OUR REVIEW OF LONDON FASHION WEEK
~Day 1 of LFW– hmmm how should we start? OK, so walking down Great Queen’s St I was sceptical about whether it’d be like last year’s one. I wasn’t even that dressed up, yet I was still yearning to be in the comfort of my trackies and AF1s. Thank goodness I didn’t opt for that….judging by the way everyone else was dressed~
Day 1 kicked off with 90s streetwear brand Fortie Label brought to us by Fashion Scout. Highlight pieces from this collection includes oversized furs, metallic sheer fabrics and reconstructed utility trousers. This show was one of my favourites for the simple fact that the vibe and energy was just so live; words cannot even describe. With a dramatic opening and just as dramatic ending, thank you Fortie label for showing us a way forward of how we can modernise 90s urban-wear.
Finishing off Day 1, we had alumni student Claire Tagg bringing us oriental, floral print gowns. With shades of corals, crimsons and fuchsias, Tagg’s up-and-coming collection is keeping spring vibes fresh in the colder months. The music and eloquence of the models helped bring forth a real youthful, natural feel to the whole experience. We look forward to seeing more of this textile designer’s intricate prints in the near future.
Day 2 we attended Fashion’s Finest’s up-and-coming designers for 2018 catwalk show. The 1st designer I’d like to point out is Helen Howe Atelier, a luxury designer who reproduces tweed into early 20th century style military inspired pieces. I’ve never been a fan of tweed, pretty much always seen it as toff-nosed clothing. But I think it’s safe to say I am most definitely a fan since I’ve seen Howe’s AW collection. The deep muted colours of it, the periodic silhouettes of the clothing- I’m surprisingly digging these Windsor Castle vibes.
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The next designer who caught my eye is Ujjwala Bhadu. Not being a fan of knitwear, the complementary hues and tailored fits for sure caught my eye, giving us 60s feels. The last designer of the show and my hands down favourite, comes courtesy of Wearable Art Collective. Their modern prints are evident of modern African fashion culture whilst adding classic chic silhouettes to their pieces as well. The piece that stood out for me was this gold and black luxe jumpsuit embroidered with tribal floral prints, with this spikey layering on the side of the pants. Overall, day 2 was fairly good in terms of the designers, however the vibe was quite negative; a lot of snobbery. It was off-putting, and distracted me from the real purpose of being there.
The 3rd and final day of our LFW weekend, kicked off with Asian label Starsica. This was by far my favourite show of them all. The models weren’t your usual stone-faced vacant expression type. This designer got the models to parade down the catwalk twirling and laughing, occasionally waving at the audience or skipping with props in their hands. It was honestly such a masterpiece to view. On top of this, there was a good selection of brown faces- a drastic change from your 1 or 2 that you see within a catwalk show. In terms of the AW18 collection, it screams whimsical, nature and an almost vintage lil-girl aesthetic. The lengths were kept long, the layers were maximised and suits boy-fit. I’m looking forward to seeing more from Starsica in the near future.
The finale to our LFW was the prestigious Britain’s Top Designer show brought courtesy of Fashion’s Finest. The show commenced with presenter and tv personnel Laura Naylor, introducing the 4 top designer panel- Lola Royle, Nicky Johnston, Nicky Hambleton-bJones and Bernard Connolly. This followed with the 9 designers nominated showcasing select pieces from their collection and the judges giving feedback on their designs after each catwalk. 3rd place went to luxury dress designer- Antonia Nee, who I personally believed should have come 1st. Her haute gothic trailing dresses are impeccable, and give a real victoriana feel to them.
2nd place went to streetwear designer Rolle by Rolle. Through her collection, I can see her vision and the fact that she’s able to navigate around denim (we all know how difficult this material is) is commendable, however I would have personally put her 3rd place. The shapes and silhouettes just don’t appeal to me, which is fine because not everyone’s going to like the same things, right? My 2nd place choice would have been knitwear designer Francesca.R.Palumbo. Her work is incredible and the only collection that is truly wearable. What I loved about her garments is the fact they had an almost cobweb pattern from the distressed knitwear- quality. 1st place went to avant garde designer Vaseghia. Her collection made of solely melted glue was phenomenal, but the shapes and silhouettes didn’t appeal to me. They’re the type of pieces that belong in a fashion gallery as exhibits.
~So overall what can I say about London Fashion Week SS18? There is raw talent out there that very much has a place in the fashion market; nothing brow raising though. To me it’s a lot of cliché designs- a large percentage of them stay on the catwalk and aren’t really wearable even for special occasions. Just my brutally honest opinion. I will say however that it’s a true blessing to be able to experience what’s out there within the fashion industry up-and-coming wise~
Words by My Superiority Complex
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