Fashion at Full Speed

 Behind every fashion presentation is a world that rarely makes it onto the runway. Models are prepared, garments are adjusted, hair and makeup are perfected, and the energy steadily builds before the audience ever sees the finished collection. For Clio Peppiatt, backstage was part of the story. Her Fast Women collection brought together the rebellious spirit of motorcycle culture and girl gangs with playful femininity, intricate embroidery and a distinctly London sense of humour. The presentation transformed these influences into a vivid world of racing references, leather, lace, sequins and hand-drawn graphics.

Fast Women

 The collection took its inspiration from traditionally masculine worlds, Formula One, race drivers and motorcycle gangs, but turned them around to place women firmly at the centre. Rather than simply borrowing biker imagery, Peppiatt created a character who was confident, playful and completely in control. Heavy denim biker jackets and leather bustiers appeared alongside delicate lace, sequins and embellished bodywear, creating a tension between toughness and glamour. It was a collection built around attitude

Behind the Look

 Backstage, that attitude became visible through the preparation of each individual look. Peppiatt’s clothes are particularly dependent on detail. Her approach combines illustration with embroidery and embellishment, turning garments into highly decorative surfaces. The designer’s wider practice is rooted in traditional hand-beading and hand-embroidery, developed from her own drawings and artisanal craftsmanship. For the models, this meant wearing pieces where even the smallest detail contributed to the character of the collection.

 The visual contrast between hard and soft materials was central to Fast Women. Leather and denim introduced the rebellious language of biker culture, while lace, silk and shimmering embellishment brought a distinctly feminine quality. Sequined pieces and delicate dresses sat comfortably beside more utilitarian jackets, creating a wardrobe that refused to settle into one particular category. The contrast made the collection feel youthful and energetic rather than traditionally polished.

The Art of Embellishment

 One of Peppiatt’s defining strengths is her ability to make embellishment feel playful. Hand-drawn motifs were transformed into embroidery and appliqué, appearing across jackets, tops and dresses. Slogans such as “Fast Women,” “Carnage” and “Heels ‘n’ Wheels” reinforced the collection’s sense of humour, while patches depicting flames, animals and provocative imagery pushed the biker references into something more theatrical. These details gave the clothes their personality. The styling continued the rebellious character of the collection. The models were presented as members of a confident female gang rather than passive fashion figures. Lace-up heels, boots, statement jewellery and embellished accessories completed the looks, while bold eyewear and playful props reinforced the sense of character. The beauty therefore worked as part of the overall storytelling rather than simply complementing the clothes.

A World of Racing

 The presentation environment amplified the collection’s references.  Motorcycles, checkerboard racing flags and pieces of a dismantled sports car transformed the space into a stylised racing world. Models posed against this backdrop and interacted with the set, making the presentation feel closer to a fashion film than a conventional catwalk. The setting gave the clothing context while allowing Peppiatt’s playful imagination to take centre stage.

Feminine, Fearless and Fun

 Although the collection borrowed heavily from traditionally masculine visual codes, its message was distinctly feminine. Peppiatt’s women were not dressed to conform to the biker archetype. They were rewriting it. Leather, denim and racing imagery became tools for confidence, while lace, sequins and embellishment remained unapologetically glamorous. That mixture of toughness and femininity has remained central to the designer’s approach to modern womenswear.

Backstage as Performance

 The moments before a presentation can reveal something that a finished runway image cannot. Backstage photography captures the preparation, concentration and transformation that sit behind the final look. A garment is seen up close; embroidery becomes visible; textures become tangible; and the model becomes a character before stepping into the presentation space. For a collection as theatrical as Fast Women, these details are particularly important.

CARRO Studio Behind the Lens

 CARRO Studio’s backstage photography preserves the atmosphere surrounding the collection as much as the clothing itself. The close-up perspective brings attention to the craftsmanship, styling and individuality of the looks, while the interaction between models, garments and the backstage environment creates a more intimate visual record. Rather than simply documenting what appeared in front of the audience, the photographs reveal the preparation behind the spectacle, the details, textures and personalities that make a fashion presentation come alive. Clio Peppiatt’s Fast Women was ultimately a celebration of female confidence expressed through fashion. Motorcycles and racing became a backdrop for a collection filled with hand-drawn embroidery, leather, lace, sequins and playful graphics. It was rebellious without losing its sense of fun, glamorous without becoming overly polished, and highly feminine while borrowing freely from masculine visual codes. Seen through CARRO Studio’s backstage lens, the collection becomes more than a series of finished looks. It becomes a record of the people, details and atmosphere behind one of London’s most playful fashion presentations.