Karen Mabon has always traded in the surreal with a touch of magical realism. The Edinburgh based designer has a real talent for making the mundane fantastical and it should come as no surprise that I’m a bit of a fan. Think cats at a wedding, the inside of a magicians hat and dogs in fancy dress. Her scarves have always been a bit of a Where’s Wally of delights and her illustrated sleepwear for AW17 is exactly as whimsical and wonderful as you hope it would be.
Lucid dreaming is when you become present in a dream and can take control of the events within them, so it’s apt this should be the title for Karen Mabon’s latest collection of sleepwear. Long time Mabon fans will be able to pick out favorites from previous scarf collections whether that’s mermaids or swans or Champagne and cigarettes. It’s the magical married with the everyday that spans an homage to the signs of the zodiac, a tribute to old school Hollywood glamour and of course a menagerie of fruits and vegetables. The silk sets (sold as separates) are pretty much the definition of too good just to be sleepwear. This collection demand to be seen, whether that’s pairing one of her shirts with a pair of jeans or going whole hog and wearing a co-coordinating set out. Where? To dinner? To the beach? To the god damn supermarket. Just wear the hell out of this collection because, well, it’s dreamy.
Photographer: David. N. Anderson
Stylist: Laura MacIntosh
Hair & Make-Up: Caroline McKeirnan
Model: Eilidh Alexander