The Swelle Life

Fashion Week Favourites: London

Duro Olowu returned to London this season to show his scrumptiously chic A/W collection (he's been showing in New York for the past two years). One of my most favourite designers and a very warm-hearted man to boot, through his clothes he shows us seemingly endless ways to wear texture, colour and print at its most joyful, and those ways are becoming more and more refined and sophisticated without stifling one bit of his infectious exuberance. I can only imagine how special you would feel wearing one of his garments. (When I met Duro last autumn his lovely wife was with him and looked fantastic wearing one of his exquisite jackets.)

Look beyond the no-pants, high top trainer, face-eating-muff styling by Katie Grand and you'll see some very gorgeous knits from this sister line of the knitwear house Sibling, appropriately named Sister by Sibling. (Sometimes I feel the need to explain why catwalk presentation can be odd, for the non-fashion readers. Like my Dad. "Why isn't she wearing pants? Who goes out without pants?" "No one, dad. But you notice the sweater, right? And the hat?" "No, I'm wondering why she's not wearing pants." "Never mind, Dad.") Anyway, massive scarves in a gorgeous slubby texture are appealing in a primal way - don't we all seek that kind of assured comfort in the cold? The short sleeves of the fair isle and rosette sweaters balance their chunkiness and make for a cute shape. And they may even look good with pants. 

I love the sporty look of  Clements Riberio's striped cashmere sweater with the floral mini, and the slightly punky hair that keeps it from looking too preppy. These outfits stood out from the earthier muted tones that dominated the second half of the line up. 

 

Michael van der Ham's usual choppy asymmetry was only to be found in the zig zag of the models' hairstyle this season. The patchwork mashups were (mostly) gone, with the outfits more finished and refined. And if the models look to be even more miserable than usual (actually, with the exception of one, these were the least sour looking of the bunch) it's because van der Ham's inspiration was a 'tough girl - moody and dark.' Ok. But some actually looked like they were in pain. 

Pringle of Scotland has pared down their knitwear range to focus on their signature styles, the loveliest of the bunch being the pure white gilet and skirt in an ottoman rib knit that makes you want to run your fingers over and over just as much as wear.

I always look forward to the Orla Kiely presentation in what has been her fashion week home away from home for the past several seasons, the Portico Rooms at Somerset House which she would transform into her preferred fantasyland at the time, and always on the Friday. Sometimes there would be live models (which of course I loved, they pose for you), sometimes there would be cardboard cutouts, and other times it was superimposed paper girls on the walls. I've skipped the past two seasons because fashion week takes a heck of a lot of energy, and I just haven't had it for the past year. So I was surprised to find out that Orla moved out of Somerset House and instead set up office, literally, for her fashionable, anachronistic secretaries to show off their new knit dresses, embroidered cardigans and smart handbags between typing and taking phone calls. 

Photo source

Click the image to watch the video of the girls at work (at fashion156.com):

Another reason I love the presentation format:

Sophia Webster showed her new range of shoes in pastel birdhouses in a pastel forest

Photos: Bora Aksu

I so look forward to inspecting the intricate details of Bora Aksu's clothes up close in the exhibition hall, post-show. The Turkish designer's signature approach involves techniques with the textiles to create all kinds of interesting textures, and mixing knitted elements with both delicate and rigid materials, like chiffons and lace, and hard leather. You can see some details from a past season here.

Photos: fredbutler.blogspot.co.uk

And undoubtedly the most joyful of presentations come from Fred Butler where you instantly feel validated for your enduring childhood attachment to colour and your desire to celebrate it now in a big way. Which Fred does every day. This season Fred took a more commercial approach and set up a pop-up shop (complete with Fred Butler-esque cupcakes by Pomp de Franc) to allow guests to interact with the goods.

Fred does a film each season and I use them for a little daydreamy escape whenever things are too gloomy in this world of ours:

 

Photos from Style.com unless otherwise credited

Fred Butler SS12: Our Summer Sun Has Arrived!

