Amy Hall SS12 lookbook
Posted: January 21, 2012 Filed under: knitwear, London, spring/summer | Tags: Amy Hall, fashion, knitwear, lookbooks, SS12 1 Comment »Some of you might remember my interview with knitwear designer Amy Hall last summer. I’m a huge fan of Amy’s work and thought she also sounded very charming when I talked to her. (We actually emailed but you get my point…) Towards the end of our little chat Amy mentioned that she was working on her first Spring/Summer collection at the time. That had me interested because it’s obviously not the easiest thing in the world to make knits work for summer. I imagine. But surprise, surprise I *love* her SS12 offerings, so I thought I should share her beautifully shot (and styled!) lookbook with you.
Amy decided on a mix of pretty jewel and citrus colours and clean lines. The collection feels very fresh and upbeat without being annoyingly cheery. It feels like something women will want to wear. Women who want pretty clothes but have no desire to be cutesy. Do I make sense? I also get a very modern and unfussy vibe which can only be a good thing.
Amy Hall SS12
For further information and to download the full lookbook go to Amy’s website www.amy-hall.co.uk.
Styling Helmut Lang’s SS12 Collection
Posted: December 20, 2011 Filed under: New York, spring/summer | Tags: fashion, Helmut Lang, SS12, styling 3 Comments »Like every season, shortly after the shows had finished, I started to go on countless market appointments to see as many clothes as possible up close. One of my favourite appointments is always Helmut Lang because I love the Lang aesthetic, I love that it is different to anything else out there but consistent within itself, I love a bit of an edge, and I love black. The fact that the label was created by an Austrian designer (well, he’s actually an artist who tried his hand at fashion at some point) makes me even more fond of it. Knowing that the Austrian contribution to fashion on that level is miniscule, I always root for the ones that make it or are about to make it (Devi Kroell – the designer, not the label, Peter Pilotto, Marios Schwab…).
When I arrived at Helmut Lang’s Chelsea showroom last October, their lovely PR Nicole walked me through the collection and mentioned they also had a model on hand should I wish to see something on her. I suggested an impromptu styling session for the blog, so here it is:
Helmut Lang SS12 styled by me!
Helmut Lang styled by me, look 1: print dress & yellow clutch
Helmut Lang styled by me, look 2: yellow print tunic & laser cut leather shorts
Helmut Lang styled by me, look 3: white top, black skirt, black leather sugar jacket, white clutch with horse hair tassle
What do you think? Do you have a favourite look?
Alice & Olivia SS12 – Princess Moments
Posted: October 25, 2011 Filed under: bridal, spring/summer | Tags: Alice + Olivia, bridal, fashion, Oscar de la Renta 4 Comments »
Alice & Olivia SS12 preview
I usually don’t write about previews right away but wait until the collection in question hits the stores. Yesterday I went to Alice & Olivia’s showroom in Midtown and there were so many cute and covetable things to be seen that I decided to show you some now. I was particularly taken with these two dresses. They reminded me of Oscar de la Renta and his beautiful cocktail and evening dresses that provide a princess moment even if you’re generally not the type for those – like me. In person both dresses had a nice weight and volume to them. The sparkly one on the left I’d pair with a belt or ribbon, the pearly one on the right just needs a touch of jewellery, like a cuff.
With so many people around me getting married, I can’t help myself and think both dresses would be amazing choices for a smaller wedding, maybe a civil ceremony.
Trend Forecasting, Part 2 – EDITD’s approach
Posted: October 20, 2011 Filed under: trends, London Fashion Week, behind the scenes, New York Fashion Week, spring/summer, Paris Fashion Week, Milan Fashion Week | Tags: fashion, trend forecasting, trends, EDITD, Geoff Watts 3 Comments »
Spring/Summer 12 colour palette according to EDITD's analysis of the show season
A few weeks ago I made an attempt at explaining how trend forecasting works. At the time I focused on the more traditional way of doing things, not discussing the new kid on the block. This was mainly done because the first post wasn’t exactly light on information but also because I wanted to wait and see how I find the newbie. Old Street-based trend forecasting service EDITD crawls the web to gather details from retailers and to monitor the mood on social networking sites. Then they take this data to make their reports and to forecast trends for brands, retailers and suppliers so they can base their business decisions on facts rather than educated guesses.
