Phoebe English? I feel like I know that name. Pat yourself on the back if you do, English is a sickeningly talented Central Saint Martins graduate whose MA collection was sold at Dover Street Market back in 2011. Phoebe English Ltd is ran by the designer’s business partner (and ex-The Shop at Bluebird buyer) Rose Easton. Check out the Crane.tv interview snippet where Phoebe talks about her creative process.
Enough about the talent, tell me about the clothes. For AW13, Phoebe showed her collection at the Freemason’s Hall as part of Vauxhall Fashion Scout. Shunning the traditional catwalk space downstairs, her AW13 efforts were presented to a packed house in the dark, moody and grand Vestibule. It was one of the more focused and cohesive collections of this season’s London Fashion Week with a largely muted colour palette (apart from some royal blue) and in the materials, gauze, raw cotton and taupe getting their moment to shine.
I spy some latex too? Well the invite was a clue but yes, models wore strips of it as skirts and all over the heels – just about the only movement as the looks stayed just-so hovering against the models’ bodies as they stiffly navigated the wooden structure, created by set designer Robert Storey, in the middle of the space. We say navigated as they were blindfolded by black fabric masks.
Blindfolded? Sounds saucy. Far from it. The collection is said to be an investigation into sightlessness so it’s a little more serious than plain old bedroom shenanigans. And there was something about the raw edges, seams and threads that made us think the garments on show had been manipulated into being by the designer rather than sketched out in all their precise detail first.
I take it the models didn’t look like they’d got dressed in the dark, then?
Hell no. English isn’t the most obviously commercial of designers but there’s a simplicity and elegance to this stripped back take on AW13 that we really think will stand her in good stead to enchant a sizeable proportion of the fashion pack. Most of the shapes perhaps wouldn’t look any good on anyone with curves (i.e. lumps and bumps) but they’re ideal for those slim, louche kind of girls who care more about lovingly crafted clothes than being on trend.
Antipodium didn’t come about in the usual way. The label wasn’t born straight out of Central Saint Martin’s or London College of Fashion, but rather started as a boutique/PR/wholesale agency before Creative Director Geoffrey J. Finch spotted a gap in the market and began creating Anitpodium’s own capsule collections. With Antipodium obviously knowing how other areas of the industry works, they gained a cult following and began showing at London Fashion Week in September 2006. With the likes of Alexa Chung, Beth Ditto, Pixie Geldof and Poppy Delevigne all praising the brand, it’s no wonder the success of this East End label is snowballing.
So what does Antipodium have in store for Chungy, Pixie and the rest of us then?
Well, a whole lot of multicoloured leathers and patent raincoat dresses apparently. The collection, entitled ‘Sex, Lies and CCTV’ was quite literally a rainbow affair. The appearance of white high-heeled stilettos at times did get my inner Essex girl cringing, but aside from the footwear the use of metallic leathers with contrasting fur collars and clashing contrasts of lime green hues with turquoise cardis for instance did wake one up after having to drag myself out of bed for an achingly hip 9AM show.
All good in the hood then?
Personally, I’m not the kind of girl who could pull off wide legged leather trousers (damn those whocan!) but many aspects of the collection did seem wearable and I can definitely picture Ms Chung donning the printed blouse front row and centre next season (pictured bellow).
Well, Sass & Bide is the conjoined efforts of two ridiculously blonde and beautiful Aussie ladies, Sarah-Jane Clarke (sass) & Heidi Middleton (bide).
What was their show like?
First and foremost, Katie and I were having a very jaded day on Friday. Having done the LFW hoopla many times over, you do start to forget why you are doing this. It can become extremely stressful, exhausting as well as emotionally and physically draining. Queuing, running from space to space, fighting for laptops in press lounges and basically having to listen to other people’s utter self indulgent drivel whilst waiting in the freezing cold for up to an hour, with no guarantee of entry (Felder Felder, here’s an idea – stop giving out so many tickets) can touch on the laborious side of things. FYI if you have any golden nuggets from overheard fashion shat (shit chat) use the hashtag #overheardatlfw – thank you Telegraph for peddling this! So I would just like to say personally to the ladies of Sass & bide, thank you for reminding us why we put ourselves through it.
So it was worth it then?
Definitely. The collection, entitled ‘Wintergate’, was an elegant and sophisticated affair, which above all managed to push the brand forward whilst remaining vastly wearable.
A wearable collection at Fashion Week? Is that a joke?
Fortunately it isn’t. Despite the majority of collections at fashion shows retaining very little that could ever hit the shop floor, Sass & Bide provided key looks which not only I wanted to wear, but ones I could actually see translating successfully from a 8ft tall, 7-stone model/avatar on to a variety of diverse body shapes. For instance, fitted chevron blazers, relaxed peplum tops (FYI, insider knowledge here, but the peplum is still going to be hanging around until SS14 so get embracing), and drop-waisted dresses all work wonders, and if not even look better, on ‘non-models’.
