Matty Bovan, the rising British designer, got the opportunity of a lifetime to debut a collection of designs on the Italian fashion schedule, thanks to financial support from Dolce & Gabanna.

This financial partnership marks the second time Dolce & Gabanna has supported a young designer during fashion week. The first being Korean designer Miss Sohee.

However, unlike Miss Sohee’s formal and elegant dresses and attire, Bovan’s collection struck an experimental nerve and reflected fashionable youth edginess.

Bovan’s collection consisted of clashing prints, mismatched maximalist patterns, oversized silhouettes and accessories, psychedelic prints, and painted pieces of clothing.

The combination of prints, patterns, and materials reflects a growing aesthetic movement among youth. This “weird girl aesthetic” has been blowing up online with major influences from creators such as Tiny Jewish Girl, Myra Magdalen, and even Bella Hadid’s ‘off-duty’ looks.

“Weird girl aesthetic” takes much of its foundational inspiration from Harajuku style, which originated in Japan and became a global phenomenon thanks to Fruits magazine in the 90s and 2000s.

In addition to these styles, you also see elements of club kid aesthetics popularized by Queer and Trans club kids and drag performers from the 80s to today.

All of these elements of Harajuku style, “weird girl aesthetic,” and club kid styles are found in Bovans spring-summer collection, however, told through his own personal perspective and style.

The friction between high fashion and street style is where Bovans unique perspective shines through.

Where the patterns or combination of patterns may seem “street,” the tailoring, silhouettes, and calculated fusion of different designs is where the high fashion becomes apparent.

The high fashion also became clear when seeing the reissued Dolce & Gabanna accessories in combination with Bovans signature psychedelic flair.

Bovan’s collection was modeled by major faces in the industry, including Ashley Graham, Alton Mason, and Amelia Gray, who sold the maximalist moment in ways only supermodels could.

However, there is suspicion that Dolce & Gabanna is only sponsoring this collection, and the collection from Miss Sohee, to deflect attention from their recently exposed racist and homophobic practices.

People online suspect these partnerships to be an effort to make the brand look charitable and to cover their allegations of racism and homophobia with partnerships with queer designers and designers of color.

Whatever the politics behind the scenes were, the collection was a success for Bovan and his maximalist style. The show both cemented him and his penchant for experimentation as the next permanent fixtures in the fashion world.