For the Spring/Summer 09 shows, I appeared to be one of the only people who wasn’t in awe of Kane’s offering. Yes I love those acid brights, and I am rather partial to a bit of leopard print. But I really didn’t take to the scalloped almost stegosaurus like edging and those monkey motifs frightened me. But this Autumn/Winter 09 collection, I really get the hype.
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London Fashion Week: Louise Amstrup AW09
Danish born Louise Amstrup, showcased her third London Fashion Week show at Vauxhall Fashion Scout on Sunday, and having recently been selected to open the season’s Copenhagen Fashion Week with her AW09 collection, expectations were high. A series of strong silhouettes, including sharp shoulders and jutting hips created powerful shapes down the runway, emulating the hard-edged tailoring seen at Marc Jacobs and (dare I say it?) Victoria Beckham. Splashes of lemon yellow and burnt orange were compartmentalised against dark hues in black leather and heavy wool, creating an 80’s – yes you heard right, 80’s again – flash of leotards, leggings and oversized jackets which were softened by sheer panels and luscious, ragged frills.
Read MoreLondon Fashion Week: Bora Aksu AW09
Naughty but nice is the best way to describe Bora Aksu’s show. With a Marilyn Manson soundtrack and Jodie Harsh perched in the front row, it seemed Aksu was determined to misbehave. The audience at the On|Off show at the Science Museum certainly seemed to enjoy it, giving Aksu one of the most enthusiastic applauses I have heard all Fashion Week. Although that could have been down to their relief at being able to leave the Amazonian heat of the auditorium. Spare a thought for those poor models.
Read MoreLondon Fashion Week: Ashley Isham AW09
There was much to love about Ashley Isham’s collection. Models with quiff’s that Prince would be proud of strutted their way down the catwalk in a selection of gowns influenced by 40s and 80s glamour. Goddess gowns , Isham’s signature style , reigned supreme, with Grecian style frocks in wispy white. This was clearly a man having fun with texture, as gown after gown of embellished jacquard, satins, jersey and organza appeared.
Read MoreLondon Fashion Week: Maria Grachvogel AW09
With a jazz inspired soundtrack and each model sporting a grey silk skull cap, there was more than a whiff of the 1940s at the Maria Grachvogel show. The collection was staggeringly elegant. Halter dresses, flared catsuits and trousers, pussy bow blouses, in tweeds, silks and organzas, adorned with feathers, pleats and frills, just seemed to drip off the models bodies.
Read MoreLondon Fashion Week: Sado AW09
With some of the prettiest colour combinations I’ve seen, Carlotta Gherzi’s AW09 Sado collection featured simple silk pieces in grey, raspberry, orange and peach. Prim puff sleeve blouses, boxy cropped jackets, and mini capes in yummy sherbet dip hues were worn with grey knee socks and raspberry platform ankle boots. With a vaguely 70s feel to the show, Ali MacGraw in Love Story sprang to mind.
Read MoreLondon Fashion Week: Bernard Chandran AW09
Bernard Chandran’s AW09 collection was inspired by the ‘romance of the Far East’ which apparently translates as metallics, voluminous shapes, and graphic prints. Lame, glitter and studs in silver, gunmetal and gold reflected the stark white walls of the On|Off venue at The Science Museum.
Read MoreLondon Fashion Week: Modernist AW09
Aptly named ‘Exotic’, Modernist’s new collection incorporates natural and man-made materials ranging from Crocodile to goat and silk to cashmere, contrasting in a way that produces sumptuous texture, whilst not detracting from the structured shapes and clean lines that point to one half of the design duo’s (Abdul Koroma) previous education in architecture.
Read MoreLondon Fashion Week: It can’t be…it is, it’s Kanye!