Last week I received their first analysis of fashion month, EDITD’s Spring/Summer 2012 Fashion Week Wrap. ’25 million tweets and updates covering fashion weeks in New York, London, Milan and Paris over a month were analysed to give a unique, definitive overview of Spring/Summer 2012,’ the company’s co-founder Geoff Watts explains in his email. Following the link what I found was a detailed yet concise summary of the shows we just saw. The report describes how brands have benefited from a well thought-out social and digital strategy, visualises the season’s main colour palette as well as one for each of the four fashion cities, informs us that Givenchy and Louis Vuitton were well liked and that Yves Klein Blue was the predominant hue across the board. It also shows florals are the most talked about print of the season, lists sportswear and under-the-sea as the two most influential themes, and charts people’s reaction (love, hate, neutral) to the most important topics (eg. retro, feminine, Chanel).
I also liked their selection of 16 key looks and how EDITD explains why each of these looks will be important come spring. Lists of the 10 top designers, styles and prints conclude the coverage.
Although rather short I feel that the report covers everything most people will need to take away from the shows at this point. Of course buyers in particular will need more specific information (that EDITD provides) but what it does is filter out the main trends. I liked the way the data is presented and think it helped me sharpen my focus in some areas. The graph visualising peoples reactions to specific topics is particularly interesting. Of course there was no way around noticing all the retro shapes on the runway but I was surprised that EDITD’s data found 80% of these reactions to be negative. The colour analysis of the similarities and differences between New York, London, Milan and Paris also provides insight into what we’ll want to wear next season.
Generally I feel that data analysis on this level is a great addition but not quite a replacement for traditional trend forecasting. But I don’t think that that is EDITD’s aim. It does seem to bring some much-needed structure and logic into a field that tends to rely on instincts. On the other hand human interpretation and indeed instinct is something that is hard to express in numbers so my ideal solution is to have the best of both worlds.
To read the whole report, go to EDITD’s website.
Tom Gunn
Posted: October 13, 2011 Filed under: accessories, designer spotlight, emerging designers, leather goods, shoes, spring/summer | Tags: Capsule, fashion, Gabrielle Thompson, Shannon Gunn, Tom Gunn 1 Comment »I met Tom Gunn designers Gabrielle Thompson and Shannon Gunn (yep, there’s no man named Tom involved) a few weeks ago when I attended Capsule with Sarah from Style on the Couch. I was instantly stopped in my tracks when I spotted their booth and knew I had found something special upon closer inspection. The designers, both Australian, told me that they had met studying shoemaking in Italy. That’s also where they source their leather and exotic skins to make their shoes.
I particularly like how Gabrielle and Shannon combine different textures and always add a little contrast, too. Their shapes are thoroughly modern and I was happy to discover that they also put their spin on both my all-time shoe obsessions – brogues and Oxford boots.
The label is currently only stocked in Australia and New Zealand but is available at www.the-dreamery.com who ship internationally. Judging by the buzz they are currently creating in the industry, I’m sure they’ll be stocked internationally soon though! To find out more about Tom Gunn and to check out their current collection, go to their website www.tomgunn.com.
And here is a sneak peek at my favourites from the Tom Gunn SS12 collection:
Clockwise from top left: 1 'Prince' in black calf & orange nappa, 2 'Nico' in black calf & hunter green snake, 3 'Penn' in black perforated leather, black calf & mint nappa, 4 'Piper' in mustard suede & black calf
'Quill' in biscuit suede & black calf
'Lazarus' in pale gold calf
'Quill' in black calf & white/black karung lizard
'Hardy' in biscuit suede
'Hardy' in fuschia calf
'Hardy' in pale gold calf
Paris Fashion Week Recap (SS12)
Posted: October 7, 2011 Filed under: Paris Fashion Week, spring/summer | Tags: Alber Elbaz, Alexander McQueen, Balmain, Carven, Céline, Chanel, Dries van Noten, fashion, Givenchy, Guillaume Henry, Karl Lagerfeld, Lanvin, Lori Goldstein, Maiyet, Olivier Rousteing, Paris Fashion Week, Phoebe Philo, Riccardo Tisci, Roland Mouret, Sarah Burton, SS12 1 Comment »Welcome to the final installment (for the next six months) of me drooling over runway shots! Paris Fashion Week closed on Wednesday and I’ve made my picks.