Did you see any celebs?
At first glance it appeared the ‘shlebs’ had crashed out from Fashion Week for an early night, much to my excitement. Don’t get me wrong, I do get relatively star struck depending on the person in question, but once you go through the notions of LFW a few times, the novelty of seeing Kate Nash, that one from the Noisettes and Diana Vickers FROW every season becomes rather boresome. So I was rather surprised I couldn’t spot my old pals anywhere in the crowd until outside on the steps of St. John’s Church we spotted the likes of Olivia Palermo, Caroline Flack and Pixie Lott milling around for the photographers.
Ones to Watch is a show that’s put on every season by Fashion Scout (it used to be called Vauxhall Fashion Scout, but I guess they’ve done away with the carmaker sponsorship), presenting the wares of three designers who are starting out and tipped for big things. Current London Fashion Week hot tickets Peter Pilotto and Pam Hogg are previous OTW finalists so they panel of journalists and industry folk has got a pretty good track record with their predictions.
Who was on show this season?
First up was Yeashin, whose dozen or so looks were heavily influenced by designer Yeashin Kim’s native South Korea, spliced with 1960’s Britain. This meant a riot of colour and texture, like a double-breasted emerald coat with a cream faux fur bib front and long-sleeved babydoll dresses in lilac, powder blue and raspberry pink. (I wouldn’t have been able to place the ethnic origins, except that last summer I went to a Korean music festival at the Southbank and the clothes were reminiscent of those costumes.) There were also lots of corsage-like embellishments all over the place.
Sounds kind of kooky.
It was. The hats were even kookier. There was one tall, black top hat that I thought was surely a nod to Daniel Day-Lewis’s recent turn as Abraham Lincoln, and then another that was even taller – maybe an homage to Dr Seuss?
Lol. Were all the collections quite so wacky?
No, the others were a lot more mainstream. The second One to Watch was Chinese born Patrick Li, whose looks had a singular focus, which helps when you’ve only got a small offering on show.
So what was the focus?
You hear the term ‘deconstructed tailoring’ bandied around London Fashion Week a lot, but this was just that: lots of sharply cut black asymmetrical dresses with inlaid sparkling silver and bronze panels. Shimmering collars were added to crisp white shirts and just about everything else – the glitteriness meant this was more overtly eveningwear.
Nice. Who was third?
Central St Martin’s graduate Yulia Kondranina, who was fixated on one thing only: tassles! All over everything.
Like in a 1920’s flapper kind of way?
No. These weren’t flippy short tassles, they hung all the way to the floor, swinging and criss-crossing seductively as the model’s walked. The collection started off all monochrome (long-sleeved jumpsuits and maxidresses), but the last few looks were vibrantly coloured with gold, red and royal blue fringing. The finale dress, a scarlet sleeveless number with a cut-out décolleté detail was ravishing.
Not so practical though?
It’s true, I would worry about getting all those tassles caught in the escalator or tube door, but for special occasions those dresses would go down a treat.
So are these the designers stars of the future?
Hard to say. Kondranina especially showed a very accomplished and well-crafted collection. The whole tassle thing could be the sign of a one trick pony, but hey, designers have launched careers off a lot less (here’s looking at you Henry Holland).
Click on the photos in the gallery below to enlarge.
Bora Aksu. He’s a Turkish born fashion designer. He studied at Central St Martins, got sponsorship from NewGen (they’re the guys who help fledgling designers find their feet) a bunch of times and has shown his collections right here in Blightly ever since.
What was his show like?
Getting leathered with the Victorians just about sums it up.
Say what?
Because the shapes were very Victorian. Big puffy leg o’ mutton sleeves, high collars, and some very tight corsets.
Corsets? That’s a bit last century isn’t it?
Restrictive, I know, but they did look pretty good though. One was worn over an ivory lace sleeveless blouse and a navy pencil skirt, it was very cool in a burlesque dancer underwear-on-display kind of way. The thing is, if you’re paying homage to that era, you’ve got to have a bit of boning. I don’t think anyone’s saying we should all start wearing corsets all the time again.
Oh, good. What else was there?
Like I said, shed loads of leather. Grey cropped tailored jackets in leather; corseted coats with panels of fur; a navy and black petal shaped caped in, you guessed it, leather. A flyer on every seat at the show explained that Aksu has been working with the Turkish Leather council.
That explains it then.
There was plenty of femininity as well, in the delicate chiffon overlays on swishy A-line dresses and, towards the end, the plummy colours of knee-length skirt suits and printed dresses. There were also a good few high-necked sheer and white blouses paired with neckties that had a turn of the century school mistress vibe about them.
So not a lot of skin on show?
Actually, there was one midriff bared between a tight navy jacket and skirt combo, but this is a winter collection after all.
True. So would you actually want to wear any of it?
