Stripes, plaids and graphic prints added structure to the palette, while the combination of blue and white brought a freshness to the more intricate knitted surfaces. The restraint of the colours allowed the textures and patterns to become the focus, giving the collection a sophisticated visual identity.
Shape, Movement and Detail
APUJAN combined its intricate surface design with relaxed, flowing silhouettes. A halter-neck dress with a long patterned skirt created movement as it moved down the runway, while asymmetric collars and flowing tunics gave other looks a slightly surreal quality. Eastern references also appeared through details such as Mandarin-inspired collars and asymmetric magua-style jackets. These elements were integrated into contemporary silhouettes rather than presented as literal historical costume. This balance between tradition and modernity is an important part of APUJAN’s visual language, combining oriental influences with contemporary London fashion.
Fantasy Meets Everyday Dressing
Despite the fantastical inspiration, the collection remained grounded in clothes that could be worn. Casual pieces appeared alongside more elaborate dresses, while knitted accessories, hats and scarves helped connect the different looks. That balance is central to Apu Jan’s work. His collections frequently combine fantasy and literature with bold but wearable clothing, allowing a narrative to exist beneath the surface of the garments. Fashion becomes another way of telling a story.
CARRO Studio Behind the Lens
For CARRO Studio, APUJAN offered an abundance of texture and detail to capture. The photography allows the intricate knitwear, graphic patterns, flowing silhouettes and carefully considered accessories to become part of the visual narrative. The images reveal the collection at close range, where the story becomes visible through the surface of the garments; the structure of a knit, the outline of a fossil, a floral motif or the movement of a patterned skirt. CARRO’s photography captures both sides of APUJAN: the precision of the clothing and the imagination behind it. APUJAN created a collection where knitwear, fantasy and storytelling came together. Dinosaurs and fossils became graphic motifs, ancient landscapes became inspiration, and traditional details were reinterpreted through contemporary silhouettes. Through CARRO Studio’s lens, the collection becomes more than a record of the runway. It becomes a visual journey into Apu Jan’s imagined world; a place where ancient dreams, modern fashion and the poetry of knitwear exist together.
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