ALEXANDER McQUEEN
Alexander McQueen: looks 9, 13, 17 and 18 on style.com
Alexander McQueen: looks 23, 26, 30 and 31 on style.com
Another amazing McQueen show! It’s interesting to see how Sarah Burton takes Lee’s signatures and somehow makes them more feminine and light. Her collections still look very much like they come from the label but they also have a different quality to them. Even her metal harnesses didn’t really weigh the models down. It was a truly breathtaking show but without most of the theatre that went down with Lee at the helm. Admittedly, I still sometimes wonder ‘what if’.
BALMAIN
Balmain: looks 5, 6, 15 and 21 on style.com
Olivier Rousteing showed his first collection for the label since taking over this spring. To me it felt like the perfect continuation of what has made Balmain successful in recent years but with a ever so slightly loosened silhouette. There was still lots of embroidery, especially on their signature statement jackets. But over all the clothes were a little less of a rock ‘n’ roll cliche and appeared a little softer and more elegant. Thumbs up!
CARVEN
Carven: looks 4, 7, 12 and 28 on style.com
Everyone seems to love Carven and, yes, I love them too. Look how they took a very strange source of inspiration and turned it into something ultra-modern and covetable. Has Guillaume Henry been to the Alps recently? Because those cross-chest straps look a lot like those of lederhosen. The silhouette seems dirndl-inspired as well. A mix of prim collars and leather and a colour palette of red, mustard and pink made this collection very young. I really hope the yellow leather dress finds its way into my closet somehow!
CÉLINE
Celine: looks 13, 14, 25 and 26 on style.com
Phoebe Philo had editors swooning. Again. Well, not Cathy Horyn but virtually everybody else. She offered up high waists, peplums, wide trousers and block tones of red, plum, brown and green. Not sure how practical they are going to be in the summer (*coughcough* Kanye *coughcough*) but Phoebe’s leather t-shirts were a real stand-out for me. I also loved her micro-pleated leather skirts. Imagine how soft the leather must be in order to be molded like that.
CHANEL
Chanel: looks 36, 52, 53 and 71 on style.com
Chanel: looks 75 and 76, beauty shot 32, detail shot 36 on style.com
Words cannot describe how awestruck I am by Karl Lagerfeld. This man is almost 80 years old, one of the oldest working designers – at this level at least – but he is also the most forward thinking and modern in his approach. It’s the most fascinating thing. This season Karl worked with an under-the-sea theme. But it wouldn’t be Karl if he didn’t find a rather unexpected way to interpret his idea. There were practically no greens and blues, in fact most of the collection was off-white. This was about shapes and textures you would find on the ground of the sea and it looked amazing. Jewellery was minimal and apart from one or two pieces consisted only of pearls. He even had pearls applied to the models’ backs which were exposed in some outfits. Instead of handbags pearl-encrusted giant seashells were used – I do hope they will sell these! A lot of new materials were used for this collection, which almost had a couture appeal, and Karl gave the Chanel silhouette in general and the classic suit in particular a major overhaul.
DRIES VAN NOTEN
Dries van Noten: looks 3, 7, 20 and 44 on style.com
I love these prints. Apparently some of them were night time scenes from London and Las Vegas but I don’t think anyone could tell. Once you know, you see it, though. Sometimes these prints were combined with botanicals which also lead to an interesting result. And I don’t mean ‘interesting’ as a euphemism for boring or wacky. The collection seemed a bit more serene this season, maybe because 50s couture shapes (I’m reminded of Balenciaga) were used to tone things down. Very beautiful and modern!
GIVENCHY
Givenchy: looks 4, 10, 12 and 27 on style.com
Riccardo Tisci, too, ‘did’ aquatic but his version was expectedly tough and sexy. Of course his version wasn’t in any way literal either. Even the soft pinks were kept sharp and un-girly with precise tailoring. A truly interesting collection with so much I’d love to wear. I just found it a little distracting that many of the clothes seemed so wrinkled. Maybe not let the models sit down after being dressed next time?
LANVIN
Lanvin: looks 7, 19, 30 and 44 on style.com
Woah, Lanvin! Just when you think you have a designer sussed out, he gives his work a rather unexpected spin. Alber Elbaz delivered a much darker show than usual. In a way it was less pretty but I don’t mean that in a bad way at all. I particularly loved the rhinestone snakes that wound their way around some of the dresses. They looked like jewellery but were in fact part of the garment.