Me, not so much, but I can see an hourglass-figured girl loving the corsetry and pencil skirts, plus Jessa from Girls would go wild for the frothy white chiffon dress so voluminous it was sort of like a christening dress for a grown up.
Did you see any celebs?
Yes, Kate Nash was surrounded by popping flashbulbs as David Bowie’s ‘Fame’ was on the soundsystem, which seemed pretty apt to me. The photogs were papping the heck out of someone else too. I gleaned by eavesdropping the people sat in front of me that she was Lianne La Havas, a singer apparently. I tell you, I just can’t keep up with all these new-fangled celebs. I bet it wasn’t like this in Victorian times.
This time last year, each of us Style & Then Some-rs wrote a Christmas wishlist detailing all the things we hoped would be waiting for us under the tree come Christmas Day. This year, rather than listing what we want, we’re each going to write about our favourite things from 2012. And not just consumer goods either. We don’t celebrate Thanksgiving in this country, so we thought we’d use that other great Turkey-centred holiday to remember all the things we’ve loved in the last year. Call it an antidote to the myriad gift guides currently populating every magazine and website you happen upon at the moment if you will.
1. This here blog
OK, this may sound like a rather self-congratulatory start, but it’s not like that. It’s because I’m really happy with how S&TS has developed over 2012. We took on two new girls - Katy and Jo - who are not only excellent writers but all round great gals too; went to two more London Fashion Weeks; gathered lots more readers and online pals; and generally had a lovely time doing it. I’m really happy that I have this great creative outlet and five awesome friends to hang out with too, and I hope it carries on for a long time yet. Sorry, I think I’m getting a bit soppy now.
2. I got my first proper writing job
After Sophie Charara kindly hooked me up with her contacts at the Press Association, in April I started doing work experience there every Monday on the Features Desk. To my total surprise, this turned into a proper part-time job in July, and I’m still there now, writing about fashion, beauty, film, TV and lots of other stuff, every Monday. I can confidently say I like Mondays considerably more than the average Londoner, and considered how many interns toll for years without pay, I feel really lucky to be there.
3. I finally went to the Edinburgh Festival
After years of people telling me ‘you HAVE to go to the Edinburgh Festival, you will LOVE it,’ I went. And I loved it. Here’s why.
4. I discovered the Best Festival Ever
My other fantastic festival find of the year was Beatherder, a tiny (in comparison to any of the big ‘uns) mostly electronic music festival in my glorious home county, Lancashire. My friend Ruth took me along and even though I hardly knew any of the 20 people we were with I made loads of new friends and had probably the best time I’ve ever had at a festival, even though it rained almost constantly. I really hope they keep the capacity to just 5,000 so that it stays just as good in future, because I am DEFINITELY going back.
5. I gave up drinking
After suffering monumental hangovers for years, in September I decided to trial giving up alcohol, and I haven’t looked back since. OK, I fell off the wagon once, but that was it. Going teetoal was far easier than I thought it would be (it turns out I’m not as socially dependent on booze as I thought I was) and has vastly improved my life in many ways. I highly recommend giving it a go.
6. I found my new favourite sitcom
Yes, I know it’s Mitt Romney’s too, but Modern Family is the best comedy programme I’ve seen in years. Here’s why.
7. Some of my favourite people came to London
My Best Friend in the Whole World, Caroline, moved back from living in Australia, three of my bezzies back from a year away travelling and S&TS’s own Katy ‘Spinky’ Spry visited the capital frequently. This might not mean much to you, but I was pleased.
8. I found the Best Shirt Ever
OK, admittedly, this is a material possession, but it was such a good find I have to share. You know when you happen upon an item of clothing that you subsequently wear so much that can’t believe you lived without it? Well this winter I discovered that Uniqlo’s men’s size extra small flannel shirts are way better than the women’s for me, because I don’t really have any curves to speak of, and promptly started a collection of them. They are warm and comfy, and if you like a bit of androgynous style, I can’t recommend them highly enough. With this many varieties available, my collection is far from over.
What: Launch party for brand new menswear publication Document No.1. Just don’t call it a magazine.
When: Thursday 29th November 2012
Where: The spacious IPR showroom in East London, a venue filled with the wares of clients like Katie Eary and Christopher Shannon, plus a bunch of wooden palm trees.
“Britain’s menswear has had to live in the shadow of our womenswear designers for far too long” states Hellqvist’s boldface, page one Editor’s letter declaration, laying bare Document No.1′s desire to shine a light firmly on men’s fashion.
And what better time to start. 2012 was a banner year for menswear in the UK. Previously allocated a day tacked on to the end of the womenswear summer and winter fashion weeks, in June menswear got a home of its own. The awkwardly-titled yet long overdue London Collections: Men devoted three days to Spring 2013 just for the boys, bringing Britain in line with the Milanese and Parisian men’s shows.