This London Fashion Week has been a strange one, nothing happening quite as you expect. Usually mundane designers are creating kooky collections, whilst the ‘ones to watch’ are falling flat on their faces. Then there was the whole Lily Cole supermodel army at an off schedule show (Qasimi), it has been very strange indeed. But none weirder than my experience at Peter Jensen, there I sat staring at a man opposite me, thinking “I’m sure I know him. And of course I did, but I wasn’t certain and so omitted my celebrity spotting from my post on
Read MoreLondon Fashion Week is on the move
At the first show of London Fashion Week, which is always Paul Costello. It is customary for the chairman of the British Fashion Council to make a speech and declare Fashion Week open. And so, on Friday morning, we sat in our seats and waited for Harold Tillman to take his position on the catwalk, to thank all the usual people, sponsors and such. But instead he confirmed a rumour we reported on a couple of weeks ago.
Read MoreLondon Fashion Week: Eley Kishimoto AW09
“Come fly with me, let’s fly, let’s fly away this was the Eley Kishimoto theme. After handing over my invite which looked like a boarding pass, I was swept to my seat all to the sound of airport lounge chatter which came over the speakers. The show then began, and an air stewardess inspired collection strutted down the runway.
Read MoreLondon Fashion Week: Nicole Farhi AW09
This was a shockingly good show. Nicole Farhi is one of those designers who is famous for being classic. She can be relied on for the fail safe fashion, constantly churning out the same cuts, fabrics and colours. But for Autumn/Winter 09 it would seem the French-born designer has had something of an epiphany. The photographs in all fairness do not do the collection justice. It was a strong range, with a heavy emphasis on colour and design. The pieces were right on trend, those sci-fi shoulders were even present. The shows styling was also great, knee high socks were paired with towering almost stripper like heels. Hot pink long length gloves added a modern twist, whilst skinny snake effect belts added shape and definition. Key items included the fabulous leather dress with bronze studs, the wetlook dresses and the fabulous giant bow dresses. The knitwear was also right on trend, for a woman who usually sends down a ton of cardigans, it was amazing to see form fitting, on trend knits with perfect embellishment. In fact, this has been one of the strongest shows. It is a dangerous move, as she may inadvertently alienate her loyal, core customer base. But she is now more likely to attract a younger, more fashion friendly audience. I am honestly, in such shock, and exclaimed loudly as the second model appeared “oh my god, this is actually good which did attract a few looks, but I know they were thinking the same.
Read MoreLondon Fashion Week: Betty Jackson AW09
This year marks the 25th anniversary of London Fashion Week, a celebration of British designers which began in an Olympia car park and included a presentation from the legendary Betty Jackson. A quarter of a century later Jackson told London Fashion Week Daily that the British Fashion Council’s event “wasn’t all slick and fabulous like it is now.” These days however, Betty Jackson’s show is both slick and fabulous. Her AW09 collection was a dream from start to finish and the lyrics drifting up over the transfixed crowd echoed my sentiments exactly: “I’m in love.”
Read MoreLondon Fashion Week: Qasimi AW09
Making their debut this time last year, Qasimi is the brainchild of the architecturally trained H.H. Khalid bin Sultan AlQasimi and Elliott J. Frieze. For AW09, the duo chose the magnificent architectural wonder of St. Mary’s Church to showcase their third collection. Lit so that the stage appeared to be glowing, the building was the perfect setting for Qasimi’s Victorian Gothic glamour – imagine My Fair Lady in mourning and you’re halfway there. The entirely black palette was lifted by light-reflecting silk, velvet, and lace and a stellar cast of Britain’s best modelling talent, including Jade Parfitt and a crowd-pleasing Yasmin LeBon. Erin O’Connor started the proceedings in a spectacular inky black headdress and bustle gown, while an ageless Carmen Dell’Orifice ended the show on a high point in a similar Victorian period piece costume. Lily Cole modelled a fabulously flirty and frilly take on the era in a corset mini dress, proving Victorian can be both powerful and sexy. Despite these dark delights that peppered the illuminated Qasimi runway, I found it difficult to imagine anyone except Eliza Doolittle herself wearing them off the catwalk. More plausible were the silk lapels on a smart le smoking tux and the cobweb sleeves that hung glittering from a simple column gown – items I can envisage wearing again and again.
