La Petite Fashion Week Diaries: Gucci AW12

I wore… Skirt & Bag: Gucci, Sweater: Joseph, Boots: Hobbs
Necklace: Anne Bowes Jewellery

I must say I feel very jet set (and more than a little bit smug) writing this post from my hotel room in Florence, waiting for the glass of Prosecco I ordered on room service to arrive. You will be getting the inside scoop on all our Florentine antics shortly, but first and foremost I think I should tell you about the trip’s main event… Gucci’s AW12 catwalk show in Milan this Wednesday. As a long term Gucci obsessive I was BEYOND excited to actually be attending one of their shows and the experience certainly did not disappoint. After a morning of shopping we retired to our rooms before meeting in the hotel bar for a pre-show bellini or two. Fashion Week is probably the only time when it’s not only acceptable but practically mandatory to drink throughout the day and after battling our way through the throngs of paparazzi and street style snappers we arrived at the venue to be handed yet another glass of champagne. Now I adore London Fashion Week and pretty much all of the designers who show there but in terms of sheer fabulousness, it doesn’t hold a candle to this. Held in the Diana Majestic hotel (where we were also oh-so-conveniently staying) and attended by some of the most glamorous individuals I’ve ever laid eyes on, the show was off to a damn good start before the first look even hit the runway but oh… when it did.

Gothic glamour was the name of the game and Gucci’s creative director Frida Gianni offered it up in spades. This was elegant opulence at its very best, combining luxurious fabrics and a nocturnal palette with truly mesmerizing effect. Military style coats, slouchy trousers, and flat-heeled leather riding boots were interspersed with sheer chiffon blouses, fine lace and hothouse floral prints, making for fierce femininity with an androgynous twist. Outerwear came in the deliciously louche form of velvet smoking jackets, luscious furs and billowing capes, both practical and almost unbearably chic.

Gucci can always be relied upon to provide truly show stopping gowns and this season was certainly no exception. Velvet is a fabric rarely seen on the red carpet but Frida’s stunning leopard jacquard numbers, complete with naval grazing necklines and jewel toned sheen, could be about to change that. The same applies to feathers which covered entire dresses, inky black and darkly seductive. Just as I thought things couldn’t get any more mesmerizing we were treated to an array of dramatic, chiffon dreams complete with thigh-high slits and jewel encrusted bodices. Overall the collection offered a highly original take on “romanticism” according to Frida Gianni and I, for one, was converted.

Love Ella. x

Posted on February 23, 2012 by Ella Catliff in Fashion Week 5 Comments

La Petite Fashion Week Diaries: London AW12, Day 5

I wore… Hat: Vintage, Jacket: All Saint, Jumper: Zara, Shirt: Whistles, Boots: Hobbs, Bag: Mulberry

The last day of London Fashion Week is usually a fairly bittersweet affair. On the one hand you’re sad that the bonanza of shows, parties and endless mingling is about to be replaced with an unwelcome return to reality. On the other, your toes are swollen, limbs aching, head throbbing and the idea of spending the next few days lounging around in your pyjamas has never been so attractive. Well there was none of that for me this season as after my final London show I would be dashing home to grab my oversized suitcase and head to the airport to catch my flight to Milan. But I still had a couple of London shows to go before embarking on my Italian adventure and first up was David Koma. I’ve always been a big fan of David’s but this season he well and truly knocked it out of the park with a collection that fused his trademark bodyconscious, futuristic style with influences as diverse as ancestral portraits, 1920′s menswear and Louis Icart’s Art Deco paintings. Wool, fur and silks were combined with technical fabrics in a palette of stark monochrome shades and dark blues, olive greens and plum tones before erupting into another glittering finale. Sleek and structured silhouettes were juxtaposed with Victorian inspired ruched draping and distinctive, high collars made for fierce femininity with an androdgynous twist. The collection was less overtly sexy than David’s previous offerings but all the more alluring for it.

It is a truth universally acknowleged that fashion shows never, EVER start on time. Well by Day 5 of London Fashion Week you’re lucky if they start within 45 minutes of what it says on the schedule. After David’s show I legged it out onto The Strand in the home of dashing across town in time to attend the Anya Hindmarch presentation which was supposed to have started 15 minutes previously. Suffice to say I didn’t make it and ended up spending an hour sulking in Starbucks (every cloud, eh?) before heading back into the BFC Tent for my last show of the season, Holly Fulton. Minimalism all well and good but personally I can’t help but feel that fashion should fundamentally make you happy or quite frankly, what’s the point of it? Well it’s impossible to leave one of Holly’s shows without a grin on your face that would make the Cheshire cat look sullen and that is one of the many reasons why I adore her. It was another very late starter but I was happily ensonsced in the “blogger block” with Ella of Coco’s Tea Party, Tala of MyFashDiary and Danielle of Fashionista Barbie so didn’t mind one bit. According to the show notes Holly would be “chanelling a little bit of Lady Chatterly” for AW12 and that is precisely what she did. Think Lady of the Manor meets lady of the night with classic silhouettes in super bright shades of pink and blue featuring exotic, graphic prints and deco glam detailing. Silhouettes may have been demure, but the attitude of the show was raucous. Cute, collarless jackets, simple separates and chic cocktail dresses had been re-worked Fulton style with lashings of feathers, perspex, PVC and oodles of eye-popping embellishment. Polo necks and pencil skirts have never looked so covetable and once again I found myself declaring this to be my favourite show of the week.

After that it was time to make a mad dash home to try and cram working, packing and maaaaybe catching up on an episode of Gossip Girl or two before my car arrived to whiz me off the the airport. It had been a fantastic, exhausting, exhilerating five days but fashion week certainly wasn’t over yet.

