London Fashion Week SS16

[av_heading tag='h3' padding='10' heading='London Fashion Week SS16' color='' style='blockquote modern-quote modern-centered' custom_font='' size='' subheading_active='' subheading_size='15' custom_class=''][/av_heading][av_hr class='default' height='50' shadow='no-shadow' position='center' custom_border='av-border-thin' custom_width='50px' custom_border_color='' custom_margin_top='30px' custom_margin_bottom='30px' icon_select='yes' custom_icon_color='' icon='ue808'][av_one_full first min_height='' vertical_alignment='' space='' custom_margin='' margin='0px' padding='0px' border='' border_color='' radius='0px' background_color='' src='' background_position='top left' background_repeat='no-repeat'][av_masonry_gallery ids='2631,2632,2633,2634,2635,2637,2639,2636,2651,2652,2653,2655,2674,2675,2676,2677' items='-1' columns='4' paginate='none' size='flex' gap='1px' overlay_fx='active' caption_elements='excerpt' caption_display='on-hover' container_links='active' id=''][/av_one_full][av_one_full first min_height='' vertical_alignment='' space='' custom_margin='' margin='0px' padding='0px' border='' border_color='' radius='0px' background_color='' src='' background_position='top left' background_repeat='no-repeat'][av_textblock size='' font_color='' color='']

(Psst..! Hi! * Awkward Wave* Missed New York Fashion Week? No problem! Have a read here! )

Day 13

Anya Hindmarch 

The woman who is the reigning queen of witty accessories (you know the leather smiley stickers considered to be a prerequisite to be in the blogging bizzz) presented a collection full of British dry humor and logomania leaving us with a smile and a chuckle as the we start to flock to Milan. The inspirations range from cool kid on the block John Lewis - to the non brits, no it is not a "He" it is a department store selling all your needs from Molton Brown soaps to Barbour Jackets to KitchenAid blenders - to Boots the U.S equivalent to Walgreens and WHSmith (classic) the go-to newsagent and destination for all my University stationary needs. Once you grasp the irony and awe that fashion is inspired by the standard local highstreet, you begin to realize that this is genius and the thousands of marketing campaigns and subliminal advertising make up so much of our day and define life here in 2015. (As a marketing undergrad this is some serious stuff- be prepared for an in depth analysis which will be picked to the bone) Such logos are being turned on their heads and are reinvented as cool graphic patterns printed on sweaters, booties, and bags with even the Boots typeface written on a pair of leather boots - HAHA get it? 8} While the predominantly leather collection was strong with fun design and a witty background, they are the accessories which will sell and why the mini-soda can key ring purses and cleaning sponge key chains which will grasp the most attention. So without further ado...

OFF TO MILAN

Day 12

Burberry

A 32 set orchestra accompanied Alison Moyet in setting the vocal tone and getting the atmosphere just right for the show: romantic, precisely executed, and a little raw and cheekily rustic. What bothered me was that the music seemed to overshadow the clothes, and looking back when I think of the show I’m thinking of the brilliant performance. The music was so beautiful with the performers center stage (runway), models having to curve around the sphere to continue on their route. Snap out of it! You are at a fashion show - not a Moyet concert! And this is where I have my problem - amongst the Snapchats (showing the audience a collection preview), their new Beats Radio channel, the placement of celebrities center screen for the live stream (What will Cara do next?!), and the blatant pushing of key pieces (BUY NOW)- the backpack with the initials…-  You really got the feeling that Burberry is a great business. It does great marketing but what about the clothes? They were pretty: lacey shift dresses under military style trench coats (the military company which works on the metal work for the regalia of the Queen’s Guard trimmed the classic trench in gold braid!). Also one needs to applaud Bailey with his sense of the now by combining different aesthetics into one: “This is a mixing of different worlds, high and low, evening and day,” perfectly exemplified by the sandals worn with long ladylike silk gowns. It did balance military structure with feminine softness with style but when I think of Burberry it isn't about the clothing - it is a lifestyle - is this a fashion breakthrough revolution? is this the creativity waving the white flag to commerce?

Giles and Erdem coming soon... I promise! <3 

Day 11

Preen

Justin Thornton and Thea Bregazzi continued on the melody played in New York of asymmetrical shaping and ruffles, but also the nonchalance of a falling-off-shoulder line - very fluid and 90s. The flowery prints, transparency, and bundles of lace were of course stemming from a feminine inspiration but did encompass a rebellious, punky sexiness only the British can do! Although next season might be once for the girly girls, Preen meets us half way and helps retain a sharp edge. I personally loved the collage print dresses which looked cut, slashed and pasted together making us wonder if we could pull this off and how many wonderful styling options would go with such dresses - maybe a pair of black flair pants underneath?

David Koma

What comes to mind after seeing the clothes strut down the runway is the concept of unwrapping. Zippers played the protagonist while the occasional sash tied up at the waist line was teasingly tying up the ensemble. Sleeves were sliding off while floating corsets rose above flute skirts and a pair of skinnies. Like what we saw at Preen - dresses which were only barely together - this risky form was uneasy and complicated. And we like it.

Mary Katrantzou

Once again, Mary shot us up into the stratosphere with brilliant sequins full of sparkle and shine catching every ounce of light shining its way. I’d describe the collection as taking bohemian chic and turning up the pulsing electricity up to about a million volts. You could see eastern european patterns redefined in shocking neons, metallic quilting and Swarovski micro sequins and one cant help but wonder but are these maximalist baltic references subconscious reactions to the current mass migration?

