The Relaunch of Modernity
Genesis to revelation, alpha to omega, 2014 to 2024, a decade of decadence, tenure insightfulness, a period of drama. Actress Vivienne Rochester proclaims: “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth, and the earth was without form and void. And darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. Life and the atmosphere that supports it underwent an extraordinary transformation. Life took a quantum leap from a single cell to a complex man. An awesome power on earth. Mother Earth supported mortal man. She said, ‘May the long time sun shine upon you, all love surround you and the pure light within you guide you on your way.’”
Vivienne announces, “From the time humans first walked the earth they have created and have been creative. We dance! We sing! We connect! We thrive! We evolve through our creativity and today we are privileged to see the creativity of Mary Martin London who uses the abundance of the earth, its cultures and its history to give context and storylines to her creations.” The fashion play begins in – where else? – the Garden of Eden floodlit by an illumination of Vincent van Gogh’s The Starry Night. But first, a short film of the unstoppable rise of the fashion artist told through her friends like singer songwriter Heather Small.
“I’m going to town for my 10th anniversary!” Mary had said a few months earlier over coffee in her south London atelier. Literally: Kensington Town Hall. “I’m bringing all the fashion – and so much more. It’s going to be an extravaganza of the arts. There’ll be artistic performances to accompany the highlights from my main collections: Fairytale; Hidden Queen; Queen of Africa; Blood, Sweat and Tears; Return, Black Excellence, Divine Intervention.”
Models strut down the catwalk in 50 sartorial masterpieces to a rapturous reception. The musical performances are as eclectic as the fashion. Hafsa Kazeem, a 12 year old musician, plays the African drum while Maxine Booth dances in contemporary waves of motion and emotion. Crossover soprano Emma Nuule delivers a breathtaking rendition of Giacomo Puccini’s O Mio Babbino Caro. Over a century after the opera Gianni Schicchi was first performed, she provides an enthralling A flat major musical interlude – 176 seconds – expressing the lyrical brilliance of Giovacchino Forzano’s libretto.
Singer Ashleigh Bankx performs her latest hit Miss You. Her sound is a fusion of influences from hip hop to sungura, a Zimbabwean genre of lead, rhythm and bass guitar melodies. Zimbabwean born London raised, Ashleigh started making music after finishing her law degree at Brunel University. Adasnoop mixes it up even more with her Afrobeats. Finally soul singer Jenessa Qua sings “I’m Every Woman” while Mary takes a bow before being joined by Queen Ronke and the full cohort of models.
Maxine also takes to the catwalk in one of the statement dresses. “I feel like I’ve known Mary for years,” she says afterwards, “even though this was my first show with her.” She dances, models, sings, presents and practises lymphatic drainage therapy. “Mary’s clothes are more than just elegant and sometimes sassy designs. They really make you feel good. Modelling requires a specific mindset. You have to be confident in who you are while letting the clothes shine. I’ve learnt to embrace my individuality without fear of judgment.” Such immediacy, such form, a proclivity of all existence itself.
One of the beautiful relationships Mary will later commend is her friendship with former accountant, organisational psychologist and ballerina Sue Elabor. They had a chance meeting while volunteering – Mary might be hugely creative and enormous fun but she takes her charitable work very seriously. She made The Green Ballerina for Sue. This outfit was showcased at the patrician Foreign and Commonwealth Office London photoshoot. Who could forget Swan Lake reverberating off the marble walls of Durbar Court as Sue peerlessly pirouetted one midsummer morning? The curtains of 10 Downing Street next door really were twitching.
Speaking at the US Embassy a few days before the opening show, HRM Queen Ronke Ademiluyi Ogunwusi, Founder of Africa Fashion Week London, recognised Mary’s contribution to the international arts world. “Mary was recently honoured by the Council of the City of Atlanta, Georgia, with a day named after her. It’s clear that the USA and UK can build bridges through diplomacy and fashion. Black history is an ongoing journey encompassing resilience, collaboration and creativity. It’s not merely a month long celebration. We can collectively honour our past, celebrate the present and inspire a future where our cultural heritage is respected and valued beyond borders.”
Afterwards, Mary would reflect, “God blessed me – He wanted this show to happen. I am very happy with it. I’m always to the left. I brought personality and all the arts to it. I wanted more than just a catwalk. It’s been a beautiful ride full of beautiful relationships.” Mary said she would like to give special thanks to: family and God, Sue Elabor, Stuart Blakley, HRM Queen Ronke Ademiluyi-Ogunwusi The 1st of Ile-Ife Kingdom, Africa Fashion Week London, Adil Oliver Sharif, Smade, Reuben Joseph, Nick Galbusera, Allan Henry, Cecil Adjalo, Jeremie Alamazani, Monika Schaible, Lia Boothman, Litehouse, Vermondo Boshoff, Shaun Bailey Baron Bailey of Paddington, and every model, photographer, makeup artist and stylist past and present. All the while dancing, singing, connecting, thriving. On the frontline. Mary Martin London embodies Psalm 139:14, “I praise You because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Your works are wonderful, I know that full well.” The haunch of eternity.
