London Fashion Week Round Up - Christopher Kane

Christopher Kane SS15

‘It was understated Kane’ was the impression left at Christopher Kane’s for Spring Summer 2015. The context of understatement here found its heart in his attempt to pay homage to Professor Louise Wilson of Central Saint Martins (owing to her demise recently).  It was a balancing act for Kane wherein he tried to live up to the beloved teacher’s idea of his style and finding his own voice from within that idea. That’s earnest belief. The idea: a refined and sophisticated modus operandi, that the designer made his own with his singular treatments.

The results, put on display, were cleaner palettes of red, black and some mauve and refined silhouettes consisting of fine cut trousers, structured tops and dresses, and interspersion of sheer with varying patterns. But Kane’s imprints were all over them in the form of blown up patterns and ropes that weaved through the outfits (the oxblood tulle dress where they crept up like snakes) and at times binding them together like in the case of a sheer shirt where they were left dangling from the edges. The ropes again were an extension of his experiments from his fledgling days in fashion at Central Saint Martins.

Tulle peeking out from unexpected places like conical folds on either sides of a dress or a skirt for example was both playful and a creative. Meanwhile, those soft and boxy bags look like they're going to sell out as soon as they hit the stores. Overall, a rather restrained but extremely pleasing offering from Christopher Kane.

Christopher Kane SS15

 

London Fashion Week Round Up - Erdem, Mary Katrantzou

Erdem SS15

Erdem - It's a jungle out there! Out there meaning high fashion of course and in the mind of Erdem. This time, the designer turned to Victorian biologist and botanical artist Marianne North for inspiration and the collection was mind blowing to say the least. Where on the one hand there were fronds (creeping up the body kinds) embroidered on dresses, on the other, there were turquoise and bottle green florals that decorated Victorian style floor length gowns. Meanwhile, Erdem's obsession with feathers was reiterated though a magnificent, dark green coat bursting with plumage (also seen a few days later on Jane Keltner de Valle) and a series of dresses covered in feathers. . A high necked blouse featuring the most intricate hand work of feathers, embroidery and small chiffon patches carved into floral shapes made me feel like this was work commissioned to the atelier of Maison Lemarie. Anna Dello Russo wore the top with the matching skirt for the Dior show in Paris.

There was drama in this collection, but none of it was excess. Perhaps the matronly like, yet sexy broderie anglaise ensembles or the simple tweed dress balanced the rest of the collection. Whatever the case, Erdem was the king of this jungle.

Erdem SS15

Mary Katrantzou - Ancient history... Prehistoric times... Nope. How about Pangea, a supercontinent from the late Paleozoic era! An extremely interesting and unique inspiration for Mary Katrantzou's latest collection. The queen of digital prints has been experimenting with more complex garment construction, playing with various textures and some intricate embroidery and it has paid off big time. This was another spectacular delivery from the London runways.

Medusa's hair like serpents, and shiny cut outs representing the earth's tectonic plates were amongst the key details seen on the clothes. A series of dresses caught my eye especially the ones with delicate snakes intertwined in one another on the bust and a honeycomb like cage below along with the shirt dresses covered in flora and fauna embroidery. A beaded black dress featuring some sort of strange creature embroidered on it was one of the coolest outfits in the show. Embellished sculptural blouses with linear cut outs worn over loose fitted trousers felt fresh and glamorous just like the semi-sheer gowns that closed the show.



Mary Katrantzou SS15

Mary Katrantzou SS15

 

London Fashion Week Round Up - Tom Ford

Tom Ford SS15

Ease superimposed with sexiness, pushing both to the edge at times represents the Tom Ford woman for the spring of 2015. The effortless attitude was palpable in the shaggy hair and the smudged mascara and the flared pants a bit evocative of the 70’s. But on second thoughts maybe the ease was just another component of the fierce and glamorous woman who likes to play it a bit rough. The shimmering tones of gold, emerald and black, the leopard imprints on the shoes and body hugging constructions were all out there. The short lengths and the pasties just stepped it up more than a notch. Blazers and pants inset with sheer meant business. The full-sleeved emerald top paired with the flared pants called for attention the most in my opinion- the garb was a perfect encapsulation of a super-chic languid glamour. The White gown that followed down the pasties on Binx Walton stood out, for reasons pertaining more to Walton herself than the striking white on her. Most designers have been working with the ongoing sporty trend, meanwhile, Ford really couldn't give a crap.