With scores of seasons of reportage from the international fashion weeks under their belts, and excited by the changes afoot in the fashion calendar, O’Donovan and Hellqvist decided to join forces to document it all. Mixing designer interviews with backstage photography and commentary from their pals – who also happen to be industry experts - Document No.1 focuses on seven noteworthy London Collections: Men shows. So you’ll get the Guardian’s Simon Chilvers talking up the ‘boyish sportiness’ of Christopher Shannon‘s designs; fashion’s so-called fairy godmother Lulu Kennedy writing about Meadham Kirchhoff‘s zany ‘drug den’ presentation; or Style.com’s Tim Blanks discussing Aitor Throup‘s macabre signature skull bags. The result is a sleek, matte-white, mercifully advertising-free tome that straddles the line between magazine and coffee table book. Just 500 numbered copies were printed, available for free at the launch, but it’s a slight mystery as to where you can get one now. Which is a shame, because it’s a great read, and, much like British menswear, deserves a wider audience. But you can scroll through the whole issue, slideshow style, on the website.
If you don’t get your hands on one this time, however, fear not, because Hellqvist and O’Donovan are already working on the next iteration, which will cover the Autumn/Winter 2013 collections, shown in January. Spring 2013 was “the season that paved the way for the rest,” Hellqvist says. “Let’s cherish that.”
I say probably, because we didn’t clap eyes on, like, everybody at the whole of Fashion Week. But our stringent street style sampling method around Somerset House i.e. Helen and I both had to agree their outfit was, to use a Will.i.amism, dope) sure did snare some killer looks. Let’s meet our winners.
Elizabeth, who works for Elle magazine, was wearing a vintage Versace top and using one of those velvet rucksacks covered in little mirrors that you get on holiday in Thailand as a clutch. If you ask me, this is how the 90′s revival should be done. This season at LFW she loved Marques Almeida’s collection at Fashion East and she was looking forward to the Linda Farrow party on Saturday night.
Barbara, who works for the Daily Fail, er, I mean Mail, was wearing a Unique kilt, Kurt Geiger bag and Christian Louboutin shoes. She gets extra points for a perfect pedicure noir. This season she loved the Todd Lynn show and she was most excited about John Rocha.
Camellia, a freelance fashion editor and blogger at www.choufouchouf.tumblr.com, had the most adorable French accent. She was wearing a Stefanel dress, Chloe cadigan (pink and red is basically my favourite colour combination FYI) and Urban Outfitters boots. She was taking pictures around Somerset House and looking forward to the Pringle and Paul Smith shows the most.
Gabriella or @Gabsguthrie works in social media. She was wearing a H&M top, Mulberry bag and Mawi jewellery (a brand you see a lot of around LFW). I like that shade of chartreuse – it’s not quite neon but it sure is shocking. Gabs also loved the Todd Lynn show.
Zoey Goto is a journalist. She was wearing a H&M jumpsuit and a vintage bag. Her favourite show of the week so far was Holly Fulton and she was most looking forward to Vivienne Westwood, Buberry and Mulberry. Lucky girl to have tickets to all those.
Alex, an architecture student, was wearing a Zara dress, Topshop shoes and a Mulberry bag. She was just hanging around Somerset House waiting to meet a pal. See, it isn’t always the bloggers and celebs who are the most stylish.
Samantha, a blogger, was wearing a customised jumpsuit by Birmingham designer Cherelle Reid, so there’s not much chance she’s gonna clash outfits with someone else at LFW. Samantha loved the PPQ and Felder Felder shows and she was excited about going over to Vauxhall Fashion Scout to check out some new designers. We were too, so we went to the VFS Ones to Watch show.
Photos: Helen Coakley and Faraz Pourreza-Jorshari www.boomson.com
After so many seasons at London Fashion Week, you start to become pretty desensitized to it all. All the stylists laden with equal quantities of PR contacts and Mawi jewellery begin to blur together, and outfits usually only seen in children’s nightmares become the norm. Personally, I stopped trying this season. I ditched my 6-inch wedges and pleather skinnies in favour of flats – and not falling flat on my face on the cobbles of Somerset House. I also made sure I had pockets galore to stash emergency pens, tickets, passes, camera lenses and painkillers. I am actually considering a utility belt next season, in a completely un-ironic and totally practical way. I’m just scared I’ll kick off some new ridiculous Bob The Builder trend and get trolled by the trade unions. Someone even complimented me this week on the fact I hadn’t ‘dressed up’ and how it was totally ‘refreshing to see’. I am 98% positive this was said in an ironic way, but I’m still cashing in that compliment, you hear.
After trawling through about a zillion of our photographs from London Fashion Week, we decided to put a top ten rundown together highlighting the – shock horror – FUN we had and hilarious sights we saw, amidst all the seriousness and ridiculousness. So here it is, our attempt at injecting a little humour back into LFW. God knows it needs it.
