From left to right: Preen by Thornton Bregazzi, Christopher Kane, Simone Rocha, Mulberry
Photos from Vogue.com
The effects of this past NYFW are still lingering, and part of me feels like it's still going on--the subpar Marc Jacobs collection (at least in my opinion) that was meant to dramatically close the week didn't do the trick, so did fashion week actually end?? I then realized that London Fashion Week already ended, and I then wondered why this happens almost every season. Why does my fashion-oriented mind always skim over this week? Big names like, as I said in my previous post, Marc Jacobs and Alexander Wang aren't included, but that doesn't make any of the clothes less amazing. Or does it? I always feel more underwhelmed with London's shows; maybe this is because it's squeezed between two huge fashion weeks--New York and Milan. But New York was underwhelming last year, except for the fact that pajamas were deemed ~fashion~ in many of the shows. Maybe it's because fashion journalists and bloggers aren't dying to write about LFW, so less articles are produced from this season, except for when Burberry does anything more than ordinary (which is common for the fashion house). Setting this ~strange phenomena~ aside, LFW always slips my mind. When the last model walks down the closing Marc Jacobs show, my first question is where's Gucci, the brand that always opens for Milan. But LFW deserves the love, too! It's home to a ton of emerging designers that are amazing me with their raw talent, and also those classic London houses (think Burberry and Vivienne Westwood) that seem to drive the week. But I went a different route this year, choosing only one designer I've reviewed in the past. I've come to realize that designers I've never been familiar with are so talented!! It's nice to start looking past our favorite designers and appreciating all of them, because you never know which ones will become your favorites later on.
Here's a familiar one:
I've always been attracted to Simone Rocha's delicate form of beauty that always makes an appearance in her collections season after season, and this is probably why I keep going back--it's refreshing to have at least one (female!) designer who knows how to get in touch with her femininity with the clothes she creates. We usually see pink flowing dresses, romantic necklines, and draping layers of tulle and silk producing more-than-beautiful silhouettes, but this season we saw something a bit different. She didn't completely stray away from her normal aesthetic--tulle, intricate floral patterns, and shin-grazing hemlines are still included in the 42-piece collection, but other themes seem to be at play here. A bit of masculinity with the boxier shapes, a bit of utilitarianism with all the coats that act as dresses, and a bit of chaos with the unique layers that range from fur draped over a chiffon dress to a half-coat-half-blouse layered over a white button up and ruffle pants. A bit Victorian, a bit edgy, and even a bit military, which are themes Rocha usually doesn't play with. But she does include that soft femininity we all love! Whether it was fur stoles belting an oversized coat or flowers embroidering a rigid suit, her true intentions of female empowerment still exist in the collection--is this why I keep coming back?
Preen by Thornton Bregazzi reminded us that scary can be good! Part of me believes that's the only reason that attracted me to this collection--the clown inspired show filled with ruffle sleeves and smudged red lips immediately grabbed my attention. It's important to know that one of my biggest fears (next to wasps) are clowns, so it's a bit strange that I picked this collection to be deemed one of my favorite four LFW shows. But they made clowns look friendly and impeccably cool at the same time, with lots of bright floral themes clashing with oversized, draping-over-the-shoulder garments and sheer fabrics layered under flashy bustiers. Maybe this is what I needed to get over my fear--being exposed to it in the form of fashion.
I've never been a huge fan of Mulberry--their overly-English and equestrian aesthetic never inspired me, unlike other collections that go over the top; this brand always seemed too simplistic. But this season I decided to embrace their aesthetic! They revamped their look with oversized coats, more-is-more layers, and beautiful floral prints (an LFW theme, perhaps?) displayed on flowing Gucci FW15-esque dresses (the first season with Alessandro!!). Quilted capes and completely-check outfits made the collection true to Mulberry's roots, but the addition of pussybow blouses, asymmetric hemlines, and clashing textures gave it a modern and retro feel that made me finally start liking the fashion house. Props to them for making equestrian finally look appealing!
Christopher Kane's runway was all over the place last week, but it seemed to be the least chaotic of all the shows, which is shown through the sleek silhouettes and conscious craft put into the collection. Inspirations were spontaneous, but execution was not, which makes a beautiful juxtaposition that everyone always loves in a fashion show. UFO prints covered simple tops, skirts, and dresses; Victorian-inspired floral patterns were seen on pencil skirts and suits; asymmetrical dresses and pleated skirts shined with metallic fabrics of every color; even huge sequined flowers were attached to sophisticated midi dresses. This combination of clashing themes makes us think: is it about space? Is it a modern take on the Victorian era? Is it a glimpse into what our future will look like in fashion? And I think that's the entire point--there is no one inspiration; his main inspiration is really just about making clothing that he found beautiful. Fur-lined crocs aside (am I still the only person in fashion who can't get on this trend?), Kane's lack of inspiration made this collection all the more inspiring and probably one of my favorites of this season.
See all of my show reviews from previous seasons here.