Tom Ford SS15

 

London Fashion Week Round Up - Burberry Prorsum

Burberry Prorsum SS15

EXTRA!! READ ALL ABOUT IT!!! NOW, FOR A LIMITED TIME PERIOD, SHOP THE BURBERRY PRORSUM SS15 COLLECTION ON THEIR WEBSITE!!!!

This offer is valid till 29th September 2014


Okay, okay now that I've passed on this sensational news like an overzealous newspaper boy (along with a disclaimer in teeny tiny font) to all Burberry fans in India (Anushka Sharma are you listening? ) I'll get down to the review.

Christopher Bailey has really changed my outlook towards Burberry. He has stayed true to the label's heritage whilst reinventing it season after season. I'm still thinking about the FW 14 collection and those scarves. For next Spring, Bailey was thinking English summertime and vintage British book covers. Whilst the collection wasn't ground breaking in my opinion, it certainly was very good and pieces ARE going to sell out like hot cakes.

Denim jackets, one of the key elements to Bailey's collection, came in various versions and were juxtaposed with delicate tulle. Some were finished with either an ostrich feather or shearling trim (there were a few with structured peplums too) whilst others came with glossy, patent leather collars reminding me of the neon coloured 80's. But the coolest was the denim trench coat featuring bright blue, patent leather gun flaps and giant pockets, a suede collar, cinched at the waist with a tulle belt. There was lots of tulle too, invoking a sense of lightness, or breeziness. Silhouettes crafted out of pleated tulle floated gracefully. There were pretty tiered dresses likely to be seen on the red carpet, some worn on their own, and some with jackets. But honestly, as pretty as the tulle clothes were, they didn't really strike a note. Well, not to me at least. I think Bailey played it safe there.

All the while, the clothes were either paired with simple colour blocked trainers or chunky Birkenstock and floater crossbreeds. Yes, you can breathe a sigh of relief if you invested in those ugly Prada floaters or Valentino sneakers during the summer. They will continue to be "in style" till the end of next summer at least.

Moving on to the trench coats, those hit a home run, again and again and again! My first favourite was in bright yellow suede, with a large children's story book-esque bee motif, hand-painted first at the studio, before being printed on to the leather. From the grand finale of the iconic gabardine trenches that marched the runway, it was impossible to pick a favourite. In shades of blue, yellow, pink, teal and khaki, complete with vintage book cover prints screen-printed on to the fabric, detachable patent leather collars and oversized buttons, I suggest you pre-order yours NOW if you don't want to be on a Burberry waitlist.

Next season also brings a brand new bag model, also known as the Bee in two sizes. A mini and a larger version, both in grained, colour blocked leather. The bag features rolled top handles, hand painted edges and protective feet on the base. What I adored the most, was the heritage inspired buckle fastening detailing on both sides. Adds a very playful touch. Personally, I'm rooting for the mini. In addition to the Bee, there were also grained leather pouches with the same book cover print that were cute and fun.

Burberry Prorsum SS15

Burberry Prorsum SS15 - Burberry Bee Bag

Burberry Prorsum SS15 - Pouches

 

London Fashion Week Round Up - Jonathan Saunders, Simone Rocha

Jonathan Saunders SS15

Jonathan Saunders - The Jonathan Saunders show was quite an arty affair. Leaf appliques, a recurring motif throughout the collection was reminiscent of Henri Matisse paper cut outs. They were seen in delicate forms on a black pant suit, or big patches of blue, brown and white on a pretty blue skirt and in some cases, the leaf was embellished too, like a white and blue striped shirt with a cut out patch on it. However, a dress, crafted out of leaves that wafted delicately as the model moved, was a favourite.

A Japanese influence was also strongly present. Giant bows, like the kinds you see on an obi-belt were used on some of the clothes. There were blouses and dresses with 3-D flowers followed by breezy drawstring dresses with somewhat of an abstract shattered glass pattern on them. Things got metallic for evening wear with copper, gold and silver silhouettes but a black metallic skirt with a sheer overlay hit the spot. For more subtle evening ensembles, there were lightly embellished bubble hemmed dresses. All in all, the clothes were a perfect combination of whimsical and wearable.

