So I know I truly missed the boat when it comes to my London Fashion Week coverage, which is due being seriously overwhelmed at the time, due to writing it for another website, in another language, then catching a bit of swine flu.
So there’s no point in writing long reviews now, a few weeks after the event, so instead I’ll just post my week in snapshots.
In a nutshell: dozens of shows, presentations, parties, fashionistas, celebspotting, wobbling in high heels over Somerset House cobblestones, witnessing genius and downfalls, Chambord cocktails from 9am to 9pm, hopelessly trying to look cool whilst carrying laptops, cameras and notepads, sharp shoulders, 3000 pictures, Mark Fast ripped leggings, lace bloody everywhere, 35 cloth promotional bags and Lady Gaga Wannabes.
And that’s just a start.
Here’s a small selection of my personal snapshots of the week.
I’d like to think she’s tweeting when I took this pic, so here’s the question:
What would Anna Tweet?
@CarineRoitfield Yo C, where RU – let’s catch up over a pint soon.
@aplusk Hey Ashton, did I just get Punk’d? No one showed up at this show.
@SiennaMiller I know you’re still angry about that September Issue film thingy, so I came to your show early to make sure I get a good seat and make up for it.
@sevinnyne6126 NO Lindsay, you will never, EVER be on my cover. That Dior jewellery was a really nice gift, but won’t change my mind.
@TeamJunk ’suuuup!!! Loving the blog – read it every day. Come work for me, stat. Big cuddle, Anna.
In a dream world, what do you think she’s tweeting about?
So I desperately tried to cover NY Fashion Week and post on here regularly, but looks like that didn’t happen, I barely had time to even look at the pictures!
Had all sorts of drama happening this week, the biggest one being the continuing postal strike. I was starting to get a more than a little panicked when I hadn’t received ANY tickets after 10 days of no post, so had to contact every single PR to and see what the situation was.
Then this afternoon, a miracle happened:
A sight for sore eyes!
And there’s still more to come… Frantically trying to get my schedule, outfits, notepads, cameras, phone, laptops, etc sorted before the 9am start tomorrow. I’m posting twice a day for http://nl.elle.be/ , so hopefully I’ll get to post reviews on here as much too!
FROW (that’s front row for you non-fashion tweeters) packed with paparazzi-friendly starlets: check
Yes, it could only be the New York institution that is the BCBG Max Azria show, and why change a winning team, right?
With Solange Knowles, Amanda Bynes and It-Girl du Jour Leigh Lezark packing the front row, Max Azria brought did what he did best, and brought a collection of bodycon dresses fit for any Hollywood party girl.
As if to avoid any confusion with his other collections for Hervé Legér, he played with a mixture of fabrics that did not include the typical unforgiving elastic material, but instead opted for sheer fabrics, draped jersey and printed silks. The prints were mixed with block colours, creating interesting structures.
He occasionally mixed the mini lengths with maxi flowing dresses – although almost unwillingly, as a sheer long dress just displayed a mini below.
I also couldn’t help but think of Alexander Wang with a few dresses which had a mixture of sheer and strategically draped fabric like the coral one below.
A reasonable collection of which we’re bound to see aplenty on the likes of the Lohans of the world, but in terms of fashion it seemed like he played it safe. Let’s blame recession here, shall we? I’m looking forward to see the Hervé Legér show – hopefully he’ll mix it up a little there.
Oh how far he’s come since he was taken from near obscurity overnight when Michelle Obama chose his design at the Inaugural Ball!
The young Taiwan-born designer showed another impressive display of near-perfection at the presentation of his SS10 collection at the St. Regis Hotel. The collection initially oozed luxurious daywear for your all-American starlet, so it was only fitting that the likes of Kerry Washington and Amanda Peet were admiring it from the front row. A succession of wearable and playful skirts, playsuits and cardigans will ensure Wu’s commercial success.
His real craft shone through in his eveningwear though, which featured one-shouldered puffball dresses, silk tulip skirts and delicately feathered skirts and tops, all distinctly mini in length, so don’t expect Mrs. Obama to be sporting any of them soon.
The whole collection reminsced heavily of Marc Jacobs’ last few shows, from the feathers, the 80’s prom dresses and even some of the colour schemes, but then for sophisticated grown ups, which is hardly a bad thing.
Defying the One-Hit-Wonder stigma, Jason Wu is now featured highly on my list of designers to watch.
Anna Friel has been a longtime style favourite of mine, she just manages to be so effortlessly cool all the time. Like any true icon, she’s willing to experiment when it comes to picking her designers and clothes: she likes colour, daring cuts and likes young designers.
I think it’s quite fitting she’s now following in the footsteps of another fashion icon, Audrey Hepburn, in the role of Holly Gollightly in the stage version of Breakfast at Tiffany’s.