ROLAND MOURET
Roland Mouret: looks 4, 16, 28 and 35 on style.com
Another beautiful collection from Roland Mouret where the designer even got a little cheeky. I love his surrealist eye cut-outs and love that he continues to shift his silhouette ever so slightly while still giving us the most flattering dresses in the business.
MAIYET
Maiyet: looks 2, 3, 10 and 28 on style.com
Maiyet is a newcomer with a social conscience. Their concept evolves around the idea of hiring experts in developing countries to create details such as embroidery. The collection had a simple elegance which got them exclusively stocked at Barney’s. I have to admit that I probably wouldn’t have paid that much attention to them in the first place, had it not been for Lori Goldstein. The uber-stylist (really, this woman is heads and shoulders above the likes of Rachel Zoe, yet is not a household name) was hired to style the show and what a beautiful job she did. Her work was very subtle which I think was pitch perfect for the clothes. Little details like a skinny belt in the gap between low-rise trousers and a shrunken blazer were all that was needed to showcase the collection.
As always, I’d love to hear (read) what your favourite shows were. Comments are more than welcome!
Milan Fashion Week Recap (SS12)
Posted: October 5, 2011 Filed under: Milan Fashion Week, spring/summer | Tags: 20s, 50s, 60s, Antonio Marras, Dolce & Gabbana, fashion, Fendi, Gucci, Jil Sander, Karl Lagerfeld, Milan, Milan Fashion Week, Prada, Raf Simons, SS12 1 Comment »Like many other people I believe that each of the four major fashion weeks has their own personality. New York is very commercially minded and a retailer’s dream. London prides itself on its raw creativity. And Milan? Milan is for the advertisers in my opinion. Of course all other brands throw a lot of money at magazines, too, but nobody does it like Armani & Co. Which means all senior editors are in attendance to snag their slice of the pie.
Generally, Milan seemed happy to play with 50s and 60s silhouettes like London and New York the weeks before. Which is pretty much where the similarities end. But the Italians clearly also had the 20s on their collective mind. A lot of collections featured drop-waist dresses with Gucci showing beautifully beaded flapper dresses. This time around I tried to give you a tighter edit with only a few stand-out collections. Gucci was great, just not my thing. Prada was excellent as always. But the cartoon prints, flames and above all the mules proved to be too much of a deal breaker. Antonio Marras was beautiful but by look 79 (!!!) I had lost my will to cover it.
FENDI
Fendi: looks 2, 20, 26 and 36 on style.com
Karl Lagerfeld focused on day wear for Fendi. I thought that the collections lightness felt almost Parisian. I really, really love the box pleating detail, particularly on the skirt in look 26 (see image above). Fendi was one of the few shows that didn’t hop onto the 20s bandwagon but stuck to a classic red, blue, white palette. The label also showed colourful fur. Personally, I am against the use fur but you couldn’t help but admire the craftsmanship that went into those pieces.
JIL SANDER
Jil Sander: looks 3, 9, 22 and 37 on style.com
Where Raf Simons goes, the rest will follow! Jil Sander is one of the most directional shows and if you want to pick up little hints as to where we’re headed, it’s a good idea to check out what’s on this runway. In the name of minimalism of course there were lots of whites and clean lines. One half of the show had a clear 60s slant. Some looks were decidedly Jackie O, a reference I usually hate for its ubiquitous-ness but it was simply beautiful in this case. The feel was very refined and elegant with a modern take on the 50s (look 37 in the images above) in the other half of the show. Neon accents seem to be here to stay for at least another season if you go by Jil Sander. The collection also featured the label’s oversized paisley prints and I noticed some VERY deep v-necks which reminded me of the many NY shows that had them. The last look on style.com, number 49, was made for Tilda Swinton, right?
DOLCE & GABBANA
Dolce & Gabbana: looks 4, 8, 17 and 46 on style.com
Dolce & Gabbana showed a real feel-good collection. Reminiscent of Sicily in the 50s, there were lots of vegetable prints and, of course, 50s silhouttes. What makes this collection modern is the use of transparency. Celebrities will love look 46 (image above, far right) but I think it’s hard to pull off due to its 3D-effect. They, as well as consumers I imagine, will also love the vegetable print (personally, I’m a huge fan of what I believe to be zucchini flowers because I love to eat them) and they will be much easier to wear. Unless you pick a hot pant and boob tube version. Ahem.
