Hot new designer alert // BasharatyanV at London Fashion Week AW12

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.

Images credit: Samantha Meachin

Alice Lee at London Fashion Week AW12 // Modern Day Miss Havisham

What: Alice Lee

When: Saturday 18th February, 2012

Where: Vauxhall Fashion Scout, Freemasons Hall

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.

Images credited to Samantha Meachin.

Hot new designer alert // Tramp in Disguise at London Fashion Week AW12

One of our favourite finds of this Fashion Week was Tramp in Disguise, Sini Moilanen’s beautiful label that was shown as part of the Felicities Presents showcase in Somerset House’s Portico Rooms.

Making up the AW/12 collection are jewel coloured silk-mix dresses, jumpsuits and separates and a heavy dose of cosy-looking chunky knitwear which we can’t wait to see styled together. Inspired by the Day of the Dead celebrations in Mexico, Finnish-born and RCA-taught Moilanen gave the collection the title ‘Lady of the Dead’ – but don’t worry there’s not a goth accessory or emo chain look in sight.

Moilanen designed the prints herself, based on the decorated skulls and embellishment of the lively Mexican ritual, but by choosing demure necklines and shapes makes them sophisticated and urban for AW/12. This is only her fourth appearance at London Fashion Week but for a designer who’s already stocked in trendy fashion pit-stop Beyond the Valley, it looks like we caught up with the label at just the right time.

For more info, head to trampindisguise.com. If you want to throw your cash at these designs, Tramp in Disguise womenswear is on sale online at Not Just a Label – prices start at £180.

Image credit: Samantha Meachin

James Small and Ones To Watch AW12 // Where Them Boys At?

After a hard week of Fashion Show grafting from the Style & Then Some team, I decided that the last day, namely the last ever Menswear Day in London, (it will be expanded to three days in June to coincide with the international Menswear Weeks hosted by Milan and Paris) should be given a proper send off.  And let’s face it, when you’re reporting from the front line (or the back row, depending on how lucky you get) it isn’t all glamour and high heels.  

Oh no, it’s elbows and being knocked out by camera lenses in the photographer’s pit, or else craning your neck and spraining your ankles for a good view from the standing section.  But, as I am sure you will agree with me if you too have been in the trenches this season (comrades, I applaud you), that afterwards, when you sit back and drink it all in, it’s just so worth it.

But back to the Boys I hear you say!  Well, yesterday (Wednesday) I decided to enlist the help of two male friends and drag them (actually, they were both well up for it) along to the Ones to Watch:Men and James Small shows respectively.  My aim of the night was to analyse their attitudes towards the shows, and get some variations on male opinions regarding the collections on offer.  After a week of straight womenswear and women’s opinions on Style & Then Some, I thought it would be a nice change of pace to sit back and let the boys do the talking.

First up, was Adam, at the Ones To Watch: Men showcase.  The show saw Bodybound, Joseph Turvey, Julian Zigerli and Tobefrank showcase their AW12 efforts and this was to be Adam’s first ever fashion show.  Despite making comments like ‘that’s a funny little outfit, aye’ outside the venue to several fellow spectators, it was refreshing to hear a guy, who doesn’t work in the fashion industry, tell it like he saw it.  With regards to his favourite collection on offer, Adam declared it was to be Julian Zigerli.   When asked why, it turns out it was because the garments were ’ all using light patterns, you know, Paisley and that’ and that the shades were to his liking- ‘All bold autumn colours, stone, brown and green, like’.

Despite me watching Zigerli’s technical structures in awe, such as a conceptual top that functioned with a built-in backpack, my companion pointed out that this would be damn impractical and useless for the everyday man…something I cannot argue with.  ’You’d have to take your top off to put anything in your bag!’ he quite rightly pointed out.  Damn, why are men so practical!  With regards to the other designers showcasing, me and Adam were in agreement that Bodybound was a shimmering delight (my words, not his).  With gold foiling being a major trend on knitwear for women for the last two seasons, it has finally made its way into menswear.  Just another excuse to steal your BF’s clothes girls.