Read MoreLondon Fashion Week: Ann-Sofie Back AW09
This show followed straight on from Peter Jensen, so if I was gushing a little too much in my Jensen review it was because this was in contrast horrific. The theme for this collection is: “Ann-Sofie Back burns in hell. Now I’m not being funny, but if you choose this as a theme, you need to make sure your collection is so good that it doesn’t actually create catwalk hell. Back clearly didn’t understand this and instead gave us a horrific show or should I say horror show?! To music from all our favourite horror movies, zombie models strolled, and in one case, tripped their way down the catwalk. Whitened faces, with big black eyes and contact lenses that made them look possessed was the ‘beauty’ trend. The show was based on horror movies, and Poltergeist was clearly a major theme as the majority of models were made to look like walking dream catchers. Carrie was also an influence, seen best by the corpse style prom queen complete with tiara. Everything was ripped and ‘distressed’, jeans, jumpers, t-shirts, dresses and skirts. The best items were an egg shaped coat with unusual fastenings, a sweatshirt saying ‘Boo!’ and a graphic jumper dress. It was however, an appalling collection. I like to think I push boundaries with fashion, I like to wear the unwearable in an act of defiance to those who class them as such. But this truly was completely and utterly unwearable. Even the more simple designs, I just thought “why bother? you can pick up similar styles by rock brands on the high street. Sorry Ann-Sofie Back but you really did crash and burn.
Read MoreLondon Fashion Week: Peter Jensen AW09
Peter Jensen is the king of kooky style. There is always a grown up cutesy feel but without being sickly. This was a very unusual collection and felt slightly more spring/summer than autumn/winter. The theme was ladylike folk. A mixture of textures including crochet and knits were set against ladylike structures and knitted hats. There was a sense of optimism throughout and I am loving those over-the-knee boots.
Read MoreLondon Fashion Week: John Rocha AW09
This was a surprisingly strange show. There are designers you rely on for beautiful simplicity, like Betty Jackson and Paul Smith, John Rocha is one of these. But this Autumn/Winter 09, he was clearly feeling creative. But did this creativity pay off? I’m not so sure. If I were to describe the look of the show I would say it was Princess Elizabeth I sent to the future. Ok, I know that sounds weird, but there was a regal feel with oversized headbands, ruffs and skirts. The lines however were futuristic and padded hips and collars looked a little more Comme Des Garcons than Rocha. So what were the highlights? I thought the nipped in waist suiting was gorgeous and the bold orange will look great in the winter. There was a really sexy tight fitting sheer knitted dress, which was paired with a stunning handbag, shaped like a bean. The princess nudes also looked cute and feminine. As for the lowlights, I did not like the strange exaggerated skirting. I am usually a fan of big skirts, but up close, they looked disfiguring. I also didn’t care much for the tweed section of the show, I don’t really get the tweed swimsuit. The jury’s still out on the fur, part of me was quite taken with the idea of a cropped fur jumper, and then part thought it was all a little excessive. The key aspects were the tailoring, dropped waists and full skirts, Rocha’s technical ability cannot be called into question. But I felt that it lacked the stylish beauty of other collections.
Read MoreLondon Fashion Week: Jenny Packham AW09
What do you get if you cross gypsy style, with Indian beading and a tassel salesman? Jenny Packham’s Autumn/Winter 09 collection. It was the strangest show. Jenny Packham is loved by celebs and she does make fabulous eveningwear, but as a collection this was confusing and yawn worthy. It was a strange combination of colours and choice of styles. The highlights were, well mainly the delicious chocolates in my goodie bag but other than that it was the cap sleeved floor length gowns. The beauty of these was the 1930s look to them, they were sophisticated yet sexy. There was also a great mini dress, made up of black ruffles and was embellished at the neck with a giant black jewel. The mustard shades were lovely although the dresses themselves were not, please refer to the crumbled tulle thing. A red floor length was quite spectacular, but the red mini was horrifying. If you haven’t guessed this was a total hit or miss show. But why didn’t it work? Two things mainly, one was the unflattering cuts, particularly the ones which had cut out belly button areas, I’m pretty sure showing off your belly button died out in the 90s. The second was the tassels, I cannot explain to you how many tassels there were. One dress was made entirely of tassel cords, whilst the rest of the dresses were covered in the things, or had them as belts, which made the whole ensemble look like curtains. It was all very weird, if anyone can answer what the attraction of tassels is, please write in and let me know.