1. We think we found our Prince
We couldn’t tell if this joker was an actual member of the royal family or had just popped to Burger King. We know K-Middy and co are usually Frow at Issa, but maybe he was just lost looking for Raffles? Either way, he definitely needed to get some air into his crown quick-smart. I think the only other guy spotted who topped our Prince Charming was the idiot in the ‘Free Shags’ t-shirt walking around Somerset House hand in hand with his GIRLFRIEND.
2. We found out why Burberry don’t just let anyone in
Major tip: if all you desires is to get papped by a street style photographer, one sure-fire way to succeed is to basically wear everything you own (but, in the words of Joey Tribbiani, you ‘better not do any lunges’). Wearing a dress with actual teddy bears as shoulder pads does not make you the height of fashion, it makes you look like you got lost on the way to your audition for Nightmare on Sesame Street. As the greats do say, there is a fine line between style and peacocking fashion.
3. We found an actual triple threat
In the immortal words of Andrew Stone, of Pineapple Dance Studios fame, these guys are a true triple threat. They WILL threaten you if you dare to question their choice in man-clutches. Oh, and they have also perfected the art of synchronized walking. Bravo, my friends, bravo.
4. We found the happiest man alive at Fashion Week
Contrary to popular belief, you are allowed to smile at fashion week, as proved by this cheeky chappy. I’m not even 100% convinced he was working, as I saw him grab his coat and dash out of Somerset house about 5 minutes after I took this photo. Maybe he had Bob Geldofesque tendencies and was attempting to feed the models. Or just really friggin’ loves his popcorn. Either way, he was the happiest guy we saw all weekend.
5. We found out we are potentially the only two people eating at Fashion Week
After we accosted said happiest man alive for his ‘corn, it appeared we were the only people who dared eat in public within a two mile radius. We know this is usually a maaaaajar faux pas, but after 10 hours on your feet the sight of a free bag of sweet and salty is enough to make anyone drool.
6. We found that Gangnam style
Watch out London, the phenomenon that is Gangnam Style has already infiltrated the walls of Somerset House and your wardrobe is next. Hell, we’re seriously considering a trip to Korean Fashion Week just to see if the models Gangnam all the way down the catwalks.
7. …and that Katie is a pro
Having already perfected the art of Gangnam, Katie gave us a lesson in riding the invisible horse in between shows. Perhaps we should have crashed a few shows and made our own Gangnam parody – but I’m pretty certain Henry Holland would have had us blacklisted for life if we’d dared.
8. We found the worst PR team ever
When you’re sitting in a meeting room, planning the publicity for your fashion show, and someone suggests you could cut a few corners and just chalk out directions on the pavement, you need to FIRE THEM. Honestly, what if it had rained?!
9. We found out a lot about the Freemasons
Whilst we were camped out at Freemasons Hall for all the Vauxhall Fashion Scout shows, our Katie got talking to a real life Freemason, and by all accounts got a 20 minute history lesson too. It turns out that Freemasons Hall is still the Global headquarters for all the Freemasons and not just a fashion show location twice a year. Go figure.
10. I hate to see you go, but I love to watch you leave!
Oh Fashion Week. We’ve had our highs and we’ve had our lows. It makes sense we only see each other every six months my darling, but can we still be frenemies? Until next time, air kisses sweetie! Now can someone direct me back to the real world please?
The last show of my day yesterday was the Bernard Chandran catwalk show hosted by Vauxhall Fashion Scout. Despite the show running late, panic rippling through the queue that no one in the mile long line would get in, and having to put up with the ridiculous chatter of a teenage fashion wannabe and his ‘triple clash’ schedule (obviously spoken in decibels so that everyone in his radius could hear), I pretty much just wanted a cup of tea and my bed. But alas, like a trooper I stuck out the delay, and I am pretty confident everyone in that queue did actually get in. There’s nothing like a bit of fashion mob mentality to wake you up I guess. There’s always the risk you will get stabbed for your place in the line with a Jeffrey Campbell spiked heel.
The SS13 offerings from Bernard Chandran started off extremely promising. White starched dresses in broderie anglaise made me want to take up tennis immediately, or be transformed in to one of those women who never spills red wine or gets splashed by buses passing by, just to flounce around dinner parties wearing my ‘Chandran’ and investing in a job lot of Bold down at the cash and carry. The initial offerings were extremely feminine, fitting in nicely with the overall theme of London Fashion Week for SS13, but as the seconds ticked by the collection did get a bit confusing. Clashing patterns, geometric shapes, and even an appearance of blue leather blended in with jeweled embellishments throughout the second half. The collection seemed to go from early spring, fresh as a sophisticated lamb, to late summer nights in Ibiza, glitzing all the way to the doors of Amnesia. Not that this is necessarily a bad thing. The audience seemed to love it, and there were an exceptionally large number of outfits on show. Maybe I just really needed that cup of tea.
Each season, the four Merit Award Winners show collectively at London Fashion Week’s off-schedule Vauxhall Fashion Scout venue. We went along on Saturday afternoon to find out if these four emerging designers really are worth a ‘Ones to Watch’ moniker.
