I feel like this season fashion week was understated in
parts. I don’t mean this as a negative, but I noticed that some of my favourite
parts where in the detailing and colour choices; I had to look for them or find them buried in the middle of collections rather than them jump out at me , but they were most definitely there. So in no particular order, here is my shortlist of the bits I thought deserved a mention one way or another:
1. The Rain.
Let’s be honest, it wouldn’t have been London
if it didn’t chuck it down for a few hours each day, but never before had I
held a newspaper above my head in an attempt to keep dry until this LFW. The
courtyard space was emptier than I’ve seen it in previous seasons, with
everyone instead huddled together under the covered foyer near the entrance. A
few photographers attempted, with little success, to clear a space and tried
and snap shots of their favourite outfits and their wearers.
Someone in the courtyard asked to
take my picture I think it was on the Tuesday, and I must have given him a look of pure horror
as what he was actually asking was for me to come out from underneath my
friend's umbrella and into the steadily increasing precipitation.
2. Jean Pierre Braganza.
Braganza opened with a black, white and pink striped mac, reminiscent of the Blair Waldorf silhouette from Gossip Girl; Braganza stated his influence came from the way “his daughter and her friends wear their school uniforms just so—everything a little off, a calculated insouciance.” [Maya Singer, Style.com]
The collection then continued with this look (below) which is definitely my favourite - clever sleeve detailing, playful twists of the school uniform silhouette, pulled together with hints of sportswear mesh. Yum. However, I feel like the rest of the collection dwindled slightly, personal opinion but I just desperately craved more like this look!
I want it in my wardrobe. In three different colour palettes. Maybe a neon.
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| [credit: style.com] |
3. Marcus Lupfer.
I like the contrast of silhouette and print. Lupfer has clashed simple adult lines with kiddish, playful prints and slogan t-shirts with badge-like applique. I guess it's true what they say: High school never ends. "A
teenybopper's bedroom, full of girly stuff" [Afsun Qureshi, style.com] sums up his presentation well.
Personally I'm really enjoying playing with print at the moment, that alongside my obsession with my constant theme: 'the self, the other self and the child within' makes this collection a great one for me. Also it looks super wearable, I wouldn't be afraid to get this pieces a little dirty.
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| [credit: style.com] |
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| [credit: style.com] |
5. Ashish.
The Hair. It trumped Mark Fast's "party-girl" hair by miles. Spray in extension what-have-yous? AMAZING. Also the burnished silver headpieces clashed with customised shopping bags caught my eye - I wish I could look this (shabby) chic when doing the walk of shame to the corner shop to pick up a hangover pizza and emergency bottle of diet coke.
I also love a mixed male/female catwalk, all in all thumbs up.
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| [credit: style.com] |
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| [credit: style.com] |
6.
Colour.
It was the pops of brightness and the sickly sweet pastels that clashed and complimented each other at the same time which got me. I think the award would be between
Emilia Wickstead or
Burberry Prorsum. I have to say i'm not normally a fan of the pink but I think this season I've definitely come around.
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| Emilia Wickstead [credit: style.com] |
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| Burberry Prorsum [credit: style.com] |
7. Christopher Kane.
Anatomical floral cut outs? Hell yes. But some of what happened in this collection I'm not so sure. I get there was a lot of florals this season and I'm glad Christopher Kane did something different, his combination of scientific diagrams, sometimes positioned strategically to emphasise the female reproductive organs was clever. I also really loved the series of dresses with sheer mint green pleats encased with white, these looked like flowers at different points of bloom but also looked like beautiful dresses. These weren't too literal or too understated, for me they were just right.
However, I see the slogan jumpers as a pure money maker and brought down the rest of the collection. I feel like the words selected could have been more poignant; we get it, flowers, but what else is it about? It could have meant so much more.
I also liked the petal shaped cut out at the beginning of the collection but 15 looks of the same technique? Hmm.
Overall it just felt a little much, so many strong elements I feel it was almost overflowing with ideas rather than perfecting one or two.
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| [credit: style.com] |
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| [credit: style.com] |
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| [credit: style.com] |
8. Simone Rocha.
'Deconstructed Upper East Side ladies who lunch' was what first thing that sprang to mind. Little Miss Priss coming away at the seams, both physically and mentally. The waistlines of the skirts slung low and revealing a lot of skin. There was a sense of sexual confidence. This was seen again in the pocket slits cut into the skirts, at garter height (minus the actual pockets).
All this finished with rebellious knee socks topped with pearls? Needless to say I'm excited for her next collection.
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| [credit: style.com] |
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| [credit: style.com] |
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| [credit: style.com] |
9. Erdem.
The thing which I loved that he did was the layering. It was the materials he used which made this so effective - the sheer organza allowed the models hands to be seen through the pockets. I also enjoyed the high society tabard-like finish of the dress below, but then over a white shirt and nothing else? There was definitely an echo of privileged public school kids and their wardrobes.
"Rebels
and jocks and nerds and boys who put their mothers' couture dresses over their
school shirts" is the description given by Erdem Moralioglu, the creative director.
On the other hand, the near all white and black colour scheme and floaty, translucent fabric choices created something haunting in the collection, like these teenagers were ghosts of our generation or perhaps generation past, quietly observing from their ethereal positions above.
Too much or not enough?
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| [credit: style.com] |
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| [credit: style.com] |
9.5. Ryan Lo (Fashion East).
I had to give a quick mention to Ryan Lo's collection, although fairly simple shapes, I think the Sylvanian Families theme is darling. The lace and layers really work well together and combined with the pastel pink and yellow colour scheme I think this is a strong collection. I really like the clashes in texture too: granny knits with delicate lace work well together and make me reminisce of my days dressing up as a child. The prints also stand out for me, they bring back memories of plastic table cloths in colourful designs, no doubt covered in messy glitter glue and paper cuttings by tea time.
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| [credit: style.com] |
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| [credit: style.com] |
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| [credit: style.com] |
10. Meadham Kirchhoff.
Finally, Meadham Kirchhoff. WOW. I think this collection was my favourite, it would come down to a toss up between this and KTZ. I loved the Little-Red-Riding-Hood-wandered-off-into-the-woods-and-lost-her-innocence vibe. There were elements in complete contrast with one another: deconstruction and careful craft. These are enchanted soft-gothic victorian possessed rag doll outfits. Not-so-little-girl tea dresses with peter pan collars were clashed with gold full-length gloves. It was eerie and seductive. I loved it in the entirety.
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| [credit: style.com] |
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| [credit: style.com] |
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| [credit: style.com] |