Read MoreLondon Fashion Week: Charles Anastase AW09
So what do you do, when you’ve put your best clothes on, your wearing staggering high heels, you’ve got your ticket in hand and then you have a door slammed in your face? This was my Charles Anastase experience today. After queuing for a while and having run from John Rocha, I was all ready with my ticket to get into the show. And after much waiting, and complaining of sore feet, we climbed the steps to enter, then the PRs turned and said they were now at full capacity, we couldn’t come in, and with that they closed the door. On the up side this meant I was on time for the next show, and after reviewing the images, I didn’t miss much. How to describe Charles Anastase Autumn/Winter 09? Oh I know, Peaches Geldof. I’m not sure I need to say any more. There was quite a nice striped oversized jumper, but it was no different from something you might pick up in Topshop. A velvet dress with floppy hat was quite cool, very Biba. But these were the only real highlights for they were lost in the mess of platform combat boots, ripped tights, gothic make up and what were in essence dull clothes. Could it get worse? Why of course it can, how do you do a model’s make up at one of the most anticipated shows? Do you go gothic? Romantic? Or maybe creative? Not if you’re Anastase, for he thought it was best to make it look like the models had covered their faces in mud. Nice. So the collection was mainly made up of baggy jeans, scrawled t-shirts, a bit of leopard print… Peaches’ wardrobe. But there was one must have item: see-through nylon trousers, my my, where can I get such wonderous […]
Read MoreLondon Fashion Week: Ashish AW09
Arriving in a Leicester Square full of confused tourists, I rounded a corner to discover a massive queue waiting to get into the show. Ashish was the hottest ticket of the day and was the first event to really generate a sense of excitement from the LFW crowd. The Hippodrome is a massive venue, but it was packed. Ashish chose a circus theme for his AW09 show and a trapeze artist on a spinning hoop provided the entertainment as the audience filed in, while circus-themed music and strings of lights created a big-top atmosphere.
Read MoreLondon Fashion Week: Central St. Martins AW09
This is one of the shows that fashion lovelies flock to see. This show is almost a game, as each member of the audience sits backs and attempts to spot the ‘next big thing.’ But of course, everything comes down to personal preference. And whilst the person next to you may be looking for another Christopher Kane, you may be looking for something completely new.
Read MoreLondon Fashion Week: Noir/Bllack Noir AW09
This was ethical fashion’s time to say, “hey, look, we can be super slick, super sexy, and super fashionable to. And they did show the world that ethical fashion doesn’t have to be all boho hippies and jerseys. This was a sexy, vampish collection. Lots of black, navy and hints of gold and copious amounts of leather. Yes this was a collection not to be messed with. An array of leather trousers headed down the catwalk, my favourites being a leather/lycra combo with leather at the front and a jodhpur like lycra at the back and a pair of leather harem trousers that should just not work, but they did, they really did. There was a sportswear-biker influence, nicely draped silks were set against the tough biker style leathers. The majority of leather was seen in the Bllack Noir section of the show, a leather mini dress also was fab. The Noir was a lighter, freer look, although still keeping heavy leather accessories. Duck egg blues brought colour to the show; a mini silk dress with an abstract pattern was wearable and sexy. The antique gold sequined creations were lovely whilst the navy full-length gown with sequin arm detailing was phenomenal. They weren’t cutting edge designs, but I think this was its appeal. It showed the audience, glamour, sex and wearability, which for ethical fashion is the most important thing. It needed to show fashion lovers that sustainable fashion is as cool and chic as the mainstream. And this it did. [Images, Images]
Read MoreLondon Fashion Week is on the move
