London Fashion Week is the best of all the fashion weeks. The mix of designers combines the new young game-changers with classic stalwarts, the crowds are chilled and good looking, Harry Potter cast members appear in front rows, and Australians feature heavily on the bill (in both the designer and model categories) more than in Paris, New York or Milan. Here is a glimpse into the week that was, including Runway Trends, Australians In London and Amazing Hair Guy.
RUNWAY TRENDS
FLORAL Fuck irony. What better way to inject a sense of Spring into a Spring/Summer collection than with a garment in full bloom? Ashish (left) combined sequined daisies and thistle blossom prints with tracksuit pants – how confusing. Erdem (centre) did a blue-themed floral print that looked like something taken from an exquisite china tea set, and Basso & Brooke (right) spliced bouquets of foliage all over their clothes like a fabulous afterthought. Florals are go.
LADYLIKE This year’s Autumn/Winter collections were very much about the masculine: Power shoulders. Trousers. Men’s shirts… Now it’s time to get reacquainted with your feminine side and schedule high tea (or whatever it is we ladies do). Prim and proper tailoring was everywhere: little suits and dresses dominated the runway for both Issa (centre-right) and Caroline Charles (far right), while darling polka dots, delicate crisp collars, a-line blouses and pleats appeared at the classy Jaeger London show (centre-left). Melissa Tammerijn opened the deeply pretty Nicole Farhi show (left) dressed as a fabulous yellow-and-white clutch. This trend’s slogan is clear: no sluts please, we’re ladies.
METAL Don’t worry dudes: dressing like a lady doesn’t mean having to do away with bling. Just look at these gleaming pieces of silver at Antonio Berardi, Giles and Christopher Kane, respectively.
PRINTS Graphic designers and artists! Are you sick and tired of your current vocation? If you have to mockup one more DL flyer will your soul deflate??? If so, a career in fashion could be calling. Feast your eyes on these looks that are more art than clothes thanks to some extraordinary prints. From left to right we have Mary Katrantzou with an insane floral bouquet; Aminaka Wilmot whose splattered pastel minis reminded us of the 2010 Australian Fashion Week debut of Dion Lee; Peter Pilotto‘s mind numbing multi-coloured cocoons; and dynamic green-and-black 60s-style graphics at Jonathan Saunders.
SUMMER KNITS We love this whole ‘no rules’ revolution of warm weather textures and fabrics. First it was Summery looks in leather (a fabric traditionally considered off limits in sweaty seasons), and now knits are going tropical. Christopher Bailey put crochet, weaving and basket knit all over his collection for Burberry Prorsum (right); the up and coming knit king, Mark Fast (centre) had formal wear in cascading crochet – which looks pretty fucking fab if you’ve got the figure for it; and TopShop Unique (left) delivered an understated knit body suit, ideal for ducking to the grocery store or picking up the kids from school.
AUSTRALIANS IN LONDON – DESIGNERS
RICHARD NICOLL The consistently wonderful Perth-raised Richard Nicoll presented a dreamy pastel collection of 1960s psychedlia: floaty pajama-style pantsuits, babydoll dresses and gorgeous see through chiffon layers mixed in with flowery jacquard pieces, plastic t shirts and black negligees. Simultaneously adorably demure and rather naughty. ksubi designed some fabulous retro-ish eyewear for the collection which you can check out HERE.
ANTIPODIUM London-based, Toowoomba-raised Antipodium designer Geoffrey J. Finch has been dipping into prepping sports wear since his A/W 2011 collection “Goodbye Horses”. He’s revisited this aesthetic for Spring 2012, taking inspiration from Woody Allen’s Bergman-esque (and tragically under-appreciated) 1978 film Interiors. Soft tailoring, preppy outerwear, letterman jackets and crisp blouses and skirts. Comfortably casual and effortlessly modern. A bit like Geoffrey J. Finch really.
SASS & BIDE As the really rich Sass & Bide designers Sarah-Jane Clarke and Heidi Middleton get a little older, their collections get a little better. These day things are lot less showy and are no longer bedazzled to the shit house. There’s still myriad influences thrown together: tribal decor, block metallics, crisp whites, bright smacks of colour, sporty neoprene, loose and lazy silhouettes versus tiny ass shorts… All in all, it’s the new found restraint that really works.
AUSTRALIANS IN LONDON – MODELS Written by Nicholas Carolan
The Australian contingent of models abroad continued an already strong presence on the London runways following on from their trans-Atlantic showing at New York Fashion Week. Leading the antipodean charge with a solid nine appearances are Julia Nobis and Dempsey Stewart. Both walked for Topshop Unique, fellow antip Richard Nicoll, and recently departed Ungaro frontman, Giles Deacon. On top of that, Nobis sauntered at Jonathan Saunders, Jaeger London, Acne (pictured, left), Christopher Kane, Antonio Berardi and Burberry, while Stewart also appeared for Julien Macdonald, House of Holland, Emilio de la Morena, Pringle of Scotland, Erdem and Peter Pilotto (pictured, right).
Coming in at seven appearances each, Melissa Johannsen, aka MJ, walked for Antipodium, Ashish, Zoe Jordan, Mulberry, Peter Jensen, Thomas Tait, Peter Pilotto, and Mark Fast (pictured, right), while compatriot Ruby Jean Wilson cavaliered at Julien Macdonald, Jonathan Saunders, Paul Smith, Topshop Unique, John Rocha, Giles Deacon and Burberry (pictured, left).
Codie Young and Caitlin Lomax put in a solid six shows: the former walking for Julien Macdonald, House of Holland, Paul Smith, Mulberry, Erdem (pictured, left), and Peter Pilotto; with the latter appearing at Jonathan Saunders, Topshop Unique, Richard Nicoll, Christopher Kane (pictured, right), Giles Deacon and Aquascutum.
Australia’s (Last) Next Top Model Alumni, Amanda Ware raked up an impressive five shows, asserting her right to the throne at Clements Ribeiro, Marios Schwab (pictured), Nicole Farhi, Antonio Berardi and Pringle of Scotland.
Leggy ladies Ajak Deng and Rose Smith notched up four shows on their presumably petite belts, with Deng opening for reigning Queen of Print Mary Katrantzou (pictured), Matthew Williamson, Erdem and Todd Lynn. Smith joined the Nobis at Jaeger London, MJ at Mulberry (pictured), Deng at Erdem, and Ware at Berardi.
Chrystal Copeland walked three, showing her face at Topshop and Giles, and closing Johnathan Saunders (pictured). You go, Chrystal Copeland.
Absent from the runways of the Big Apple, the following exports more than made up for it with a small but select showing at some of the week’s biggest drawcards. Pint-sized stunner Bambi Northwood-Blyth did her thang at Johnathan Saunders, Topshop and Giles (pictured); recent returnee Catherine McNeil ran the show at Matthew Williamson and Pringle of Scotland (pictured), while certified supermodel Abbey-Lee (no Kershaw necessary) shut it down, opening for his majesty Tom Ford (no pictures allowed) as well as Pringle of Scotland (pictured), opening and closing John Rocha, and walking for Burberry and Matthew Williamson (also pictured). More like Abbey-Lee Fo-Shaw. Amirite!
For a running tally of the Spring Summer show circuit, keep an eye on frockwriter who’s got it locked down.