After a quick Corona, I traded my fashion show newbie in for a seasoned pro.  Daniel Thomas, a menswear designer and fellow Leeds College of Art post-graduate accompanied me to the closing show of the season, the highly anticipated James Small spectacular, sponsored by the amazing Vauxhall Fashion Scout (thank you for letting us decamp at Freemasons Hall all week, by the way!).  After somehow managing to blag second row seats, the show began to quickly fill up with celebs such as Jaime Winstone, Jo Wood, Mr Hudson and, lo and behold, Mr. and Mrs. Kate Moss.  I fear I may have actually been blinded by her engagement ring from across the room.  The collection itself was incredible, and my second companion commented on the show thusly:

    ‘The James Small show was the perfect end to Fashion Week – they always save the best for last.  For me the best pieces from the show were the jersey skinny trousers and the jersey waders were insane. The wool jackets were so stylish and well cut, and the use of pockets throughout the collection was just brilliant.  The patch pockets with flaps can sometimes look really messy but I felt they were really considered in the design of the garments. There was one double-breasted blue jacket with Raglan sleeves which was to die for. It was so well cut and well designed I felt it was like a jacket you would wear in Fashion Heaven.  I really liked the fur in the collection as well – the big hug in a mug jacket was amazing.  So Pete Burns chic. Overall the whole collection was a huge success.  Plus personally I would wear every last one of the garments that came down the catwalk.’

Overall, it was a good little experiment to gain different insights in to the male psyche.  Plus I got to sit back and watch a whole host of male models, and Kate Moss.

   

Raeffaele Ascione at London Fashion Week AW12 // Goths will be goths

What: Raeffaele Ascione AW12 at London Fashion Week

Where: Vauxhall Fashion Scout, Freemason’s Hall

When: Sunday 19th September 6pm – 8pm

Images credit: Samantha Meachin.

Holly Fulton at London Fashion Week AW12 // Hose me down

What: Holly Fulton AW12 at London Fashion Week

Where: BFC Showspace, Somerset House

When: Tuesday 21st February 2012, 12pm

Who: Tolula Adeyemi (in Holly Fulton, of course) and a very squished FROW full of editors

Urban gardeners, drop the herb box and listen up – there’s a new green-fingered style icon in town and it’s the AW12 Holly Fulton woman. At the Holly Fulton show this afternoon in a jampacked BFS Showspace, we got our somewhat expected art deco leanings together with brightly coloured rainbow hues of pink and turquoise on ladylike silhouettes.

All this was wrapped into beautifully styled packages of Christian Louboutin heels, Cutler and Gross glasses and messy, sometimes bejewelled buns. And we were told – via press release – that the look was straight out of a saucy Lady Chatterley-style getting-it-on-with-the-gardener scene.

As it always is with fashion, the botanical garden prints and Peter Max-inspired pop art motifs were the most sophisticated imagining of a sexed up nature-loving Lady of the Manor we could ever hope to see. Which doesn’t mean the collection wasn’t fun – there was more than a hint of Versace in the bold pink and black looks (though we preferred the turquoise section). Crossed necklines, cropped jackets and polo necked dresses kept all the frivolity in check.

Fitted skirts were cut at the hems providing another hint of naughtiness and statement earrings and accessorised short sleeves  gave the otherwise stiff outfits some girlish movement. I wasn’t a fan of the swinging, furry bags but otherwise the glasses and jewellery were grown up touches to some pretty loud looks.

The finale look – with a beautiful armoured-style cropped vest and long, skintight skirt – was a wonderful surprise after lots of print and not much texture. I’m sure Ladies looking to pounce on their outdoor staff would stumble just like the final Holly Fulton model did as she took on the bright lights of the BFC catwalk. They’d probably have more chance of being caught by a strong, young man too.

Photos taken with Olympus PEN E-PM1 – for more information see here

Lako Bukia at London Fashion Week AW12 // Hi Ho Silver

What: Lako Bukia

When: Monday 20th February 2012 at 7:30

Where: Vauxhall Fashion Scout

Who: My personal favourite celeb of the week, Andrew Stone as well as artist Pandemonia.

The last show at Vauxhall Fashion Scout on a Monday and it’s a cold one.  A freezing queue snaked along the walkway outside the venue, eagerly awaiting not only the AW12 offerings by Lako Bukia (a firm favourite of the Style & then Some team – check out last season’s coverage here) but also the guaranteed warmth of hundreds of bodies jam-packed inside.  But alas, mini frozen yoghurts were handed to us on arrival! Oh the irony…

However, once the show started, all negative memories of the last hour outside did pale in insignificance somewhat, as we were greeted by a predominantly jet black and space-aged silver collection.  Picture a modern day Barberella if you will!  Sophisticated, yet playful shirts littered the collection, in sci-fi inspired fabrics, no less, whilst the designer’s piece de le resistance was saved for very last. A sensational shatter-mirror effect dress with sweeping black skirts completely stole the show.  And with a confetti explosion to cap it all off, (to be fair, there was a moment of ‘who got shot?’ panic when this happened) I can honestly say I thoroughly enjoyed Lako Bukia’s futuristic creations.  And with the show being set to a mix of Portishead and Lana Del Rey, two of my absolute faves, I have to admit thus far Lako Bukia is in the running for my favourite show.