So just when we’d all started getting used to London Fashion Week being back at The Natural History Museum, there are now rumours it’s moving on. Perhaps taking a lead from New York Fashion Week, it is believed London could be heading to Somerset House. Possibly even in time for September’s fashion week. It isn’t the first time LFW has been a wandering, it moved to the Duke of York Headquarters for a bit until the council got tired of all the eccentric fashionistas running about, well strutting. Then it headed to Battersea Park which was the most dismal of moves, so much grass so many stilettos , a recipe for disaster. It eventually moved back to The Natural History Museum, which is in all fairness a great spot. You’re near Harrods for a nice little respite; you’ve got cafes, a nearby tube and tourists admiring your wares. Although Somerset House would be a wonderfully dramatic backdrop for LFW. I wonder if this means queues would be inside?! In a country where rain is more frequent than buses, outdoor tents and queuing are not ideal. We’ll be keeping an ear out for any whispering and further info next week when LFW kicks off. We’ll keep you posted. [Source]
Read MoreModel.Live Episode 7: “The Big Smoke Casts Shrouds of Doubt on London Fashion Week
If you’ve been glued in to Model.Live since its premier episode, we’re sure there’s been a subtle growth of attachment towards Austria, Madeline, and Cato. As you all know, I happened to have caught a case of Madelinophilia around the second episode and I’ve been enamored ever since. In my eyes, she’s a “true blue, dinky di Aussie so the philia is bona fide!
Read MoreLondon Fashion Week: The Round-Up
The Trends: Stepford Wives , Ladylike glamour with a sexy edge, think form fitting dresses and pencil skirts. Playschool , A childish trend to embrace the sun, think primary colours, childlike prints, dinosaurs, trapeze tops and tent dresses. The Orient , Grace and elegance are seen in Obi belts, silk prints, florals, feathers and birds. Barely There , Sheer almost invisible chiffons, nude coloured laces, SS09 is all about baring all. Space Age , With a strong emphasis on tailoring exaggerated shoulders and hips created a futuristic look found in leathers, cottons and playsuits.
Read MoreWin London Fashion Weekend Tickets, £200 and a years supply of Chambord. Hurry! Giveaway Ends Tomorrow
***UPDATE***: This giveaway is now closed. Congratulations to the winner – Victoria Obar. Thanks to EVERYONE that entered! Thanks to Chambord, the luxury French black raspberry liqueur and sponsor of this seasons Fashion Week, My Fashion Life is offering one lucky reader the chance to win two tickets to
Read MoreLondon Fashion Week: SADO
SADO presented their Spring/Summer 09 collection this week to much applause. The utterly wearable line had strong influences from tropical art deco Miami with a colourful palette of blues, pinks, salvia green and brick orange. Combine this with a geometric pattern inspired by the Egyptian pyramids, add a dash of 1950s and 1980s influence, and you can be sure that I was wanting to transport myself to a warm and sunny beach resort, Pina Colada in hand.
Read MoreLondon Fashion Week: Aminaka Wilmont
As winners of last seasons Fashion Fringe trophy Aminaka Wilmont have quickly established a name for themselves, most often associated with avant-garde shapes and innovative use of fabrics. There was certainly an air of anticipation amongst the audience as the onset of heavy guitar music boldly indicated the beginning of their second showing London Fashion week; ‘Perfect Imperfection.’
Read MoreLondon Fashion Week: Modernist
On arrival at Modernist show guests were presented with a single pastel pink rose setting the tone perfectly for the uber romantic, dreamy collection which followed. It was by far my favourite show of the day, which is not surprising when taking into account my unconditional love for all things girlie, yes that includes flowers, frills, lace and even ruffles, all of which featured across this collection.
Read MoreLondon Fashion Week: Osman Yousefzada
The sun finally decided to shine on the last day of London fashion week creating a particularly fitting atmosphere for Osman Yousefzada’s exotic ‘savage pagoda’ show. Following on from last season, South Asian influences punctuated this collection coming in the form of luxurious embroidery, draping fabrics and stylised shapes accessorised with lacquered samurai straw hats and chiffon head wraps which complimented the designs immaculately.
