London Fashion Week: Unique AW13

While there was a great deal of hype around Topshop Unique’s autumn/winter 2013 show – namely their digital revolution with Google+ – when deep within the 3G-blocking walls of the Tanks at the Tate Modern, it all boiled down to this: our eager anticipation to see the clothes that will reign the high street next season – which is quite clever actually when considering stalwart Topshop is the high street.

If the opening song by Blur didn't vault the audience back to the 90s, then Unique’s collection most certainly did. As the first model Cara Delevigne breezed down the catwalk – the model of the moment – a cropped mohair jumper is paired with a stiff, flared PVC skirt with an oversized fur coat, all in black. This is the 90s Brit pop silhouette. 

Textures are contrasting – matte and gloss are paired together as are dazzling sequins with fuzzy shearling – and prints are inspired by Victorian pub wallpapers and traditional British carpets. The colour palette is, for the most part, soft with cornflower blues and dusty pinks interspersed with punches of scarlet and orange.

For an overtly tough collection, a surprising amount of romance and tenderness came through, and reach us it did – or perhaps it was the nostalgia. Either way, it’s clear that next season’s Unique girl will be the life and soul of the 90s Brit pop party.

Images courtesy of Style.com

My piece above is published on www.theglassmagazine.com where I regularly contribute.

London Fashion Week: House of Holland AW13

British designer Henry Holland stayed true to form last night, having fun with fashion and showing us that he is not afraid of colour, as an explosion of electric blue, avocado green, rich purple and fuchsia descended upon the 70s granny carpet – a huge giveaway to the House of Holland collection’s ode to the decade.

The clashing of the acid rainbow and psychedelic wallpaper prints still managed to somehow give way to an overall feminine feel with shifts and A-lines, while pencil skirts and dresses were given an edge with quilted parka-inspired jackets. 

It wasn't long before cocktail hour made an appearance – jewelled martini glass embellishments and embroideries on box-bright tailoring gave the outfits a loud regal effect – one of Holland’s signature looks.

As is the case with other LFW designers so far including Jasper Conran and PPQ, it is clear that next season certainly won’t be a dull one. Overdosed on nostalgia, Nana Rave – the fitting title of the collection – is one party that shouldn't be missed this AW13.

Images courtesy of fashionising.com

My post above is published on www.theglassmagazine.com where I contribute regularly.

London Fashion Week: Marques' Almeida AW13

Marta Marques and Paulo Almeida are known for reworking 90s street-wear influenced pieces championing a relaxed, deconstructed and effortless aesthetic. What they are most well-known for however is of course denim. 

The past three seasons have seen their signature shredding and slashing mixed with helpings of bright acidic knits contrasted with light chiffon fabric. These elements are still present in their AW13 collection, though this time the duo are keen to prove that there is more to them by exploring eveningwear for the first time – all in a very Marques Almeida way. 

Sophisticated and street, the collection saw nineties silhouettes combined with luxury fabrics – luxurious biker jackets in burnt orange and maroon constructed from pony hair, long billowing parkas in silk, while slit denim miniature trains dragged around heavy semi-court shoes. As for ball gowns, these were given a rough-luxe edge – huge ballooning trousers created the illusion – and skirts were teamed with trousers underneath – copious amounts of pre-millennium nostalgia.

Images courtesy of Firstview

My piece above is published on www.theglassmagazine.com where I contribute regularly.

London Fashion Week: Antipodium AW13

Fashion Week is all about being seen and seeing, right from the pieces worn by models on the catwalk to the audience’s choice of wear, all of which are under constant scrutiny. Creative director Geoffrey Finch cleverly uses this act of surveillance as his inspiration for Antipodium’s AW13 collection. With Sex, Lies & CCTV as the theme of the show, Antipodium peeps breathlessly into private worlds and presents a contemporary uniform of modern classics deftly subverted – clothing fit for a life under constant watch of the eye of the camera lens.

While designs were decidedly prim with polo necks and soft preppy collars, outfits hinted the underlying sexuality of the draped female form underneath – tough masculine outerwear in patent leather and faux pony hair fabrics were juxtaposed against a subtle flash of flesh and translucent silk shirts. 

Known for their instantly wearable pieces, what sets them apart are the delightfully jarring colour combinations, which echo street lights and city life – acid brights paired with softer hues of pistachio, tobacco and velvety reds together with icy metallics, all in cleverly clashing textures.

Images by fashionising.com

My piece above is published on www.theglassmagazine.com where I contribute regularly.

Yiqing Yin Spring Summer Couture 2013

Chinese-born French designer Yiqing Yin delivered an avant-garde collection, channelling Russian architect Naum Gabo’s kinetic art influences through a number of her pieces. The collection saw dresses sculpted from thick, dark red ropes, through to delicate numbers with contrasting thread-work hanging on the body like second skin – reminiscent of the blood-pumping network of veins that keep us alive.

Yin maintained the decorative and constructed display with skilled pleated constructions via intricate silhouettes ranging from two-piece suits to plunging mini-dresses. The notable theme of thread-work extended as far as partially covering models’ faces with long silver strands right through to the finale – a shredded shroud encasing and transforming the model into an almost otherworldly being.

Images courtesy of fashionising.com

My piece above is published on www.theglassmagazine.com where I contribute regularly.

Jean Paul Gaultier Spring Summer Couture 2013

There was not a trace of doubt about the theme at Jean Paul Gaultier’s couture show – with the catwalk bathed in warm amber light, guests seated in sections named after famous Indian dishes and Edith Piaf’s song La Vie En Rose in Hindi played in the background, it was clear inspiration was drawn from the exotic – India.

It was a case of two different worlds – quintessentially Parisian couturier meets the spices of the East – gracefully colliding into one another.  The collection began with a tight colour balance before swiftly bursting into a fanfare of flame, saffron and chartreuse. Patchwork gowns, lavish embroideries and Indian style layering were all present, as were some of Gaultier’s trademark pieces – the trench coat in shimmering gold snakeskin and of course the Blonde Ambition corset.

While Gaultier did not necessarily break new ground, he did have one surprise up his sleeve for the finale – the bride’s structured overblown skirts lifted to give birth to four sweet little children.

Images courtesy of style.com

My piece above is published on www.theglassmagazine.com where I contribute regularly.

Miu Miu Women’s Tales #5: The Door

Miu Miu continue their love affair with self-expression through film with their fifth episode entitled The Door by Ava DuVernay, which was unveiled today on their website. The short film is about sisterhood – a celebration of the transformative power of female bonds – and is a symbolic story of life change. 

The Door follows The Powder Room, by Zoe Cassavetes; Muta, by Lucrecia Martel; The Woman Dress, by Giada Colagrande and It’s Getting Late, by Massy Tadjedin in The Miu Miu Women’s Tales series. Each short film combines credible filmmaking themes and strong feminine points of view with fashion directed by and starring the fairer sex – quite arguably so. 

Inspired by the strength and vulnerability of Miu Miu’s designs, director DuVernay decided on a story about a woman who is at a vulnerable time in her life who leans on the strength of friendship. Using clothing as a symbol of renewal, each change of costume charts the heroine’s emergence from a chrysalis of sadness. 

All five films from the project can be viewed on a dedicated area of the Miu Miu site, alongside exclusive interviews and behind-the-scenes footage. 

Miu Miu's fifth and latest tale can be viewed here.

Image by Brigitte Lacombe for Miu Miu

My piece above is taken from www.theglassmagazine.com where I contribute regularly.