Only one to go! I hope to get to Paris tomorrow. Coverage-wise. Although I’d much prefer to actually *get* there. What did you like in Milan?
Weighing in on Kanye West’s debut show
Posted: October 3, 2011 Filed under: emerging designers, Paris Fashion Week, spring/summer | Tags: fashion, Fashion Editor at Large, Jess Cartner-Morley, Kanye West, Paris Fashion Week 3 Comments »
Kanye West SS12: looks 1, 5, 6, and 15 on style.com
Well, well, I couldn’t resist commenting on Kanye’s show after all. Surprisingly, I’m about to defend him. Kind of. Did I just kill all suspense? Oops, sorry!
By now the term ‘universally panned’ can safely be applied to Kanye’s show on Saturday. While I don’t think it was great, my opinion is a bit more nuanced, a little less straight forward. First of all I agree with Jess Cartner-Morley from the Guardian when she says:
‘The trouble is, it was impossible to view it as a debut collection, and that is entirely Kanye’s own fault. When you stage a show at 9.30pm on the Saturday night of Paris Fashion Week, and turn a grand Paris library into an ultraviolet light box for the venue, and fill the front row with celebrities, you are putting your clothes up for comparison with the top names of Paris fashion week. And compared to that, it just didn’t cut the mustard.’
That were exactly the expectations that were set and I think in that case his ego has gotten the better of him. I’m sure some viewed this as a cocky move to begin with and were ready to rip his work before they’ve even seen it because of it. He gets no empathy for that from me.
Critics are also correct when they pointed out that the clothes were badly fitted – or not fitted at all. Yes, this is a rookie mistake but Kanye apparently had some very professional and experienced help, it’s beyond me how this issue was never tackled in the lead-up to the show. Was it never brought up by anyone or did Kanye dismiss the advice? Again, no sympathy from me for that because, again, Paris Fashion Week/Saturday night/established designers in the front row/etc.
It is indeed quite entertaining how removed celebrities can be from the real world. It baffles me even more when they weren’t born into money and fame because it means they must have simply forgotten what live is like for the rest of us in the span of a few short years. In Kanye’s case this means offering up leather and furs for Spring/Summer. I mean… I don’t know about you but, budget aside, for me this is not an option. Only in very rare cases would I consider those things for clients. Again, I am surprised no-one seems to have pointed that out to him or they have and he did it anyway.
And now to the defending part, in case you’ve been wondering if the above was my way of being nice. In my opinion Kanye has an aesthetic, a point of view. This collection might not have been the most original (No, seriously, at this point I’m basically expecting a handwritten thank-you note by the man himself. Flowers even.) and in one way or another we have seen most pieces on other runways before but I sense a certain amount of talent. In fact I find his vision way more refined than some of the things you see coming down the runway of graduate shows at the world’s most rated fashion courses. And a lot more wearable. I can’t deny that his designs meet the current mood in fashion. So, who is going to wear his clothes? Will anybody? YES. I’m sure we will see Ciara and Rihanna in his collection very soon. Maybe even Fergie. And some of the current IT girls and top models. And if Henry Holland has taught me anything it’s that once celebrities wear your, um, creations, the rest will follow.
So, did Kanye design the collection himself? Call me naive but yes, I think so. Should he go on with it and work on his Autumn/Winter collection? That depends. If he’s sincere about his desire to be a fashion designer, then yes, follow your heart, K! Is there hope that he will learn from his mistakes? I think so. The publicity before the show led us to believe otherwise but he seemed quite humble and eager to learn once he addressed the issue himself (see Fashion Junior at Large’s transcript of the speech he gave at the after-show party on fashioneditoratlarge.blogspot.com).
What did you think about Kanye’s collection? And the hype that surrounded it?