Read MoreLondon Fashion Week: Bernard Chandran
Bernard Chandran is running up his sixth season at London Fashion Week, and it’s obvious why the fashionista’s keep wanting more. For his SS09 the theme was Eastern Pop Culture versus Asia, without the cliches often witnessed at the mention of the orient. Traditionally sticking with the flamboyant nature of Asian design the outfits were nothing short of dramatic. Angular and arrogant, the outfits were short in length with everything going on up top , shapes were bold and unfussy, juxtaposing neat slices of colour and bare flesh.
Read MoreLondon Fashion Week: Vivienne Westwood Red Label
Even standing in the queue for this show was an event; it was a who’s who of celebsville, from Pamela Anderson to Mischa Barton to Kate Moss to Erin O’Connor and Dita Von Teese, yes they were all there en masse. Oh, and I must add that Dita really is flawless. So, on with the clothes and the curiously long catwalk (the models must have been exhausted). To say I was excited is an understatement but I am very pleased to report that the Grande Dame of fashion did not disappoint.
Read MoreLondon Fashion Week: Olanic
The show started with a rainstorm, ok it was lighting and but this was to set the theme of the quirky weather girl. The collection was certainly quirky but entirely wearable. A truly consumer friendly collection, every piece could be worn time and time again. With an 80s feel, jersey mini dresses and graphic prints looked surprisingly fresh and interesting. Jumpsuits also made an appearance and looked beach friendly and chic.
Read MoreLondon Fashion Week: Fashion East
Natascha Stolle Spring Summer 2009 Fashion East is a project that supports promoting new (or newish) designers. It originally started in The Old Truman Brewery in 1997; the brewery hosted a few shows and later became committed to helping recent graduates step up the design ladder. But the crowd gathered outside Quaglino’s (where this years winners were showcasing) suggests that these designers have already become something of a favourite in the fashion world.
Read MoreLondon Fashion Week: Basso and Brooke
Standing patiently in a cloyingly warm Science Museum, I awaited the much anticipated Basso and Brooke S/S 09 show. As previous winners of the inaugural Fashion Fringe award, the industry’s keen eye has been closely trained on this pair whose pioneering use of digital printing in their designs has got them considerable recognition across the fashion globe. And for those who relish Basso and Brooke’s mouth watering rainbow palettes and eye popping patterns, today’s show would not have disappointed.
Read MoreLondon Fashion Week: On|Off presents
Alexander Koutny Spring Summer 2009 With a celebrity riddled front row, Girl’s Aloud’s Nicola, Peaches Geldoff, Jodie Kidd, Jasmine Guinness, to name just a few, I settled down quite comfortably and eagerly awaited the show. The show was split into three sections for each of the three designers who were chosen by a panel as ones to watch to show their capsule collections.
Read MoreLondon Fashion Week: Ana Sekularac
The eighteenth century dwelling on 33 Portland Place was the ideal setting for a slightly risque display of non-saintly fashion. With hints of bondage, deadly stunning stilettos and rather big knickers, this for me was Tuesdays highlight. Panelled bodices and perfectly fitting mini dresses were order of the evening, lace was added in small quantities giving the designs a whiff of gothic decorum.
Read MoreLondon Fashion Week: Afshin Feiz
Glamour seemed to be on the agenda on day three of London Fashion Week. Afshin Feiz pioneered grown up girliness in his Spring/Summer 09 collection. Gorgeous pastels set against dove greys was the Feiz colour palette. Gowns and jumpsuits of varying lengths glided down the runway. In draped chiffon Feiz made a feature of the female body with cutaway sections, which were then encircled by mirrored embellishments.
Read MoreLondon Fashion Week: Eley Kishimoto
Eley Kishimoto showcased in the large BFC tent: on possibly one of the dreariest days of the year the collection was a lovely window into next years sunnier seasons. The show was dominated by a schoolgirl kitsch, big floaty dresses that kept the lines very simple with hardly a ruffle to be seen. Puff sleeves were probably the most endearing feature, I honestly haven’t gone near them since I was over the age of six, and it brought a certain sweet nostalgia to the show; as did the satchel bags, stripy sun hats and school-boy shorts.
