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

 

New York Fashion Week Round Up - Marc Jacobs

Marc Jacobs SS 15

Military seems to be marching through fashion week and rendered in ways that one can't even begin to imagine! Military spliced with a couture treatment, a concept just like the case of sports couture that has prevailed in the last few seasons has become a major trend this fashion week. The baggy silhouettes had form and appeal, the fine constructions dwelling within the heavy silhouette. Albeit the palette was spot on military, but there was also a vivid juxtaposition in the Pink set that Jacobs fashioned to stage the collection. Cargo Pants and jackets, skirts long or short and flared along with dresses cinched at the waist with the aid of belts, were the primary silhouettes.

Everything was in line with the theme and with reasonable subtlety till this point; enter Marc-ibilities (it could be Marc’s sensibility or the ingenious lack of it). The fabrics got shinier shifting from cotton to silk duchesse, buttons and the patch pockets bigger and more scattered and so did the flowery motif.  For the woman who can't associate with the whole military theme, there were straight cut dresses embellished with giant cabochons and sparkly buttons. And favourites but not standouts, if they have to pointed out: A lax kimono-esque pullover paired with cargo pants where the ease of the silhouette seamlessly transcended to instant likeability for the wearer.  There was the also the cropped top and long skirt combo, again, stamped likeable for the balance the comfortable skirt imparted to the cropped accompaniments. All the while, these clothes were paired with Dr. Scholl's sandals, guaranteed to be on the fashion flock's feet come next summer.

Bag lovers can rejoice because, there are going to be some crazy Marc Jacobs bags to choose from. Structured, rectangular and square shaped colour blocked shoulder bags with name tags and all (some can be used a small sling bag too), utilitarian style soft and silky cross bodies, totes and backpack bags with cabochons and lets not forget the super luxurious oversized crocodile hobo that comes with a matching croco name tag.

It was a collection of contrasts. Rough and delicate, singular and likeable, and all so quintessentially Marc.

Marc Jacobs SS 15

Marc Jacobs SS 15 Bags

Marc Jacobs SS 15 Bags

 

New York Fashion Week Round Up - Oscar de la Renta

Oscar de la Renta SS 15

At Oscar de la Renta, models floated down the runway to western classical music in the prettiest of clothes. A pink gingham coat and a blue checked midriff baring top paired with a matching skirt were amongst my favourites from the opening looks. Flowers were very significant to the collection. There were tulips pasted on dresses, shirts and even seen embroidered on a fur coat. The pastel pink dress with a tulip on the white lapel and the baby blue ball gown with silver tulips were just heavenly. There were other colourful blooms  stitched on everything from organza to a crochet dress to a gorgeous white coat. Although, being partial to blue, I have to say, the blue coat bursting with flowers was just divine.

Whilst the collection may have been very feminine, the designer ensured he also made it extremely sexy. Laser cut skirts and dresses playing peek-a-boo with skin were graceful and sensual at the same time. Clothes with broderie anglaise had the same effect. Case in point: A white maxi dress (cinched with a silver belt) with eyelets and holes cut out all over. Feathers also made their way into the clothes. Either used in abundance to fringe the bottom of a sparkling white blouse with black stripes or used daintily to decorate the shoulder of a sheer, black, floor length gown. An absolute favourite was the black and white knee length dress with black sequinned squares on the bust, a large embellished motif in the middle and feathers placed in the shape of flowers on the skirt. It was a beautiful combination of romantic and edgy.

Evening wear in particular was spectacular and there was something for everyone. For the minimalist lover there was the beautiful lime green gown with borderie anglaise at the bottom or a strapless, coral coloured layered ball gown. For a little bit of sparkle, a gold sequinned bustier worn over a matching skirt with embroidered sequins and ostrich feathers hit the spot.

I was also extremely excited to see Oscar's resin flower jewellery on the runway again. I remember I was so gutted when I didn't buy the red flower necklace and earrings a few seasons ago. This time around, I won't sit around waiting for sale. I'll just snap them up as soon as they hit e-commerce platforms. I'm currently crushing on the blue resin flower necklace with flat, dull gold leaves.