London Fashion Week Recap (SS12)
Posted: September 29, 2011 Filed under: London Fashion Week, spring/summer | Tags: Acne, Antonio Berardi, Christopher Kane, Emilia Wickstead, Emilio de la Morena, Erdem, fashion, Giles, Jean-Pierre Braganza, Jonathan Saunders, Julian Macdonald, LFW, London Fashion Week, Margaret Howell, Marios Schwab, Mark Fast, Mary Katrantzou, Mulberry, Paul Smith, Peter Pilotto, Pringle of Scotland, SS12, Todd Lynn, Zoe Jordan Leave a comment »Not that we all didn’t know that but reviewing New York and London back to back really makes the differences clear. In NY I find that most trends are obvious within the first day. There seems to be more of a common aesthetic that of course leaves each designer with their signature but also collectively sums up the city’s mindset. In London everyone marches to the beat of their own drum which results in a wider range of silhouettes and colour palettes (some very successful, some very, err, interesting) and the city’s reputation to be a creative lab of sorts.
There was so much that I liked in London, so without further ado:
EMILIA WICKSTEAD
Emilia Wickstead: looks 5, 12 and 15 on londonfashionweek.com
To be perfectly honest, this is the first time I hear about Emilia Wickstead but what I love what I see. Her collection is classic and beautiful. The designer cites pleats as her signature detail which is definitely true for this season. Her babydoll dresses and rompers are adorable.
JEAN-PIERRE BRAGANZA
Jean-Pierre Braganza: looks 4, 15, 21 and 24 on style.com
Jean-Pierre Braganza’s show was based on very graphic prints. I found his hexagonal hemline interesting and thought it worked very well. The collection felt very clean with fluid dresses being toughened up with tailoring that focused on a strong shoulder.
JULIAN MACDONALD
Julian Macdonald: looks 4, 9, 22 and 24 on style.com
I surprised myself by liking this collection as I’m by no means a Macdonald girl. Usually it’s too overtly sexy for me, a little full-on. For SS12 Julian was inspired by yachts which resulted in the use of lots of leather and chrome. It all still felt very sexy but also very luxurious. Funnily, the last look (24) reminded me of one of Prabal Gurung’s dresses.
ZOË JORDAN
Zoë Jordan: looks 9, 13 and 29 on londonfashionweek.com
Zoë Jordan is another name I hadn’t heard before but I liked her vision immediately. She trained as an architect and it shows. Her lines are very clean and all her pieces ooze elegance.
EMILIO DE LA MORENA
Emilio de la Morena: looks 2, 9, 10 and 14 on style.com
This collection doesn’t necessarily play into my personal taste but I love the ideas that went into it. I am particularly drawn to the short narrow skirts overlaid with a transparent pleated layer which reveals the colourful inner skirt when the wearer moves. This makes for a feminine, flirty feel that defines the collection. As always, the construction of his clothes plays a great role in Emilio de la Morena’s offering.
JONATHAN SAUNDERS
Jonathan Saunders: looks 12, 15, 20 and 40 on style.com
I am so into the idea of paisley in unexpected colours, even gradients! Jonathan Saunders took things even further (look 40) when he seemed to have woven the pattern into the fabric instead of printing it on. The result is a sort of paisley lace and looks very delicate and subtle.
MARGARET HOWELL
Margaret Howell: looks 4, 6 and 16 on londonfashionweek.com
Isn’t this exactly what everyone wants in their closets? Crisp white shirts, relaxed tailoring, Breton stipe tops, trench coats served up in a nautical palette with coral accents. Lovely!
MULBERRY
Mulberry: looks 9, 11, 19 and 24 on style.com
It seems to me that Mulberry built on this season’s colour palette. There’s still the yellow/brown combination from AW11 but it has developed. The collection seems a little lighter in comparison to the label’s AW offering but not too much – we’re talking about a British summer after all. So it seems fitting that the show was styled with leggings, macs and parkers, both long and cropped.
MARIOS SCHWAB
Marios Schwab: looks 1, 4, 37 and 38 on style.com
As a fellow Austrian, I’m always glad when Marios Schwab does well! Not that I was ever disappointed. For next season, expect a neutral palette shot through with soft lilacs and mints. Although done in a different way (smaller mesh, less sporty) his net overlays reminded me of what Alexander Wang showed the week before in New York. Is this enough to call it a trend? In this collection Marios explored the concept of revealing and concealing. His woman felt very strong to me.
PAUL SMITH
Paul Smith: looks 8, 13, 16 and 34 on style.com
Paul Smith’s show was what he does best. His suggestion for SS12 is menswear-inspired womenswear. Just like with Margaret Howell, this is exactly what I want to be in on a daily basis. I love this laid-back, nonchalant way of dressing.