On the way to rehearsals she’s been rocking some great little dresses, some of which have turned out to be high street numbers.
I’ll be going to Topshop asap to check out her latest little find, this animal print 80’s prom dress, which cost just £40:
The Royal Mail is on strike and I haven’t received any post for the past 2 days. This is an utter and complete drama, as my LFW tickets were all due to arrive.
On Monday the first batch came in, but since then, nothing, zilch, nada! Even if the strike ends in time, they’ll probably get lost and they’ll just make the whole thing more difficult.
As the schedule will be so tight already, there’s no time for me to waste on hassling every PR with the “but my ticket was lost in the mail” story, so I need to get this figured out ASAP.
In other related news, the British Fashion Council have just released the Events Schedule, which lists all the events and parties that go alongside LFW. There will be so much going on, it would be impossible to go to half of these, even if we didn’t have the shows to do, let alone with.
Highlights include:
International Press party at the May Fair Hotel – always a blast
In Conversation With Barbara Hulanicki – Talk and Screening
Kitsune Pop Up Store hosted by Ponystep – at the Bluebird
GAP1969 DENIM – Garance Dore gives a private view of her exclusive exhibition for the gap1969 denim
Jeremy Scott for Originals by Originals pop-up store – Newburgh Street
One of the reasons I’m looking forward to London Fashion Week is the arrival of LA designer Jeremy Scott. He has just released this new A/W09 collection for Adidas Originals, accompanied by a cool little video featuring an M.I.A. song.
In his typical pop-arty way, Mr. Scott is probably the only man in the universe who can make a Giraffe sweater look cool. Or a world map dress even.
That unique combination of bang-on-trend yet good-for-the-wallet yet good quality makes the brand so utterly scrumptiously addictively amazing. The thing I love about Topshop the most, is their unrelenting support to young and upcoming designers by giving them major exposure through a small capsule collection.
No, I’m not talking about Kate Moss’s umpteenth collection – but the really young ‘uns, the graduates, the New Gen winners, the actual talent.
This season, Topshop seems to have upped the ante even more. A quick look at their website and I see the upcoming collection by Christopher Kane (I lie awake at night just thinking about it), Ashish, Preen, EmmaCook and MarcusLupfer.
Now with the New Gen scheme also expanding to menswear, it’ll be interesting to see if this will translate into Topman-worthy collections. I think it’s just such a perfect way for these often unknown designers to find a following outside the hardcore fashion crowd.
The future of fashion will be safe as long as retail giants like Topshop continue to support and nurture young talent, rather than giving bigwig designers another unneccessary endorsement to feed their ego, H&M style.
Despite the hesitations raised in my previous post, I’ve actually caught the fashion bug again.
With just 3 weeks to go to London Fashion Week (I don’t really cover the other ones), I have lots of work to do, so I decided to share with you my preparations in the run up to the shows.
As this will be my 7th time, I’ve gotten used to the routine that comes with it, but I remember very well how daunting the whole process can be, especially as a freelancer or international journalist with very little footing here in London.
First, I got my accreditation from the British Fashion Council, which gets you on a general list for event invites and gives you access to the exhibition tent and press room (where I mainly write my articles in-between shows, drink the yummy coffee and ogle the amazingly dressed fashion people).
After that’s sorted, I take a look at the final schedule… see below…
Last season, there was one show and one dress specifically that really summed up London Fashion Week for me.
Held in the arches of Somerset House (little did we know it was to become LFW’s new home then!), accompanied by a live French band, the Erdem show really gave me chills. It wasn’t because it was the most innovative of collections, nor was it a groundbreaking moment for the young designer, but the entire collection showed his true class, his craft with prints and most importantly, staying power.
So why am I bringing this up now?
Just had a little browse on Matches.com – and there it was.
TheDress
The DressI had as a blurry background picture on my iPhone for months. The Dress I’d hoped to wear if my brother got married (he didn’t).
The Dress.
It’s a whopping £1578, and I’m frantically looking for a reason to justify emptying my savings account.
Well here’s a bit of news that really quite shocked and surprised me: British supermodel Jourdan Dunn is pregnant.
At only 18 years old (she turns 19 in August), she will be one gorgeous young mum and I wish her all the best. She seems to have her feet firmly on the ground and I’m sure she’ll manage this just fine. The shocking part lies in the way the news was leaked.
Style.com casually announced the pregnancy by writing this post their maternity wear tips for Jourdan. Not the most elegant of announcements, I’m sure you’ll agree.
Meanwhile the fashion community is already furiously debating on how this will affect the young model’s career. It certainly didn’t do Natalia Vodianova any harm, but taking time off will of course affect anyone’s career.
Whilst we’re still awaiting official confirmation, I’m also wondering who the babydaddy is. Jourdan has not been spotted with a man on her arm in recent months, so one does wonder…