The reception was hosted by Susie Bubble, seen studying one of the textural sorbet outfits

Last autumn I saw some of Fred Butler's SS12 presentation at London Fashion Week. I had to be quick despite this being the collection I was looking most forward to, because my evening train back to Newcastle was leaving across town in just over an hour. To walk into the Portico Rooms at Somerset House,  see this thing of pure joy, and have to rush through it was just cruel. I took photos of the three outfits being modelled, after stopping to take in each one in - you can't not smile when doing this! - then ran off just as more models appeared in high-inducing oufits, but I was already late and I left with a whimper (and I mean literally, people looked at me). So I tried to take a shortcut to Kings Cross which wound up being a longer way, and missed my train by 20 seconds. Swearing and some self-flagellation followed. When I returned home I was so excited about the photos and posted a teaser for the presentation, then my hard drive crashed a few days later, obviously a punishment for not getting onto the main post sooner. After five days in the IT hospital and being told to write a eulogy for my laptop, our local guy saved it and the hard drive was recovered, but there was no guarantee that everything would be there. This drawn-out tale leads me to today, when I finally, and purely by chance, found my lost Fred Butler and Craig Lawrence photos which I thought were gone forever, my record of the best of what I saw for spring at  LFW.

And technically it's still summer, eh? Not that it matters, Fred's clothes and accessories aren't bound by seasonal restraints; colour is celebrated simply because it's a new day and one must get dressed in something, so why not make it happy? Her palette takes shape though unusual forms that must be the result of manipulation, playing around with soft textiles and rigid materials like perspex, and whatever she can sculpt to create things that are joyful, sunny, and different, but not simply for the sake of it. Her style is tightly honed and elegant in its own way. I took a pass on the last LFW as it wasn't a good time to be away from my family, and when I saw what I missed, a salon showing of her AW12 collection, it just stung. If you love pastel harmonies, you will melt like blue bubblegum ice cream on a summer day (that is, unless you're in England!!)

This is the video for Fred Butler SS12 followed by the photos, and it's well worth clearing an hour to watch her videos on Vimeo, they are one of my few go-tos for daydreaming and you can see why:

 

 

Fred has a knack for making things that leave you desperate to run your fingers over them. But I didn't touch the model's feet or forearms.

She must not have seen what she was wearing, otherwise she'd be smiling.

 

Photos © The Swelle Life

LFW: Jasper Conran SS12

Update: Jasper Conran is brilliant at documenting his behind-the-scenes processes with inspiring images, and so he thought I might like to see his album of 1930s photos of the 'leisure class' that he drew upon to create his collection (as portrayed by photographers Jacques Henri Lartigue and Georges Hoyningen-Huene), and also the backstage slideshow for his LFW show. He's right!

Click the images to see more:

I have to admit I was really hoping for details of the more overtly feminine kind at Jasper Conran's SS12 show - huge thanks to LFW sponsor Glaceau Vitamin Water for sending me - and not so much sporty.  I fell in love with his lace doily-look laser cut flower appliques from two years ago and wanted more of the sort. See the beautiful pages from his design scrapbook for SS10:

But I also love a surprise and was wowed that Conran's return to sporty and a bit preppy was also lithe and flowing. With lots of sexy backs, clean cuts, precision cutouts and transparency. The clear, geometric shaped and appliqued bags were especially neat and would make just as much sense carried empty  - if not more!

The show notes listed each outfit in detail and I love that by-gone approach to the fashion show, like an old salon presentation narrated by an MC. Actually, that's exactly how it was at Craig Lawrence and I'll be getting to that dream of a show as well.

(I love Jasper Conran's designs for Wedgwood too!)

 

"White cotton pique long tunic dress, white cotton pique shorts"

"Black silk cotton sleeveless jacket, black silk cotton A-line skirt, translucent black  and white handbag"

"Red chiffon panelled applique shift dress, white crepe de chine slip dress"

"White crepe sleeveless t-shirt, white crepe split panelled skirt, clear shoulder bag"

"Black silk cotton top, black organza straight cut box pleat skirt, translucent red handbag. Red crepe shirt dress, translucent red box bag"

"Grey melange linen jersey sleeveless t-shirt..."