Oscar de la Renta knows how to strike a perfect balance. A technique not many can perfect. With so many different elements used in the collection; sometimes individually, sometimes all at once, nothing seemed excessive. Whilst this may have been a ready to wear collection, to me it almost looked like couture.

Oscar de la Renta SS 15

Oscar de la Renta SS 15

Oscar de la Renta SS 15

Oscar de la Renta SS 15

 

New York Fashion Week Round Up: Carolina Herrera, Tory Burch

Carolina Herrera SS 15

Carolina Herrera: Carolina Herrera was in a very experimental mood for next spring. Instead of the usual glitzy red carpet dresses made out of silk and satin, the designer turned towards foam fabrics for her creations with flowers being the main motif throughout. Garments were voluminous yet feather light with large digital blooms on most of them. There was also an oriental feel to the collection.

This was a very technologically advanced collection. For example, the gradient colour treatment on some of the flowers actually made them look 3-dimensional especially on the black knee length silhouette with a grey rose on the skirt.

The second last look consisted of a ball gown with mosaic style patches embroidered all over. Those patches were interestingly enough, made out of foam and were painted to look like a giant pixelated flower with leaves. The same foam patches in white were embroidered on a sheer white top and on a very funky, white architectural jacket.

Throughout the collection, it is interesting to note how the designer folds some of the fabric on silhouettes for added detailing. Examples include a skirt featuring beige linen side panels (with flowers of course) with a white panel in the middle that had origami style folds on each side,  a beige jacket with greyish lapels that were folded on the opposite sides and a boxy yellow top (paired with a matching skirt) with spongy rounded collars.

It is always exciting to see designers venture out of their comfort zone and experiment a bit even if it may be a little risky. In the case of Carolina Herrera, the experiment paid off. Big time.

Carolina Herrera SS 15

Tory Burch: Tory's collection makes me want to book a flight to the South of France right away! For the coming spring, the designer was inspired by Picasso's time spent with his lover Francoise Gilot at their villa in Vallauris. It also happened to be the birthplace of Picasso's interest in ceramics and a point of reference for Tory's collection.

The patterns from the ceramics were transferred on to multi-coloured knits, silks and cotton. Woven textures were crucial to the collection and were seen throughout in the form of crochet tops and skirts with tribal-esque prints. There was a certain rawness in collection with the fringed hems which is exactly what the designer wanted. "A play between raw and refined", to quote Tory. And there was a indeed a refined element to the rawness. A silk dress with blue and white stripes on the bust, a beige V-neck sleeveless top with abstract blue stripes and a fringed hem worn over a woven patterned pencil skirt were excellent examples. Shiny embellishments, in the form of a quill (that's what it looked like) came on a beige midi skirt and a summer jacket at the end of the show. I love pretty landscape prints, so the toile de jouy drawstring pants were a favourite. But more than anything else, it was Tory's crisp white shirts I'll be eyeing come spring.

When it came to the handbags, I've never been a big fan of Tory Burch bags. Perhaps Delhi girls butchering the brand by wearing monogrammed Tory Burch accessories created a bit of an eye sore. Either ways, I was happy to see that the bags for next spring were fresh and from what I could make out, maybe even logo free. There were colour blocked structured shoulder bags, semi woven bucket bags and knitted bags all very unlike the Tory Burch purses I've had an overload of in Delhi.

Tory Burch SS 15

Tory Burch SS 15

Tory Burch SS 15

 

New York Fashion Week Round Up - Ralph Lauren

Ralph Lauren's girl is going on a glamorous safari next Spring! Khaki coloured clothes were seen throughout the show and were crafted out of luxurious fabrics like silk, satin and chiffon. The show opened with utilitarian, khaki skinny cargo pants in silk and suede, bound to be a hit for SS 15. Paired with bright colours like a purple one shouldered draped top in silk in one look, or a lemon yellow trench coat in another, these trousers were suited for the day or night.

There were Ralph's versions of safari inspired looks all over. Some in all khaki, like the button down suede dress or an organza skirt paired with a waist length, thin, belted wrap jacket, and some in bright colours like the bright orange zip up silk jacket style dress. One cannot miss the slightly Indian influence on the collection as was seen with the Jodhpurs (the trousers that were fuller on the thighs). Especially the look which had a raw silk waistcoat worn on top of the jodhpurs. The best part of the collection was that most of the clothes could so easily be glammed up or turned into lux casual depending on the mood. Take the khaki and black jumpsuits for example, both of which were paired with colourful jewels making it perfect for a fancy evening out. Take the jewellery off and you can effortlessly wear it during the day.