You hardly (if ever) see catwalk photographs of model’s backs, but the snappers in the pit would have done well to break with convention for Ming Pin Tien, whose first few looks, cropped beige shirts and parkas, were lined with a scaly contrasting print down the spine, emulating amphibious scales. The motif got a tad repetitive, but it was more than made up for when a major change of pace arrived mid show. An oxblood red dress with leather harness detailing at the back lead the way for a host of show-stopping leather work. There was a notable straitjacket feel to the off-white and biscuit trenches with fastenings at (you guessed it) the back, while the ivory lattice cocoon coat and red leather cage top were distinctly asylum-esque.
By far the most accomplished designer on show, Charlotte Simpson‘s talent was evident from the very first look: a loose ivory silk knee-length sleeved dress finished with a wide panel of yellow and lime green caviar beading at the hem. The soft focus separates that followed (slouchy shorts, trousers and blazers) would make an ideal vacation wardrobe for some impossibly stylish Parisienne summering in St Tropez. Our golden tanned maven would look even better apres beach. Simpson’s slew of pale evening gowns augmented with matte copper and rose gold sequins culminated in a triumphant column covered from top to bottom in degrade gold sequins that would truly shine on the Cannes red carpet.
Hellen Van Rees‘s collection was a bit too much of a one trick pony for my liking. The trick? Cuboids the size of toothpaste boxes covered in coloured tweed and strewn round models wrists and heads, and on the hems of dresses. The fabric’s credentials may have been sustainable in an environmental sense, but this needlessly outlandish approach isn’t, I fear, sustainable career-wise.
Hana Cha presented a dystopian vision of the American dream in clothing form. The flouncy tassels of a cheerleader’s pompoms; a Wall Street banker’s suit; Jackson Pollock’s splattergun painting technique; and, of course, the humble baseball cap, all were here. But they were subverted in a monochrome line up of stars and stripes goes goth. There was wearability, though, in some loosely structured blazers and some fringed maxidresses that were more Dalston than Wasington, D.C.
Two seasons ago, I was introduced to the work of Spijkers en Spijkers with their gloriously on trend Spring 2012 offering of graphic flapper dresses and slouchy tailoring. Instantly, I was a fan. So imagine my surprise when, last February, their winter collection, all flowery prints and autumnal colours, didn’t excite my sartorial senses nearly as much. I’m happy to report that yesterday, however, the Dutch duo delivered a distinct return to form with La Femme Paysage (‘the female landscape’) for Spring 2013, and a return to their favourite decade of inspiration, the roaring twenties.
So that meant plenty more of those signature spaghetti strap and sleeved dresses, cut close to the body and rendered in contrasting geometric sections of honan silk. There was an unusually wide spectrum of colour on show, at least for the Spijkers sisters – muted primary colours (duck egg blue, sherbert yellow, dusty red) shapes were paired with black and neutrals, and one flapper frock comprised seven horizontal panels, an off-kilter rainbow of colour. Elsewhere, a pair of sharp, tuxedo-esque suits – the standout in navy with black contrast collar – and a few crisp white shirts nodded to the mannish tailoring aspect the designers often favour.
Then the paintbox colours faded away as the show segued into clothes made for after nightfall. Black silk dresses edged with lace had a subtle Sicilian sultriness to them, but they were positively prim compared to what came next: discs of fine black lace, patchworked together and clinging to the body on slinky pencil skirts and knee-length dresses, revealing far more than they covered up. Inspired by artist Sonia Delauney’s Orphism movement, this is more sex than we’ve seen on a Spijkers and Spijkers catwalk for several seasons, but it was handled deftly. The piece de resistance, another Orphistic lace dress, this time shot through with opaque silver patches, was pitch perfect.
When the Style & Then Some team first received our invites to Ji Cheng’s SS13 catwalk show, we were slightly confused as to whether we had received what looked, and smelled, remarkably like a sashay of potpurri.
Clearly showing our own ignorance, once seated inside Freemasons Hall on Saturday afternoon all was explained. It turns out it wasn’t potpurri at all, but tea leaves! Just not the kind of Tetley’s variety we are used to. Ji Cheng’s collection, dubbed ‘Teaism’ called upon the sacred tradition of tea drinking in China and the Eastern World, and how it’s viewed as the most dignified way to entertain guests in Eastern culture. Not your standard English cuppa then…
With the catwalk itself strewn with tea leaves, this was somewhat of a ‘more tea, Emperor?’ take on our western ‘vicar’, and did have me thinking about how blase the Western world is about something so precious to others. Hell, Britain built a whole empire on it, and the Yanks had the audacity to chuck it all overboard. Maybe we should be worshipping our teapots a bit more like our Eastern brethren, eh?