"Red crepe A-line pleat front bustier dress"

"Shocking pink crepe split front dress with square wrap back"

 Photos © The Swelle Life

LFW: Orla Kiely SS12

Orla Kiely brought her girls back after having two-dimensional representations the past two seasons. They rotated on circular platforms to show off the waist-focussed silhouetttes and fresh prints from every angle. I love that you can expect the same thing from Orla Kiely season after season, yet it never feels like 'Oh, that again.' Her shapes are classic, ultra feminine and youthful, but she eludes monotony and overt girliness by using high quality fabrics, thinking through textural details, and creating print graphics that look refined.

There were lots of  clean white cottons amongst the spring colours, my favourite being the coral which was soft and gorgeous and edged in a sheened trim:

 

Orla had ice cream in branded cartons served by a 'cigarette' girl. I had some, of course!

I love this girl, she gave me big smiles with every outfit. Happy clothes!

 Photos © The Swelle Life

Floral Weekend! The Fashion Week Edition

Florals may be a bit of a cliche now, we see them season after season including AW. But I don't care, I love it! There's always a new way to work with them so it's not just another floral dress, like these looks from fashion month which are anything but old and dusty.

Clockwise from top right: Chistopher Kane; Richard Chai Love; Peter Pilotto; Antonio Marras x 2;  Erdem; Kinder Aggugini; Gary Graham.

I cordially invite the Erdem and Kinder Aggugini coats to my wardobe, April 2012 sharp.

A Look at the New LFW Cinema

Inside the BFC Show Space at Somerset House

Spring Summer 2012 is the first season at London Fashion Week for the BFC Cinema, set up in a tiny black hut-style theatre in the BFC Show Space at Somerset House (BFC is British Fashion Council). They did livestreaming as well as show their programme of fashion films on a loop which is what I caught when I popped in after the Jasper Conran show, which I saw thanks to LFW sponsor Vitamin Water (photos coming, I swear. 'Twas a good one, too). 

You can watch some of these films at LFW TV

Here are my favourites of what I caught, starting with House of Flora's film by Ryan Parry. "A playful nod to Grace Jones, Keith Haring pop art and gestures of Josephine Baker", it was an infectiously energetic performance with plenty of colour and striking shapes in the body movements, designs and backdrop.     
 
     

Now this next one was pretty cool. The subject is Sarah Angold 's lighting sculptures which I thought were accessories because this was fashion week, and I kind of wish it was actually possible to wear one of these translucent coloured pieces. However, this film by George Petrou was loooooong. It ran with several minutes of silence and then a soundscape by Danny J Lewis sprung in to remind you there had been no sound until that point. For fashion week especially, when people don't have long to sit and watch, an edited version would have been better received. People got tired of waiting for it to end and left. That's a shame. It would be best played at parties hosted by Timothy Leary, if that were possible.

Charlotte Olympia's To Die For by Jam and featuring Portia Freeman, is a gorgeous, surreal, murder mystery featuring designs from the current AW collection.

First two photos © The Swelle Life

Others shot from films, as previously credited

LFW: Fred Butler SS12 Teaser

It's going to take me a few more days to edit the rest of the shots I took at Fred Butler's mindblowing SS12 presentation at LFW on Sunday, but I couldn't wait to show one of my favourites - a head piece or hat, lilac-pink (one of the best colours ever) hexagonal sunglasses and fabric earrings that follow through on the sorbet softness of the voluminous scarf/top/jacket (in the full shot it's like a longer bolero style). The fact that I can't quite define it exactly is one of the reasons I love Fred Butler.

More to come!

Photos © The Swelle Life

How To Dress & Groom for Fashion Week in One Piece!

Update: Thanks to Wicked Halo, the mystery of this person's identity is solved! Well, sort of.  Just before she saw this post she read an interview at Stylist which reveals that 'she' (there's no confirmation on the gender as of yet) is a conceptual artist by the name of Pandemonia (so that's what's written on her bag). When I first walked in and saw this startling figure I thought it might be Narcissister, but then abandoned that idea when I realised the figure in front of me was an Amazon and there was no mannequin face mask in sight. I would love to know how many people it takes to remove this at the end of the day. (This just conjured the Friends episode where Ross gets stuck in his new leather pants in a pasty mess...)

