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: Cristina Sabaiduc

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

Having worked under such designers as Carolina Herrera, Cristina Sabaiduc comes into her own with her cutting edge SS12 debut at The Hospital Club, Covent Garden.

 As the rain started to come down and my laptop bag started pulling hard on my tired shoulder,  I have to admit that I had my doubts as to whether the show, by this point running 25 minutes late, was really going to be worth it. However, after the initial success of Sabaiduc’s graduation show which resulted in her being awarded the Lancome Scholarship of Excellence in Women’s Luxury Design, I’ve heard that her conceptual designs have gone from strength to strength and her presentations are often rather impressive.
Arriving into a packed out room, the spectators were consciously arranged on a central black square allowing for an all round viewing experience. With curious individual pieces decoratively draped on the blank, white wall, the watercolour lilac and stone floral print as previously seen on our beautiful and simplistic invitations made an appearance suggesting a stronger usage throughout the collection.

As the lights dimmed and remerged, the models, all sporting centre-parted up dos and black stained patches on their intensely rouge lips, Cristina Sabaiduc’s SS12 collection was all about the sophisticated , pleated drapes in honey and wheat with sashes of forest green and vibrant orange.  Featuring garish floral strapless bodices, flowing chiffon maxis and the controversial socks and sandals combo, the range has a very English Spring feel.  After one lap each, the hanging garments previously dismissed as merely decorative, found their role and two dressers took items and reworked them in a live dressing.  A simple but intelligent move, the live dressing worked the crowd into an excited frenzy and the dressers brought the collection to life to produce various styles and endless possibilities. In all honestly , this was unlike any presentation I’d seen yet and well worth the rain induced hair frizz I was now sporting. Genuinely, genuinely, genuinely loved every part of it - and what a cracking FROW position I managed.