But anyway, back to the collection! While I did initially think ‘tea’ would be a hard thing to translate in to inspiration for an entire collection, it was with relief that not one model sashayed down the runway in a pyramid bag (maybe I should trademark that and send it to the Haus of Gaga?). Instead, we were greeted with a fresh, sophisticated collection, that not only screamed feminism (grown up girly is in by the way, sorry tom boys), but also subtly yet effectively hawked back to the theme through colour, flowing lines and silhouettes, and the tea fields of China where Ji Cheng started her creative process through the use of hats reminiscent of the type worn by tea leaf collectors. Silk trims, layers, bias cuts, sheers and peplums all dominated (yes, that’s right, the peplum has survived aw12 and has made it through to Spring!) and flashes of black reminded us of the seriousness in which tea is taken in Eastern culture. Overall, Ji Cheng has managed to create a collection that could otherwise have seemed obvious, yet managed to maintain subtlety and an air of freshness for SS13. Now, I’m off to dunk my invite in some water.
A growing favourite for many on the London Fashion Week schedule is the delectable Bora Aksu who this season proved his worth with a collection so beautiful and enchanting, the only thing that could distract from the sumptuousness of it all was Kelly Brook’s boobs front row.
While the show was set to a hauntingly dramatic soundtrack which I am pleased to say included my new favorite band ‘Daughter’, the collection itself was by all accounts inspired by Queen Victoria’s granddaughter, Marie. After a quick Wikipedia scan, Marie – who became the Queen of Romania, was known for her modernity and love of the arts, culture, and her precious botanical gardens. This would explain nicely why I felt I wanted to wrap myself up in Bora Aksu’s SS13 offerings and frolic around the meadows of Eastern Europe in the Summer time, pretending I am some sort of Russian runaway bride. With a crown on. You always need a crown on.
While the colour palette remained mostly ‘pastelised’, the flashes of purple throughout the collection reminded us of the regal status of Marie, while the abundance of silk organzas, lace shift dresses and hints of ruffled hems contrasted in such a brilliant way, it was as if the ‘Modern Queen’ had commissioned the collection herself. The stunning prints running throughout the collection also escalated in size to highlight Marie’s growing popularity, as well as her fondness of Romania. With no detail left to chance in Bora Aksu’s SS13 collection, it is a true marvel and testament to how far he will go in future seasons. A definite five stars all round (including Kelly’s cleavage).
With the soft red lighting and exotic music, if you closed your eyes for a second, you would be forgiven for thinking you had been unwittingly transported far away on holiday for a few precious moments at the Caroline Charles Spring/Summer 2013 show yesterday at London Fashion Week.
This set the tone for the rest of the show and considering the sheer lack of summer this year it was a rather enjoyable touch. In keeping with the aforementioned theme – all things exotica – the first looks to greet us were heavily tropical printed swim and holiday wear from shirts and shorts to bikinis and sarongs. Delving deep into the oceanic print world with this collection and embracing bright colours more than usual, Charles has a wardrobe solution for summer days and summer nights.
After the initial burst of youthful colour, things took a more mature and demure turn (which fans of the brand are used to) with an array of monochrome outfits and the odd pop of colour in the form of cotton pique jackets in fruity tones like magenta and lime green.
Although her work is more commonly associated with a slightly older generation – she has been in the business for 50years afterall – Charles showed she is equally capable of appealing to a younger demographic. Plus, fashion journalism royalty Hilary Alexander and Colin McDowell turned up on Friday to admire Charles’ latest range – who can argue with that?
Still relatively new to the London Fashion Week scene, the great thing about American designer Corrie Nielsen is that she can take a subject where you think you’ve seen it all before then turn it on its head into something you didn’t quite expect. She did this with her Scottish inspired AW12 offering which Style and Then Some attended in February. And this year was no different.
First, Nielsen set the scene by successfully creating the illusion we were in a botanical garden – as opposed to the audience of a fashion show – with a soundtrack derived from nature.
The stand out pieces were Corrie’s voluminous dip dyed creations imitating colour merging petal-esque patterns set against predominantly organically structured garments: Nielsen’s inspiration for this collection was London’s rather stunning Kew Gardens. Some looks were more wearable than others, dreamy ball gowns were interspersed with slightly more outrageous yet visually exciting get-ups. This, together with her continued collaboration with up and coming milliner Emma Yeo (who showed her designs to me earlier this year) once again, gives Corrie’s show something extra with the hat designer’s rather regal and beautifully crafted creations.
Speaking of regal, Nielsen’s use of majestic metallics – such as pale blues and golds together – is fast becoming a trend at this year’s SS13 LFW shows. This was yet another impressive catwalk entry from the 2010 Fashion Fringe winner who was supported by Fashion Fringe creator and journalist extraodinaire, Colin McDowell in the audience.
From the get go it was obvious Brit design duo Antoni and Alison were keen to get everyone in a celebratory mood with their SS13 collection – note the sharply dressed marching band perched on the catwalk – and rightly so. This season marks their twenty-fifth year in the fashion industry so who better to open London Fashion Week yesterday?