You can read the interview here which I have to admit was surprisingly compelling (Gaga has jaded me) ...

Like a sucker I put on tights, a dress, jacket, necklace, blowdried and straightened my hair and did my makeup to attend my London Fashion Week events, when I could have saved all of that time and planning with a latex head-to-toe suit and blow-up hairdo! (Ok, my post-shower getting ready takes a total of about 25 minutes only if I'm being honest. If my skin doesn't look like a plate of meatballs that day.)

On Sunday evening I walked into a presentation at Somerset House - one I was nearly salivating over in anticipation - and saw this real-life cartoon character which had me very confused, I thought it was a major departure for the designer, then realised when I saw the models wearing her jawdroppingly styled outfits that this was not part of the show. I'm not going to mention who, that's coming later. I thought the presence of this person was a bit of a party crasher, a major distraction from what was one of the greatest collections I've seen, ever. So hopefully this was a friend and all part of the fun. Then again, it is Fashion Week...

(I don't know who this is but my guess is it's a man under there. I know my Dad is reading this and asking 'You think that's a guy?!' Yes, I'd put money on it. And how hot must that costume be? I couldn't fight off the sweat moustache and my entire body wasn't cling-wrapped in latex! I have to admit, I was very concerned this person was going to suffocate in the name of fashion!)

Photos © The Swelle Life

Ashley Isham's Floral Autumn

Last but not least of my (untimely) London Fashion Week coverage is Ashley Isham. I wasn't familiar with the London-based Singaporean designer (yes, that's what a person from Singapore is called, I looked it up) but I was all 'ooh!' as soon as his first look hit the runway. From my fortuitous vantage point - I was directly in line with the models as they began their walk from backstage - I was in awe of the headpieces which were a mix of silk flowers, pouffy embroidered tulle, some with chopstick-like appendages finished with tassles. The more florals the better and they were echoed in the dresses as prints and lace appliques. The all-dress (+ 2 jackets) collection offered short and full-length styles (with the odd appearance by the hybrid variety, the 'mullet' dress - short in front and long in the back. Perfect for those days when you're not sure if you're party or business).

There was a bit of sheer paneling - or nothing at all - in the mid-section of some dresses, and I wondered if these were simply showpieces and the production for retail would cover up the belly-buttons and ribcages that were saying 'Hello'. I think the ornate-ness of the headpieces atop those slightly exhibitionist outifits made them seem more naked; with simple hair and minimal accessories they just might work on the right person at the right event such as the Grammys (though I think the belly button should never be the centrepiece of an outfit! Bikinis excepted).

On a good note, the one that matters, the glorious headpieces and vivid floral prints made me want to run around in a meadow until allergies would make my eyes swell shut.

 

  

 
 
 
 

   

Photos by Denise Grayson

Bernard Chandran's Vivid Autumn Dressing

Getting back to wrapping up the London Fashion Week shows I attended, here's a nice shock of colour courtesy of Bernard Chandran. The Malayasian designer opened with a hot pink outfit and cape detailed in black which set the tone for his upbeat autumn collection. It was all about head-to-toe solid, saturated colour highlighted by hot pinks and lots of fiery orange-reds; for detail we saw exposed long back zips, black criss-cross diamond patterns, an exquisite laser cut top and dress, and petal-like panels protruding from the side of the waist. A lot of it was not for the timid of colour, but there was something for everybody in black and navy including a very wearable pocketed black zip-front dress with structured paneling.

Chandran's Little Red Riding Hood?

  

 

 

The eyes appeared to be highlighted beyond the brow in white as the model walked down the runway, then the close-up shot revealed they were made up to look owl-like, and that the lips were done in fuchsia on top and bright orange on the bottom, reflecting Chadran's preferred two colours in the collection.

 

 

Bernard Chandran - what a smile!

Photos by Denise Grayson

LFW: Bora Aksu's Exquisitely Structured Textures and Knits

I LOVED this show. Turkish born and London-based Bora Aksu spoiled us with all kinds of delicous details worked into his highly structured pieces.  It was one of those shows where I found myself making audible 'ooh and ah' sounds as I snapped away. And that's how it should be!

