London Fashion Week 2011: We Need To Talk About Fred

 Disclaimer: All images are my own and are to creditted if used.

Sunday afternoon had me ducking and diving under the any umbrella and cover I could find with its oscillating combination of heavy rain  and short bursts of glorious sunshine , leaving me exceptionally pleased at my choice of head gear (bowler hats are practically a small umbrella on your head, I promise you.).  After the fascinating Cristina Sabaiduc show in Covent Garden, I hot footed back to Somerset House to meet Kathryn for the much anticipated Fred Butler SS12 reception high above the BFC tent in the Portico Rooms where i had only recently watched Craig Lawrence.

A reknowned and rather fabulous maker of the wildest accessories available, and friend to a favourite of mine, Patrick Wolf (who created a sound installation especially for the event),  Fred Butler was the place to be. Over looking the damp grounds and sour faces below, we inside found ourselves in a rainbow world to mark the celebration of her first ever on-schedule presentation, after quite a few seasons of exhibiting off site. And what a presentation it was!  Each model was presented on her own indivual and colour themed lilypad suited to their unique ensemble. Vivid pops of orange, purple, blue and green were splashed across tubular shoulder pieces and structured, geometric headwear almost orbiting the models heads  created an out of this world experience.  Volume was paramount And the shoes!  Tonal platform stilettos adorned with shell like circles helps evoke ideas of under water fluorescing marine life leaving me feeling rather bland in comparrison. 

On such a drab and dismal day, this was just the thing to liven our spirits. The original musical score and even more original designs were only let down by their sponsor, sodastream. A neon under water esque party this may seem but those bubbly drinks tasted like something right out the sea. Eck! And of course, anything but drab herself (himself?) , Pandemonia made an appearance in a outfit covering every inch of skin including using rubber to look like skin. However, this blow up Barbie Doll talking through rubber lips was enough to make me think of every kind of vile horror film in which faces are implanted onto innocent, screaming teenagers....so  I made my exit.

 

 

London Fashion Week 2011: Craig Lawrence

With ticket holders queuing around the spiral staircase in their hoards, there was an undeniable buzz about the building for the SS12 presentation in Somerset House.

The intimate surroundings of Craig Lawrence’s salon show, attended by many proud friends and family members of the designer, made for an intense atmosphere as several forcible hushes for silence were only broken by the sporadic clicking of a camera shutter. Having acquired the renowned brand Swarovski as his season sponsor, curiosity and expectations were high despite the humble space allocated.

Apparently inspired by “vajazzling” (Well, he is from the area after all), each garment was intricately created using yarns woven with small and fragile crystals to create a subtle shimmer under the dazzling Portico Room ceiling lights. His palette remained delicate and neutral throughout as the collection used soft gold tones with a blush hue adding depth to the crochet. His techniques ranged from creations made using a single thread for a softer finish to a lace-hole technique allowing the drapes and folds to fall in an effortlessly feminine manner.

Looking down, the models possessed metallic leggings reflecting the flashes of light like the scales on a fish’s back whilst stunning, structured headpieces from Steven Doherty finished the look with head dresses caught part way between an Amish bonnet and a halo, pulling strands of hair through to create an almost ethereal visage.

Doing the Rounds: Prepping for London Fashion Week 2011

As the sun finally rears its head and the tail-end of Katrina apparently subsides for the time being, I've been busily gearing up for London Fashion Week and to say I’m a little excitable about the days ahead could be somewhat of an understatement.


For those of you who don’t know, I’ll be blogging on behalf of Who’s Jack Magazine  to provide daily coverage for some of the big name fashion moguls and, more importantly, giving exposure to some of the finest as-yet-unknown designers the industry has to offer. And as the weekend schedule arrived in my inbox this morning, let’s just say the day was off to a good start as I can now look forward to situating myself at the shows of some dynamic and unusual bright stars set to make their mark in the coming months. I’ll also be running a behind the scenes blog, snitching on my fellow man on any interesting garble that comes from their autumn plum coated mouths. At the initial Jack meeting, the team were issued strict, but I think you’ll agree, fair, instructions not to overdo it on the free champagne cocktails and then vomit on Henry Holland. However, always to be an exception to the rule, I am allowed such a privilege (Don’t tell Henry) as long as I take a high definition photograph and write down the details of the fiasco as ‘gossip’. They say all press is good press but I can’t see that doing me any favours....