During the opening we heard from the designers themselves, talking in an enthusiastic voiceover about their desire to constantly reinvent and create something new with a colour palette consisting of, well, anything goes. In their own words: ‘We used every colour we own.’ This SS13 offering embodies that fun British attitude which is often discarded in favour of a sterner more serious stereotype. And the range has been a long time coming – only now has the technology become available for them to carry out the prints they wanted to achieve.
Entitled New Work, the show featured a series of 38 dresses, all slightly varied in style and emblazoned with everything from print clashes, paint splashes (rhyme unintended) distorted florals, youthful collages and the staple Antoni and Alison childlike scribbles. New Work epitomises fun but wearable fashion with a somewhat controlled madness. The wacky prints were balanced out by their simple silhouettes which skimmed the model’s figures in an ever so flattering manner. It’s clear to see their creations – while still extremely original in their design – could be worn in many different ways and easily tailored to individual styles.
We can always count on Antoni and Alison to remind us that you can go completely crazy with your fashion choices yet remain practical. Long may it continue so here’s to another 25 years.
Early indications show a strong trend coming through from the spring/summer 2013 London Fashion Week, which will take place in September, but it’s nothing to do with the collections…
There’s no place like home is there? A feeling shared by Brit fashion label Preen and, as of last week, milliner extraordinaire Philip Treacy.According to the LFW show schedule released by the British Fashion Council both are set to make their return to the coveted line up due to start in just over a month following a 6 year absence for Preen and 8 years for Treacy. The Preen Creative Director duo, Thea Bregazzi and Justin Thornton, had this to say about their latest move from New York Fashion Week, ‘We are delighted to be part of LFW again, it feels great to back on our own turf.’
Although more and more fashion weeks continue to pop up all over the globe, you would be forgiven for thinking it was all about Paris and New York. But in 2012 all eyes are on Britain’s fashion capital. So many things to celebrate, so little time – from the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee to the impending Olympics (only a matter of hours to go now guys!) These designers really couldn’t have picked a better time to return home to the undisputed hub of all the excitement, London, where both Preen and Treacy started out and first found success.
The Preen brand will forever be immortalised in British pop history at London’s Madame Tussauds thanks to the late great singer, Amy Winehouse who famously wore one of their bright yellow creations to the Brit Awards back in 2007. The same dress that clothes her waxwork was also worn by the likes of Gwyneth Paltrow, helping associate Preen with uber flattering silhouettes. Philip Treacy, meanwhile, is the official Royal family hat designer, something I referred to in an earlier blog post. I think I speak on behalf of all Brit fashion lovers when I say welcome home Preen and Philip, we’re glad to have you back.
In a sea of digitally printed dresses – lovely on the eye as they often are – sometimes you’re looking for a bit of texture, embellishment or just something a bit more exotic at London Fashion Week. So it’s a breath of fresh air when all three are handed to you on a plate. And by plate we mean a stunning, statuesque model like this one.
Russian designer Veronica Basharatyan mixed up traditional and modern influences not to mention delicate, sheer blouses with densely knitted skirts and heavy coats for her AW12 collection ‘Balkaria’, shown at Felicities Presents this season.
Both the model and the designer (below) pulled off the tricky layered, transparent blouses plus the Basharatyan model had statement shoulders to contend with too. So maybe not all practical but the clothes certainly looked beautiful and supremely well made.
For news and to buy online, visit the BasharatyanV website. You can buy last season BasharatyanV at Boutique 123 on Bethnal Green road, London and Veronica is also showing her designs in Paris, Milan and during Fashion Week Russia.
London Fashion Week may be over, but I still have one last show review for you all. And my reasoning behind waiting until after all the catwalks have been dismantled? Well, it is because, for me, the Alice Lee show deserved my ‘Best Womenswear Award’ (OK, I know right now that doesn’t mean diddley squat, but watch this space).
The collection itself is cited as being heavily influenced by dark romanticism. It was held in the upper room of Freemasons Hall – a devastatingly gothic and gorgeously seductive space that only added to the show’s drama. With Alice Lee being known for their sculptural knitwear, a bevy of models sauntered down the runway in an array of skin-tight dresses and leggings, whilst some covered up in oversized structured coats. Detailing throughout the collection came in the form of plaited and woven leather that accentuated the models’ curves. No frills, no-nonsense, as they say.
Easily one of, if not the most polished show I have witnessed this season, for me the collection screamed ‘modern day Miss Havisham.’ The modern day woman, jilted by love yet attempting to blindly carry on. This was confirmed by styling the models with exaggerated sweeping fringes over their eyes, making them tread carefully down the runway, with every chance of crashing in to each other (thankfully this didn’t happen, and no one was hurt during the making of this show). The grand finale saw the final model strut precariously down the runway with a bouquet-style mask covering the majority of her face. Although this did seem slightly odd at the time, after digesting the entire show, I do feel this helped tie up the overall themes the label was attempting to demonstrate.