ACNE
Acne: looks 5, 11, 22 and 32 on style.com
Acne have really pushed their boundaries this season. I love their oversized, interesting proportions and the shoes, the shoes are amazing. I’ve written about me love for brogues and Chelsea boots before so it’s hardly a surprise that I’m already in love with the pair from look 11 (second from left).
PETER PILOTTO
Peter Pilotto: looks 1, 11, 21, 25 and 26 on style.com
Ah, another Austrian to count on! How cool are those folded halternecks? I also liked the scuba element (mostly the way armholes are cut and the prominent black zippers down the front) that was introduced towards the end of the show.
ANTONIO BERARDI
Antonio Berardi: looks 2, 16, 20 and 37 on style.com
Antonio Berardi abandoned his usual body-con shapes a little – but not completely – this season. His collection sets hard against soft – futuristic, sharp tailoring against light, airy materials.
PRINGLE OF SCOTLAND
Pringle of Scotland: looks 2, 9 and 21 on style.com
Let’s have a look at Alistair Carr’s first collection for Pringle! With no previous knitwear experience he managed to approach the task without (m)any preconceptions of what it should be. That left the label with a new take on twinsets, namely a rather oversized version of them. Carr also introducted cardigans that you can (un)button in the front as well as the back. Cute!
CHRISTOPHER KANE
Christopher Kane: looks 1, 7, 13 and 17 on style.com
Christopher Kane can do no wrong, can he? When you think of brocade ‘cool’ is hardly the term you come up with to describe it. But Kane manages to make it look and feel beautiful and light. His prints remind me of flowery wallpaper and there were a few pieces that looked like the hologram stickers we all loved so much in our childhood. I know I was fascinated. This is also the first time in forever that I liked any kind of shiny material, I usually find them tacky. How does he do that?
ERDEM
Erdem: looks 1, 4, 23 and 31 on style.com
Erdem worked within a beautiful palette of mostly blues this season. Compared to previous collections lots of skin was exposed in unexpected places like the spine. Many dresses were cut off the shoulder. On the whole the show reminded me of a very pretty garden party.
MARK FAST
Mark Fast: looks 1, 11 and 29 on style.com
Scream if you wanna go faster! Sorry, I couldn’t resist. Style.com’s Maya Singer wondered if Fast ever considers the woman who is supposed to wear his clothes. Which is funny because I think it’s one of his, if not the, most wearable collections to date. I have never been a fan of his skin tight creations which is probably also why I’m not feeling Faster by Mark Fast. But here I liked the flared knit skirts and ruffles which felt very fresh to me. The styling of the show with Jean Harlow inspired hair was spectacular and added a certain elegance that wasn’t there for me in previous collections. This season also saw Mark’s first foray into non-knit.
TODD LYNN
Todd Lynn: looks 1, 4, 7 and 27 on style.com
Todd Lynn is another steady favourite of mine. I just enjoy watching him improve with every season. Or maybe improve is the wrong word. I just love how he started out almost too edgy but his talent was obvious from the start. He then went on to hone his vision but keep his signatures. Even this season he continued to soften his clothes while keeping them unmistakably Todd Lynn. The jewellery (a silver safety pin) was designed in collaboration with Shaun Leane who famously worked with Lee McQueen.
GILES
Giles: looks 7, 17, 28 and 29 on style.com
So far Giles has been too ‘out there’ for me but I really liked his SS12 collection. It seemed very original – as always – but somehow a bit more grown up and wearable. White, silver, lilac, red dominated the palette. The show started off almost ethereal and got more and more expressive as it progressed. The clothes were simply beautiful and I think a Mad Men influence was felt in the silhouette.
MARY KATRANTZOU
Mary Katrantzou: looks 15, 22 and 26 on style.com
To wrap LFW up, let’s see what Mary Katrantzou put on offer for next season. The designer stayed true to her signature prints and I love how they appear to be three-dimensional in some cases! Many necklines were asymetrical and the show was mostly styled with metallic shoes with I thought worked exceptionally well with all the colour. Mary seems to have worked on her silhouette which may have made her collection the most wearable to date.
Just like yesterday I would love to hear your thoughts about my picks. What did you love or hate?
Next week, I’ll finally get to the Milan and Paris shows! I cannot wait for Chanel, Celine, McQueen!
