Socks House Meeting tells HUNGER what’s hot and not for AW23

We’re a fashionable bunch, us Londoners, as we waltz around following the latest predictable trends, like Adidas Sambas, vintage football tops found at a carboot, simply going to a carboot, mullets, small plates, orange wine, sporadic sobriety, sporadic veganism, having an ‘era’, saying ‘era’, The Spurstowe Arms, oversized and overpriced sunglasses, the list goes on. And it’s far too easy to poke fun at the many archetypes that fuse together to create London’s hip and trendy.

Through his quick wit and perception of dissecting the nuances and niches of London’s subcultures, Socks House Meeting (@socks_house_meeting) has become the connoisseur of what’s in and what’s out. Since the account’s creation in 2021, its founder has become a commentator and cultural leader of sorts amongst London’s trendiest crowds (and those desperate to be a part of it). We sat down to discuss what to expect from the ‘YK2 Kyles’ and ‘Notting Hill Natalias’ as we reach the colder autumn and winter months.

HUNGER: First of all, taking it back, what inspired you to create Socks House Meeting?

Socks House Meeting: It was born out of a combination of boredom, accident and ADHD inspired stimulation. It used to be a very random meme page that didn’t really focus on London or fashion. I lived in Berlin a few years ago and it was mostly myself and a friend making silly content in our free time.

I then moved to London, made a meme about Venue MOT and that spurred an interest in subcultures in London. Which then led to fashion, lifestyles of the archetypes and the kind of let’s say ‘neurodivergent’ vernacular that I include here and there within the content I create. Words like “fizzy” for example relating to a state of being, a kind of physical and mental state you get from sensory overload.

Is there a current trend that you really have a soft spot for? 

It’s so known and recognised but I’ll be honest… ballet flats, they just turn any outfit into something that looks far more sophisticated, with a suit it can take the form of a formal touch without having to focus overtly on a classical silhouette with a heel or pump or so on. They also have the ability to work with summer, winter and so many brands of late have made such good examples of how they can look exquisite. Margiela and Miu Miu are just some simple yet fantastic renditions.

So far we’ve seen a rise in football and tennis related fashion trends, do you think another sporty fad is coming our way?

I’d like to joke and say rugby because it’s sort of got that old ‘wealthy Brit’, ‘old money’ if you will, a tokenised image of all the bulky, brutish characters stomping around Fulham and Chelsea spinning a rugby ball in tight shorts and big jerseys. It would be nice if these items of clothing could be given a better, less traditional approach. It’s been something brands have attempted but never as thoroughly as football with Martine Rose or Ancuta Sarca and the Nike reworked shoes and garments… Golf could be interesting too! I guess it would just depend on who decided to take it forward and with which elements.

What’s a wardrobe staple for a young Londoner?

*sighs* … The Salomon XT6… Lol. It depends where in the city you are but I’d comfortably say this is the go-to token choice for most people’s wardrobes.

Something we’ve been discussing at HUNGER is the overkill of the collaboration. Are you sick of collabs?

It’s a tricky point as sometimes they can be fantastic and drive whole new points of view of the people and the way they see a brand. We are at a stage where collabs are kind of being heavily relied on to drive engagement and create “new interest”. However, as someone who works with collaborations often and collaborates a lot with people and the brands themselves. It’s hard for me to say much in a negative sense about them. I don’t think they’re being overdone, they do however need to be picked and utilised in the right way.

If not, what’s one collab you’d love to see happen?

Martine Rose x socks house meeting… I mean that would be amazing, but I had an idea that older brands should start using characters that fit their market a little more often. For example, I’ve always wanted to see Michèle Mouton – the Group B rally driver from the 1980s, that was such a face of optimised glamour with extreme skill, dining in Monaco and jet setting around the world to take part in these races –to be the face of Nuxe, the multi purpose skincare oil that has been such a hallmark of subtle sophistication in France, Italy and Switzerland in the last 20 years. 

That’s a great idea! Though mostly satirical with your content, I notice that you have mentioned the prevalent class divide in the UK – Is this something you think is glamourised in fashion? Especially amongst young Londoners?

I feel like I could talk about this for 10 hours… But I won’t. Yes, certainly it is. Unfortunately, this is something that will always be a problem as long as the U.K. is the way it is.

What’s one trend we need to leave behind in summer?

It’s not a trend but men need to stop wearing flip flops with tight jeans. It looks terrifying…

One final thing! In’s and Out’s for Autumn and Winter 2023?

In’s: Really large formal heavy duffle coats (think Armani 1999-2004), small brands collaborating with huge brands to bring a new touch and fresh image hopefully by that smaller brand (Chanel x Lexxola) for example, arriving outside the door of your destination in a Hackney black cab, and Côte d’Azur impromptu holidays.

Out’s: Small plates being the be all and end all of dining in modern trendy east London, don’t come for me… “Lost Mary’s”, rude people in Restaurants.