September 19, 2013

London Fashion Week SS14; Show-stoppers

I’ve attended London Fashion Week on and off over the years and each time it seems to get better and better. Dolce & Gabana model David Gandy recently expressed his view of London as the most important fashion capital of the world and Tom Ford bluntly said that us Londoners have even conquered the French in the style wars. Having lived in Paris for a year I did notice the difference in the sartorial preferences of the two cities and must admit that London definitely has that je ne sais quoi (even though French fashionistas can master chic blindfolded). As I’ve previously mentioned in this blog being a Londoner just makes me biased towards the fashion of my city which I believe to be more diverse and bold than the other main fashion capitals (Milan, New York and Paris). Whilst Japan definitely steals the global crown for adventurous fashion with its Harajuku girls, whilst I admire their fashion and culture I know I couldn’t pull it off. London fashion has just the right level of edge not to be boring but to stand out from the global crowds. This couldn’t be more clearly demonstrated than by the delights that were showcased by the plethora of designers at London Fashion Week SS14. The following shows in particular really blew me away and left me yearning for more. Luckily there were so many more visual (and culinary) treats that I will share in my next posts.

Conchita Perez (above)

Mark Fast

Conchita Perez and Mark fast both celebrated the punk and grunge revival which is especially a la mode since the Punk exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum (New York). Fast’s collections are usually uber sexy so the dark hair and clunky boots were a departure for his signature glamour puss vibe, plus the models had particularly boyish shapes (part of me was hoping plus sized model Crystal Renn would make another appearance in his show as I truly believe his dresses are somewhat better suited to curvier women). Conchita Perez took punk to another level and models walked down the catwalk with attitude and one even did a diva like dance/walk which was cool. As always there were very structured shapes especially in the jackets and cryptic phrases written on pieces in graffiti style. This was hands down the best show venue despite getting lost in the rain to find it. The railway arch / tunnel added to the striking visuals of the collection and was the perfect backdrop.

Swedish School of Textiles Degree Catwalk Show

Fyodor Golan

The Swedish School of Textiles degree show and Fyodor Golan were both light and airy compared to the former two shows. These shows were full of colours, luxurious silk and chiffon fabrics and left me with a warm feeling. The Swedish School of Textiles show lasted for a full hour but I was mesmerized for every second and only realised the show was that long after a PR told me after it had finished. The show had what Scadinavia is known for, effortlessly cool minimalist pieces but I was also pleasantly surprised by some more complicated designs with intricate cut out details and unusual shapes. Golan’s collection had a similar simplicity to what is usually expected of Scandinavian design combined with perfect tailoring and beautiful rich colours and fabrics. I can imagine how any woman could be transformed into feeling regal when wearing pieces from the collection. You may think it doesn’t get much better than this but there was even more of this calibre of talent that I will share in my next posts.