Ones to Watch at London Fashion Week AW2013 | Are these the designer stars of the future?

What are we watching?

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.

Yeashin

Yeashin

Yeashin

Patrick Li

Patrick Li

Patrick Li

Yulia Kondranina

Yulia Kondranina

Yulia Kondranina

Style and Then Some’s London Fashion Week AW13-14 preview – the most exciting designers to look out for

Fashion month is upon us again but with new talent and high street stores signing up to show at London Fashion Week AW13, it’s trickier than ever to know which collections to look out for, the livestreams to bookmark and the names to remember.

We asked a few fashion industry pals and our own S&TS contributors for some expert advice in the run up to London Fashion Week which kicks off on February 15th 2013.

Katie Wright, editor of Style & Then Some @BlondeKatie

If I had a magic ticket that got me into any show I’d be heading to Tom Ford – he’s doing a full-sized show in London for the first time – Christopher Kane, Mary Katrantzou (snapped with me above) and the ever star-studded Burberry extravaganza.

Colin McDowell has been raving about Fyodor Golan so that’s another name on my watch list, along with Ashish (SS13 above) and Moschino Cheap and Chic because they’re both always dazzlingly fun and wearable.

In recent seasons, my favourite shows have been Michael van der Ham (AW12 above) so I am looking forward to seeing what they’re up to for AW13. Plus I’ve been to Spijkers and Spijkers for the past three seasons too so I’m looking forward to seeing how they’re progressing.

Olivia Wakefield, editorial assistant at Net-a-Porter @OlivesW

I can’t wait for Simone Rocha’s new collection. She is a genius – romantic with a tough edge. Christopher Kane (above) is also a showstopper too; I love the sinister element to his pieces.

Outside of LFW, I’m interested to see Hedi Slimane’s follow-up at Saint Laurent. His LA grunge aesthetic is great.

Without a doubt I’ll be coveting bits by Proenza Schouler, Miu Miu and Erdem this season.

Helen Coakley, writer at Style & Then Some @Helencoakley

Having followed the development and evolution of both Christopher Raeburn’s menswear and womenswear collections (AW12 above) over the past few years, I’m really intrigued to see what AW13-14 will hold in store for the growing brand. With Victoria Beckham now a major fan, it’ll be all eyes on the NEWGEN designer at Fashion Week.

I witnessed Bora Aksu’s insanely dreamy, other-worldly SS13 show last season where Eastern European princesses dominated and flower crowns stole the show (not to mention the harem of celebrities who were sitting pretty FROW). We’ll see this amazing designer develop his vision for AW13-14.

Alice Marmion, non-apparel sourcing at Burberry

Obviously I’m biased but I’m most looking forward to Burberry, we have some exciting things coming up next season. Working in sourcing means I’m already looking towards SS14 as we work so far ahead.

Other than Burberry I’ll be keeping an eye on Mulberry for the shapes and leather and Erdem for the prints.

Fashion Scout have put forward three designers Yeashin Lin, Patrick Li and Yulia Kondranina – it’s headed up by Hilary Alexander and she knows a thing or two about fashion!

Dee Acharya, features assistant at ES magazine @dee_acharya

First up, Simone Rocha because you always respect a designer who can pack the tent at Somerset House and prove her worth with a SS collection (above) that felt like it was almost exclusively in white.

I’m also looking forward to Sophia Webster’s presentation because I haven’t been this excited about an accessories designer since Charlotte Olympia’s debut and I like her tongue in cheek style. She’s already assisted Nicholas Kirkwood for a while so the girl knows how to make a cult shoe.

Another highlight will be Matthew Williamson’s show because I want to see how he’ll beat that magical show from last season. The dresses are always exquisite in their detail and flamboyant colours.

Ones to Watch SS13 at London Fashion Week

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.

 

Photos: Faraz Pourreza-Jorshari www.boomson.com

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.