In a predominantly black, silver and grey palette with pops of emerald green every few looks, there were intricate and bold knits; lace and panels of sheer chiffon and leather - the latter which at times resembled a breast plate, like a glam Joan of Arc, and was seen plain as well as embossed, outlined with large stitch holes; jackets and shirts with reconstructed tuxedo elements; harness belts; flirty skirts; and a clear plastic-y material that showed up in sleeves, panels and skirts for a more structured transparency than the chiffon could offer.

As you can see, in many of his outfits Aksu used all of these elements to create complex, highly textured garments to stunning effect.  You want to take them in your hands and have a good look and feel at everything that's going on - front, sides and back. The collection is a perfect balance of hard and soft, the silks and knits tempering the rigidness of the leather to make it something wearable.

 
 
  

  

 
  
 

 

Photos by Denise Grayson

LFW: Orla Kiely's Enchanted Forest

   

I so look forward to Orla Kiely's presentation at each London Fashion Week. She transforms the Portico Rooms at Somerset House and it's like stepping into another, very beautiful, world. This season the setting was a forest, complete with birds perched in trees and in wooden birdhouses, and two cabins showing her collection film. Unfortunately I only had a few minutes this time and had to run off without sitting down to watch it, but from what I saw the way it was shot reminded me a bit of Un Chien Andalou!

Oh yes, and the clothes! There is so much to engage the senses that you almost forget about models and clothes until you see what felt like omnipresent beings. Very nicely dressed ones. Everywhere you looked there was the same platinum-haired model in a different outfit of course, superimposed on the walls and peering out from behind the barren tree branches. The colours were all very muted, as if they were meant to blend in with the scenery, bar a nice shock of tangerine.

I included this very blurry photo of Orla because it captured a sweet moment. I was taking a photo of the film from outside the cabin when she walked out, realised she was in my shot and made a very humble 'oops, sorry!' expression. It's ok, Ms. Kiely, you can step into my shot any time! She's awesome.

And have you seen the Orla Kiely cars? The microsite for the Citroen DS3 by Orla Kiely is a pretty neat interactive catalogue of the range. Click the image to see it.

 
   
 
 
 

 

Photos by The Swelle Life

LFW: Wrap Me up in Aminaka Wilmont

 

It was a chilly day in London on Friday, not one sign of an early spring in the air. Normally that would just be depressing but for the day it made for a great state of mind for seeing the autumn fashion shows, especially the ones that were lush, luxe and cozy.  Scandinavian duo Mari Aminaka and Marcus Wilmont gave us a collection in a palette of black and light and dark greys that you could pretty much mix and  match in its entirely. Dresses and leggings in digital prints that I think of as 'forward earthy' - like the luxurious pheasant feather cape - were wrapped in soft knits, leather jackets and a grand shearling-trimmed leather coat which I'll bet will be a highly coveted piece of the collection.

Special thanks to London Fashion Week sponsor Glaceau Vitamin Water and the wonderful folks at We Are Social for the show ticket!

That woman in the front row is having fun!

 

   

 

Photos by Denise Grayson

Off to London Fashion Week!

It's going to be a whirlwind trip this time, I'm only in town Friday and part of Satruday and will try to cover nine shows and presentations and the Art of Fashion exhibition. Plus the designer exhibition at Somerset House. With an illness brewing all week and beginning to reveal its full-blown self as I write this, I'm relying on positive thinking to get me through the next two days. I may just show up in leggings and my MBTs. Or not at all depending how cruel the sickies are. Oh right, positive thinking...

I love the Bora Aksu invitation, it's a notebook tied with a black chiffon bow. I will do with it what was intended and keep it!

I'm leaving you some eye candy for the weekend. The first reader-submitted installment of the Painted Houses Project is set to post today at 4 pm Brit time. It's an eclectic collection of colourful buildings from diverse parts of the world - exactly what I was hoping for for this project . We're always looking for more photos to keep the project going for as long as possible, so please use the Contact link in the banner menu if you have any to contribute. Bon weekend!