Read MoreLondon Fashion Week: Ashley Isham
In perfect contrast to
Read MoreLondon Fashion Week: Nicole Farhi
Nicole Farhi is a brand that either pulls out all the stops or just flops. Last Spring/Summer was a pulls-out-all-the stops affair, chic playsuits and jumpsuits, unusual patterns and prints; there was something for everyone. This Spring/Summer sadly did not follow suit. Whist there were some nice pieces, pretty cotton sundresses and fabulous hats, I was left feeling underwhelmed. Pieces did fall into the emerging trends such as Stepford Wives and those bra crop tops, which seem to have appeared at almost every show. But the majority of pieces were fairly non-descript.
Read MoreLondon Fashion Week: Steve J and Yoni P
Heralded as ‘the ones to watch in the fashion world’,
Read MoreLondon Fashion Week: Reem
If Beatrix Potters’ Mrs. Tiddywinkle had decided to design haute couture with Vivienne Westwood it may have looked a little like Reem. The creations are fantastic; skirts are layer upon layer of rich lace, like the material equivalent of an apple strudel, but the seams are rough and uncomplicated – providing the designs with more edge than flounce.
Read MoreLondon Fashion Week: John Rocha
Before going to John Rocha yesterday I thought I knew what to expect. I was mistaken. Rocha’s presentation was a surprise – thankfully in a good way. The collection was breathtaking, stunning, gorgeous…I could go on.
Read MoreLondon Fashion Week: Qasimi
Military Britannia meets the Orient. Neat tailoring, slinky shirts and khaki colouring dominated the catwalk at Qasimi’s Spring Summer collection. Luxury silks, delicate colouring and waist high, form-fitting skirts had diminished the austere cut of trouser suits; replacing it with a far more enticing outlook on conservative dressing. Interspersed with the military parade came billowing ball gowns straight from an 1850’s Columbian tea party: just enough silks and flower motifs to ward off the cholera. Heavenly.
Read MoreLondon Fashion Week: Spijkers en Spijkers
In a frenzied mix of lace, silk, satin and chiffon there was a sense of Stepford Wives meets Barbarella. This is not to say that it was bad, but it was not all good. Known for their futuristic looking creations, this collection followed on nicely from last seasons, however I found that some pieces were over fussy and would have been stronger left simple with an edge.
Read MoreLondon Fashion Week: Paul Costelloe
In true London Fashion Week tradition, British institution Paul Costelloe opened this glorious week of glamour. After a speech by the new chairman of the British Fashion Council, Harold Tillman, Costelloe provided the eagerly awaiting guests a taster of 2009 London summertime. To the sounds of Africa and sunset lighting models strutted in an array of military inspired suits, harem pants and brightly coloured dresses. Costelloe created a feel of 1940s Africa, the military, the people and the ex-pats. But his designs were thoroughly modern, with cocoon-skirted dresses and oversized collars.
Read MoreLondon Fashion Week: PPQ
PPQ was the show to be at yesterday. Russell Simmons, Lady Victoria Hervey, Kimberly Stewart, Henry Holland and naturally Peaches Geldof all turned up to show their support for Amy Molyneaux and Percy Parker ( the duo behind the label). It was a playful collection packed with microshorts, fitted dresses, mini skirts, striped t-shirts, cropped jackets and a couple of nautical inspired pieces.
Read MoreLondon Fashion Week: Charles Anastase
Yesterday Charles Anastase, who has just signed a five year production and licensing deal with Pier SpA showed for the first time in London, and judging from the reaction of the audience, us Brits are glad he did. Held in a beautiful space on Marylebone road, Anastase’s SS09 collection was very Parisian meets geek chic with a ballerina and lolita influence.
Read MoreLondon Fashion Week: Day One and We’re Already Hyped!
Its London Fashion Week guys! The madness has begun. In contrast to last season, there’s an exciting buzz around the tents already and its only day 1. Hip hop mogul Russell Simmons is in town and dropped by PPQ (more on that later!) and we’ve already spotted Alexa Chung out and about. Stay tuned….
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