Inbar Spector at London Fashion Week // A whole lot of tulle

What: Inbar Spector AW2012 at London Fashion Week

When: Monday 20th February 2012 at 11am

Where: Vauxhall Fashion Scout

Who: No big front row names, but our blogger pal Sophie of La Fashion Folie was there.

It’s official: everyone will be dressing like C3PO next winter. Hot on the heels of the Mattijs show, where Helen first spotted the Star Wars robot’s influence, this morning Inbar Spector sent out several gold and pink metallic laser cut catsuits that would have been perfect if there was a Mrs C3PO (was there one? I’m ashamed to say I’ve never seen any of the films so I have no idea). A long sleeved minidress constructed from the same fabric was surprisingly chic, as were several Westwoodesque (I mean Viv, not Tim) black pinstripe coat dresses. But the wearability factor diminished somewhat with what followed, which was a whole lot of tulle. Voluminous tutus and dresses came in a variety of parma violet and rose tones, before the pieces des resistances: a pair of huge tulle bridal gowns that elicited a smattering of spontaneous clapping. I have a suspicion it might have come from Spector’s parents, seated front row, but this was an applause-worthy collection nonetheless.

Pam Hogg at London Fashion Week AW12 // Definitely NSFW

What: Pam Hogg AW12 at London Fashion Week

Where: Vauxhall Fashion Scout

When: Sunday 19th February 2012 at 7.30pm

Who: Alexandra Burke, plus loads of ageing celebs including the original supermodel Janice Dickinson, Jo Wood, Duran Duran’s Nick Rhodes and Siouxsie Sioux on the front row. Also actress Jaime Winstone modelled.

I love a bit of LFW drama. And boy was there plenty of it on Sunday night outside the Pam Hogg show. A very pushy lady was being ejected before she’d even got in the door, and she was not happy about it, shrieking and shouting at the bouncers. The drama continued on the catwalk, with a typically jaw-dropping delivery from Hogg. I had to squeeze in at the back of the extremely crowded venue and strain to get a decent view in between other people’s heads, hence my less than perfect photos.

The skintight full-body catsuit is Hogg’s stock in trade, and this season that stock was rendered in myriad variations of red, white and black panels, and silver metallic lycra too, each crowned with a huge neckpiece reminiscent of old fashioned ladies bonnets (or, to be completely honest, those collars that vets put on sick dogs). The suits got skimpier as the show went on, until all that remained in the midst of an entirely see-through gauze number was a tiny strip of black lycra preserving the model’s modesty. Another, which, as you can see from the photo, had Nick Rhodes in stitches, was completely opaque, but had a huge brown fur bonnet attached and a strip of matching fur on the crotch. You’ve got to love Hogg’s sense of humour.

Jaime Winstone’s blushes were saved as she sported a high-necked red, white and grey dress with a stiff full skirt for her turn on the catwalk, during which she stopped halfway for a little dance with another model. There was then an uncharacteristically girly interlude that featured a long sequinned gown and a catsuit, both in baby pink – not a colour you’d associate with punk icon Pam. The sweetness didn’t last for long though, because the final look was pure sex: a confluence of lipstick red bows and a pair of knickers that barely concealed the model’s naughty bits, it could have come straight off the rack at Agent Provocateur. It’s the sort of thing that makes Hogg such a hot LFW ticket each season. When a show features this much nudity, no wonder people are clamouring to get in.

Aquascutum at London Fashion Week AW12 // A lesson in modern tradition

Although we were not lucky enough to attend the Aquascutum AW12 show on Saturday, we couldn’t resist sharing these gorgeous images from the new collection with you.  The quintessentially British label took to the runway yesterday afternoon and showcased an array of quality-crafted pieces in bonded wools, reworked english tweeds, fluid silks, shearling and contemporary leather.  With Joanna Sykes (design director for the label) claiming her inspiration was derived from ‘iconic British interiors and  architectural profiles’ it is no wonder such a sleek and no-nonsense collection came about.

Personally, the aviator-style jacket (pictured below) won my heart, and I am glad to see this style still rocking the catwalk after three consecutive seasons.  It is no wonder really, when the aviator oozes versatility and rock-star attitude (I mean, who doesn’t love a pilot?).  It is also brilliant to see a British label who has been established since 1851, and holds such international clout as Aquascutum does, still showing in the UK.  Long live Britannia!