Whilst most of the clothes seemed more on the conservative side, there were a few looks that were sexy as hell without being too in your face. Case in point, the cropped black sweater worn over a long black silk skirt held together by lace from hip to mid thigh and leather detailing.

Eveningwear was spectacular and consisted of a lot of interesting contrasts. The sporty bodice of the pink silhouette was juxtaposed with sparkling jewels and a tulle filled skirt. A heavily embellished yet light as air tulle gown was paired with a huge shoulder bag. A basic safari jacket was turned into a high collared floor sweeping gown (paired with coloured baubles of course).

Apart from the clothes, the accessories from this collection are going to be flying off the shelves. Be it the big, brown distressed leather belt with two pockets (who needs an evening bag when you have this?!) or the shiny jewellery or the gorgeous handbags (the orange croc bucket bag and the black croc tote nearly made me cry) from the collection; I say it would be wise to start a Ralph Lauren SS 15 savings account circa NOW.

Ralph Lauren SS 15

Ralph Lauren SS 15

Ralph Lauren SS 15

Ralph Lauren SS 15

Ralph Lauren SS 15 Bags

Ralph Lauren SS 15 Bags

Ralph Lauren SS 15 Bags

The cool girl's belt

 

New York Fashion Week Round Up - 3.1 Phillip Lim

Designers often turn towards art, history, architecture etc. to look for inspiration for their collections. At Phillip Lim, that wasn't the case. Try bedroom interiors and bedroom furniture and loungewear instead. The designer has been redoing his home and has been stuck in his bedroom for nearly a year. An unusual inspiration right? The results were far from unusual. They were pretty great in fact.

Clothes that were crafted out of fabric with raised patterns (think fancy bedcovers and mattress patterns) were seen throughout. There were beautifully sculpted tops and jackets with curvy lapels and uneven hems, all textured of course. The gold on the white clothes reminded me of the carving you see on Louis XV style furniture but according to Lim, they were a symbol of sunlight peeking through the bedroom window. There were tiny shorts, like the kinds you wear to bed or even like those Nike running shorts that only cover your butt cheeks. Except you could take these out to dinner. (I don't know why, but I really want to see Deepika Padukone wear these shorts. I think with her long limbs and effortless style, she would look amazing!)

Silhouettes with detailing mimicking a bedroom robe belt (the big kinds) were cool and unique. Case in point being, a leather jacket that zipped up on the side or a black and green dress fastened in a complicated style with the belt. And how about the two toned tops with shoe lace styled detailing and a suede patch?

The ankle length drawstring trousers oozed comfort that one can only attain in bedtime pyjamas.  Simpler clothes like a midnight blue dress or an all white suit which one can wear with heels or cool girl trainers were great investment pieces for the everyday closet. However, my favourite were the clothes (especially the white trousers) embroidered with the cane pattern like that on Louis style cane furniture or even those cocktail dresses featuring sheer organza panelling that played peek-a-boo with the skin.

Finally, being the crazy bag lady, I have to talk about the bags. There were two main shapes that were seen throughout the show. One was a soft slouchy triangular shaped with a little indentation in the middle and the other was a soft bucket bag with an edgy metal top handle along with a shoulder strap. The bags came in various colours. But the textured variations with woven cane detailing on them were the ones that made my heart beat faster. It reminded me of my Louis style cane bed and my obsession with anything to do with antique French furniture! I had never bought a Phillip Lim bag before, but these designs are so unique and fun, I think it's time to do so.

For someone who is a master at street wear, Phillip Lim has beautifully added a romantic touch to his otherwise sporty signature. P.S Phillip Lim is available at the Le Mill boutique in Mumbai and through their e-commerce portal.

3.1 Phillip Lim SS 15

3.1 Phillip Lim SS 15

 

3.1 Phillip Lim SS 15 Bags

3.1 Phillip Lim SS 15 Bags - With Woven Cane Detailing