With just two days to go, let me share a few details of my whereabouts for the weekend. I’ll be sat, camera in hand and scribbling into my notebook for John Rocha on Saturday but here’s a few other main schedule events that have really got me on the edge of my seat to be on the edge of my (not quite front row) seat:

 ADA ZANDITON: Friday 3.15pm Somerset House

Citing her SS12 inspirations as “Seahorses, Greek goddesses and Haiti Kanaval.”, it’s easy to see why I’m more than a little curious at what Ada has to offer. Having previously worked for Alexander McQueen, Jonathan Saunders and Gareth Pugh before setting up her own label, its probably a fair assumption that her ethical and sustainable designs will be undoubtedly intelligent and inspired as she uses her own unique illustrations to create individual and distinctive ready to wear pieces.
Judging by her AW11 collection 'The Cryoflux', there is to be no skimping on the visuals either as the makeup speaks as loudly as the clothing to reflect the collection’s core concepts. With last season’s ghostly countenance echoing the cold-as-ice palette, what am I expecting this time round? Well, if seahorses are anything to go by then I’m hoping for metallics, ocean blues and the occasional crustacean to boot. However, to second guess such a bold new designer would be futile which is exactly why i’m so eager to find out for myself.

Images courtesy of LFW


ASHISH: Saturday 11.00am Somerset House
The current guest style editor for ASOS online and fellow lover of all things sequined, flamboyant London based Ashish Gupta is sure to brighten up my no doubt over cast Saturday. And despite his SS11 collection providing an amalgamation of cowboys and Indians via a southern California pit stop, his 2012 ensemble is set to take a more enchanting approach as he seeks to channel holiday romances and far off places. Ashish is a brand that doesn’t take itself too seriously but thats not to say that we should take it lightly. Debuting his first collection in 2001, this year marks a decade for Ashish at fashion week and i’m sure the spectators will not be disappointed at his celebration.

Images Courtesy of CatWalking

CRAIG LAWRENCE: Saturday 1.00pm Somerset house

Hailing from my neck of the woods, or near enough for me to at least feel a geographical connection, is Craig Lawrence who’s twitter description simply reads: “I knit lots of things.” And that he unmistakably does as his collections involve a curious process of knitting with unconventional materials to create voluminous, fluffy and shiny knitwear. And I’m talking the kind of knitwear that Tilda Swindon effortlessly drapes herself in for editorials, not the dodgy jumper you received from Granny at Christmas – though for some trendy London and, more noticeably for me, Leeds, types they’re probably on a style par. The reason am I so excited for this gentleman’s work may also have something  to do with the following two words: knitted crystal. Oh yes, Craig’s most recent accolade is his new season’s sponsor, Swarovski.

Image courtesy of ID
After being papped for Glossy Box UK at last week’s Vogue Fashion Night Out, I was crowned the ‘stylish winner’ of their street style competition and will now receive a year’s subscription to their monthly beauty boxes. However, as it stands, my outfit choices for the week ahead are non existent. However, you can probably expect to see my bowler hat make an appearance at some point along with my electric blue heels. Not exactly on trend but they’re a bit of fun amongst the sea of simplistic blouses and shift dresses. Then again, I’ve heard stories from the Jack team about a girl who turned up dressed to the nines and walking 6 Chihuahuas around the square in the hope of being photographed so simplicity is not to be sniffed at. There will also be a street style blog on the go along side the day’s most notable trend and even a food diary so be sure to keep an eye out on Who's Jack and be sure to follow me @littlemyth

Until Friday...