Day 10

J.W Anderson

Oh, Jonathan.  How is it that you season after season continue to set the bar higher and higher and making us want to wear things we thought were monstrosities and wouldn't be caught dead in?! Cue the “Mom, how could you wear that?”’80s leg-of-mutton sleeves dresses. The sweatsuits veiled in transparent net, the Keith Haring-esque squiggle prints plastered upon dresses and bags (worn two at a time across the torso like panniers), the ruffled A-line dresses, galactic knitted pantsuits, the its bitsy teeny weeny bikini top, the gold metal chokers - all smash hits converging the avant garde with easy wearability.

Simone Rocha

Set at Lancaster House in London, Rocha presented the collection interpreted as an absolute triumph due to her impressive mastery of material, color and shaping: there were bamboo prints plastered here and there, bows, knots and braids entangling the body, organza skirts, bubble sleeve dresses, transparent plastic bodices, silk strands running down the back… Each look could be analyzed for at least 10 minutes and one could still not appreciate the craftsmanship, detail, and amount of ideas conjured up for every angle! What is to blame for this masterpiece? Pregnancy! Rocha’s senses were heightened to maximum levels making her hyper-aware of the world around her - translating her senses into clothing. The three words that come straight to mind about the collection would be prettiness, tender, perverse. Pretty as in pretty in Pink. Tender due to the transparency and softness of the materials and atmosphere. Perverse as there was an electric sexual undercurrent surging through the “young girls wearing frilly pink” dresses where one of Rocha’s inspirations (while pregnant in Japan) is to blame: photographer Nobuyoshi Araki whose work involves a focus on specialist bondage practices.

House of Holland

The 1998 cult classic Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas staring a young Johnny Depp is Henry Holland’s theme for this season providing us with a fun maximalist overload and making us feel-good high on life. The questionable color combinations, bold prints (like cactus), bucket hats, and above all the bejewled/embroidered bugs which were creepy crawling all over transparent dresses made for a psychedelic, hallucinatory experience where we too wanted to go on a adventure. For a statement piece- they were hands down the funky fresh ostrich feather shoes. For those who haven't seen the film, the collection reminded me at least of a plastic jungle were nothing is natural or organic, more is more, and  adventure is always lurking just around the corner.

Gareth Pugh

Standing Ovation Please- a show where you get goose bumps due to it’s sheer beauty and message and leaving you with a very emotional response. The show was extravagant and heart racing where you just wanted to slip into one of the signature colored red dresses and boogy all night under the strobe lights or shimmy the night away in the. paillette-covered  dangerously low cut romper. The clothing was about having fun and looking good and that you are worth having the time of your life. Key word is worth, as the pailletes were actually pence coins (you are actually wearing money. You ARE money. You are valuable. You can purchase/ deserve what ever you want. You make the world go round…) I think that is such a unique and philosophic concept I just want to thank Gareth for spotlighting the idea of money = reward, we = money, we = reward, so what more can we want - everything in our wildest dreams belongs to us so let’s go out and celebrate. Oh, and the striking colors, dream exquisitely tailored trench coats, and beautiful silk faille suits made us want to spend. I’ll dare to #TBT to 2012 and say YO to the LO.

Day 9

Eudon Choi

Bud-um-chy! Day 9 and our premier of London Fashion week courtesy to Eudon Choic who underlined the trend of our time: the 90s. There were many silmilarities to what we saw at Calvin Klein. Drawstrings were generously  dangling off dresses, coats, and tops giving basics new shape and movement, and also there was the slashing of seams going up to the elbow (TREND ALERT). The silhouette was kept oversized with the focus off center with an easy breezy cut avoiding those harsh architectural lines we saw last season. What was striking was the pastel and neutral color palette inspired from the victorian painter John Anster Fitzgerald who specialized in fairies (who wouldn't want to specialize in fairies?) giving the collection a magical and enchanting filter. Modern, minimal with a pinch of grungy Victoriana - Check.

Molly Goddard

A presentation where the setting I could immediately imagine being Tavi Gevinson’s sweet sixteen birthday party. Not that I know her personally nor was invited to, but the vibe of teenage angst, exploration, celebration, creativity, innocence, confusion, wonder, unfiltered coolness was felt so strongly. The girls did not care if their biker boots didn't match their pink tutu off the shoulder bright hot pink tulle dress- they knew they looked awesome “so its more your problem if you have an issue with it” I imagine them saying. Molly Goddard underlined again why the world loves British experimental fashion as it brings ideas to the table and crosses convention. Each look was completely individual and sometimes kitschy with those acidic - confectionary colors leaving a bitter sweet after taste. Original, daring, fun - a success!

DAKS

Creative director Filippo Scuffi continued on with fashion’s current obsession with Wes Anderson’s  The Royal Tenenbaums (see Gucci, Prada, Pucci, and co…) due to ‘70s vintage undertones of psychedelic flower power prints, floor sweeping maxi dresses, patterned maximalist ensembles and above all the key color: rust the color of the generation. Overall the collection reminded me of a well furnished en vogue living room - you had white marble (skirts and dresses), flowing and breezy dresses (very curtain like), patterns appropriate for any upholstery, and suede patch-pocket skirts (worthy of any couch). Combine these textiles together and you've got yourself a great space. Has DAKS inspired me to rather refurbish my room or my wardrobe remains debatable…

[/av_textblock][/av_one_full][av_social_share title='Share this entry' style='' buttons='' share_facebook='' share_twitter='' share_pinterest='' share_gplus='' share_reddit='' share_linkedin='' share_tumblr='' share_vk='' share_mail=''][/av_social_share][av_comments_list]