LFW: Little Shilpa's Tulle, Chiffon and Lace Dreams

 

I love the exhibition at London Fashion Week, it's a quick and easy way to discover new designers doing exciting things in one building, while seeing your favourites' new collections in person and have a chat about them. I walked in to Somerset on the Sunday through the Embankment entrance where hat designers were grouped. It's a tough spot to be seen. I saw some very unusual hats, some odd for the sake of it, it seemed.

Then I noticed the Little Shilpa display in the corner by the door. I guess someone has to take that lonely spot? I saw delicate shapes and fabrics in the form of tulle, chiffon and lace in slate blues, taupes, grey and rose, and I floated over to them. I wasn't crazy about some of the presentations on male mannequins that look like Ken dolls, but I was still intrigued. And Ken looked ok with it, really ok with it. I fell in love with the chiffon and lace neckpiece hanging from thick chain. I wanted to touch it but Ken's eyes told me 'Noooo.' (That imaginary detail reminds me of a story. Years ago in Toronto I took a part-time job at a boutique while working at my communications job, thinking it would give me extra money. We all know where that 'extra' money went, and then some. One day the owner was helping a Japanese girl who was trying on jeans. When she came out of the changeroom he knelt down behind her and began adjusting something in the 'seat'. I swear, he wasn't a perv. She said sternly 'That not for feel!' He had no idea what she was saying so he kept doing what he was doing. Then she started swatting his hand away and he still didn't get it so I had to go over and say 'THAT NOT FOR FEEL!' The poor girl was traumatised. But I think she still bought the jeans. He should have given her a discount for the 'feel'.)

Back to Little Shilpa. I didn't see anyone there so I didn't speak to anyone, and the website only offers a teeny bit of biographical information in easily digestible form - we want to know about you, Little Shilpa! There's a comprehensive CV for download, however, if you've got the time. (I had a quick skim and after two seconds I was feeling grossly unaccomplished.) What I did gleen is that Little Shilpa is Shilpa Chavan, a Mumbai-based designer of one-off headpieces, jewellery and accessories for retail and runway. (I kind of already knew that.) You can see examples of her commercial and runway work after my poorly-lit photos.  

 The pieces above and below were made for Manish Arora at London Fashion Week, 2005

Life-size flowers and styling for W ad campaign

Curiosities from London Fashion Week

 

Fred Butler in blue at the Cooperative Designs presentation at Groucho Club

These are some photo bits and bobs from London Fashion Week, interesting things beyond the shows, presentations and exhibitions - more to come on those, I'll wrap it up eventually!

Eley Kishimoto's event Flash On Week at Shoreditch Studios showcased product collaborations using various incarnations of the print duo's iconic 'Flash' design, first seen in 2001. Looks like I arrived too late and missed Mark Eley speaking about this project, but there's a great synopsis of the event at Amelia's Magazine.

 

I couldn't help but notice these two fabulous friends paying homage in head-to-toe Eley Kishimoto:

 

It's not every day you get sprayed by giant, walking fragrance cannisters:

 

More Fred Butler being her awesome self. It was a blue day as you can see. Update from Fred's blog: She wore a blue cord bustier and circle bag by threeASFOUR worn over vintage dress and Alistair Carr padded bomber jacket. 

And the following photos were taken before or after the Felder Felder and Hannah Marshall shows, starting with one that's a bit blurry due to me spinning around to catch the noisy, frenzied exit by Paloma Faith and pals:

 

I'm getting a Centurion-Cleopatra-Xanadu vibe here. Come on, you know the one.

Kanye West's ex-front-row companion, Amber Rose, made her exit through the backstage door. I'm not sure why since you wind up in the same place as the people who left from the front. And she was only too happy to pose, as you can see. Does anyone know what she does? Just curious. The chain belt is current season Felder Felder, by the way.

 

 

And Erin O'Connor, who was one of the very few who could pull off flats at Fashion Week, and willingly at that (you get the feeling most would rather die than be seen walking and standing comfortably):

Photos by Denise Grayson @ The Swelle Life