Jonathan Saunders SS15

Simone Rocha - I'm not quite sure how to describe Simone Rocha's collection.  It was so feminine, yet it didn't feel girly. It was filled with flowers, yet it didn't feel clichéd. With a colour palette of mainly black, white, nude and red, the clothes evoked some extreme emotions.

The designer was inspired by ballet or Pina Bausch to be more specific. Sombre black, fur trimmed dresses with curvy hems opened the show followed by delicate nude coloured silhouettes. The tempo was lifted with energising floral appliqued looks. A nude, tailored trench coat worn over matching trousers with bright red blooms embroidered on them felt modern yet romantic. Black sheer dresses with delicate crochet patches outlining the sleeves and hems were a striking combination of funky, dark (those black veils) and feminine all at once and one can't help but be fatally attracted to those. Similar versions in white felt pure and innocent. From the white cloque outfits that came in towards the end, my personal favourite was sleeveless, slightly voluminous, knee length dress with a scalloped hem and pockets, destined to do extremely well commercially.

The all black looks with sheer veils reminded you of a funeral, however the red flowers are reminiscent of joyful summer. The sheer nude fabric on the bust of the final looks was so delicate in comparison to the structure of the cloque it was paired with. It was a collection of contrasts, and one that will be remembered.

Simone Rocha

Simone Rocha

 

London Fashion Week Round Up: J.W.Anderson, Roksanda

J.W. Anderson SS 15

J.W. Anderson - As much as I love seeing J.W. Anderson's shows, I always had myself wondering, how many of his clothes can actually be worn? I enjoy his collections thoroughly because he loves to experiment with fabrics and creating new proportions (even though sometimes they can be really weird shapes). But in most of his collections, the experimental part trumps commercial viability. For next Spring though, Anderson managed to find a balance between the two.

Models wore big, floppy leather hats as they walked down the runway. Prim and proper silhouettes like a pin striped A-line dress or a linen jacket worn over a flirty A-line skirt (notice the towel material stripes on it) were given an edge by layering the looks with leather. More ladylike looks that had been given the Anderson twist included a finely tailored sleeveless dress layered with neckties along with a simple pin striped suit that came with an oversized bib (covering the bust to the waist) held on by dull gold buttons.

The designer gave a very sophisticated look to even the most abstract creations such as the top and dress with sculptural collars held together by a rope or even those sexy mini skirts worn under  midriff baring tops made out of towel type material. However, I'm not particularly sure how I felt about the printed linen dresses with the giant leather stuff in the middle. A bit too surreal for me! The all leather skirt suits where the tops had these huge square sleeves (one side seemed to be hanging in the air) made my heart beat faster! Although my personal favourite was a minimalist white shirt (or shirtdress, I can't tell) with the red leather collar and hole which I think will be flying off the shelves.

This collection proved that as the designer turns 30 and starts a fantastic new job as the new creative director at Loewe, he is really growing up.

J.W. Anderson SS 15

Roksanda - At first I thought the new label was Roksanda Ilincic's diffusion line. Turns out it's still the designer's main line which has gone through some rebranding. Moving on, for SS 15, Roksanada was inspired by artist Julia Dault's Plexiglas sculptures. The colour palette included bright (more like neon) orange, varying shades of blue and pink and couldn't have been more suited to summer. Opening looks consisted of circles and semi circles stitched on to colour blocked dresses, slouchy sweatshirts and skirts. Sculptural detailing in the form of ruffles that stood away from the body (not the super girly/frilly kinds) was seen on dresses, blouses and a jumpsuit. The ruffles were draped across the chest and trailed all the way down on a dress, or were placed on the waist of a dress to look like abstract peplums, or even as some sort of a funky bib on a jumpsuit. It was interesting to note how this material held itself. Made me wonder what  fabric was used. Perhaps something with foam like that we saw at Carolina Herrera? Whatever the case, it was pretty cool. 

Dresses and tops with psychedelic prints that followed were embellished with cool plastic discs and reiterated the designer's love to work with plastic. Remember all the colourful plastic embroidery on the closing dress from her fall collection? My favourite from this trippy print series was a sheath dress with a neon orange fabric folded over near the waist down to the upper thigh.  Finally, the beautiful organza dresses with squiggly velvet embroidery resembling plastic wires that closed the show were splendid. A perfect collection to celebrate her brand new store on Mount Street in London I must say!

Roksanda Ilincic SS 15

Roksanda Ilincic SS 15