Love Ella. X

Posted on February 22, 2012 by Ella Catliff in Fashion Week 2 Comments

La Petite Fashion Week Diaries: London AW12, Day 4

I wore… Coat & Jumper: Whistles, Dress & Beret: Topshop, Bag: Mulberry, Boots: Hobbs

After a not-so-early night at the Ponystep Magazine party I was incredibly thankful for my leisurely 1pm start on Day 4. Not only did it give me time to catch up with my column for Velour Magazine online but I even managed to fit in an episode or two of Gossip Girl! By midday I was ready and raring to go and headed East for the Michael Van Der Ham show. This was my first visit to the Topshop show space this season and I’d forgotten quite what a spread they lay on. We were welcomed with champagne and ushered over to the Topshop Cafe which served everything from freshly squeezed apple juice to micro sized Shepard’s pie and lightly poached salmon delicacies.

After making the most of the treats on offer we were ushered over to our seats to wait for the show to begin. We needn’t have rushed as it was still a good half hour before things actually kicked off but when they finally did the ensuing show was so stunning that I would have happily have waited all day. The collection was somewhat more grown up since last season but retained the quirky playfulness we’ve come to know and love. Michael’s signature patchwork detailing had been given a glam-over with rich hues, sumptuous silks and lashings of sparkle. Nudes, pastels, brights, chiffons, knits, florals… You name it, Michael used it. How the Dutch designer manages to merge quite such an enormous array of colours, fabrics and prints without creating a sartorial disaster is beyond me but the effect was nothing short of mesmerising.

After that we all piled back into the LFW Press Bus (think school trip but chicer) and headed across town to Somerset House for Mark Fast. The kintwear extraordinaire chose a more muted palette for AW12, serving up subtle putty shades, dove greys, delicate nudes and the odd splash of cobalt. Whilst his trademark bodycon aesthetic still held centre stage, not everything was “barely-there” and Mark proved that he can do drapery and layering too.

By this point my levels of over-excitement had reached an all time high because next on the schedule was Burberry. Held in an enormous, glass structure Hyde Park and attended by the international fashion elite, the Burberry show is never anything short of spectacular and this season was certainly no exception. Paparazzi and street style snappers spanned almost to South Kensington, jostling to get a shot of the A-list attendees. Once inside, the FROW read like a “who’s who” of important industry insiders and famous fashion faces. One one side sat Alexa Chung, Clemence Poesy, Eddie Redmayne, Rosie Huntington-Whitley (annoyingly even hotter in person) and Kate Bosworth. On the other, Anna Wintout, Emmanuelle Alt, Franca Sozzani and basically every other Editor or every other major fash mag on the planet. If, God forbid, a bomb went off at the Burberry show, I think it’s safe to say that the fashion industry would completely collapse.

Just a couple of hours earlier I had declared Michael Van der Ham’s to be my favourite show this season but after seeing Christopher Bailey’s latest creations I’m not so sure. After toying with tribal for SS12, Bailey looked for inspiration a little closer to home and the collection was bursting with British influences. Tweeds, checks, and fine, tailored wools harked back to the brand’s roots but classic styles were brilliantly blended with sporty touches, keeping things modern and fresh. Think country casuals meets haute couture with utility details and studded accessories. Sculpted, peplum pencil skirts were pared with cropped puffa jackets for ladylike elegance with a tomboy twist. Traditional pieces such as barbour jackets, skirt suits and of course, the trusty trench were re-worked in earthy hues and luxurious fabrics.

All in all, the Burberry collection was nothing short of perfection and almost made me long for next Autumn to arrive. But even after the last quilted, plum velvet ensemble had stormed the runway (modelled by Burberry poster girl, Cara Delevigne), the show wasn’t finished just yet. Suddenly the music was replaced by the sound of a storm brewing and despite clear skies outside, the venues glass walls appeared to be being pelted with rain. Out came the models, each with an umbrella in hand and even Anna Wintour herself failed to surpress a smile.

Love Ella. X

Posted on February 21, 2012 by Ella Catliff in Fashion Week 2 Comments

La Petite Fashion Week Diaries: London AW12, Day 3

I wore… Hat: Topshop, Coat: A.P.C, Dress: Whistles, Bag: Mulberry

I love Fashion Week for many reasons; the shows (duh), the people watching, the endless photo opps and last but certainly not least, the parties. Last night I was off to the Temperley bash which proved to be both incredibly glamourous and deliciously debauched as only an aftershow party (with a free bar) can. Suffice to say, I felt none too fresh this morning but there was no way in HELL I’d be lounging in bed because I’d managed to land a ticket to Mulberry. Given my sheer adoration for the brand, they could have held their show in a primary school class room and I would still probably have thought it was fabulous. Unsurprisingly, they didn’t, instead decorating Claridges with golden handbag shaped balloons, supersized padlocks and more bonafide A-listers than you could shake a stick at. Anna Wintour, Olivia Palermo, Michelle Williams, Elizabeth Olsen and Leigh Leizark were all in attendance, as was girl-of-the-moment Lana Del Rey toting her namesake Mulberry bag.

Michelle Williams, Elizabeth Olsen, Lana Del Rey, Azaelia Banks

As for the collection itself… well it was definitely worth dragging my aching limbs out of bed for! Then again, that’s no great surprise given the stellar form Emma Hill’s been on since basically the second she took over. This season Emma drew inspiration from “Where the Wild Things Are” and offered up her own version of monster chic with super shaggy furs ruling the runway. Naturally coats weren’t the only thing on the Mulberry menu and snuggly hooded shearlings, perfect parkas and quilted bomber jackets were interspersed with divine dresses in burnt orange lace and dappled, digital print silks. The combination of oversized outerwear and ethereal, chiffon numbers made for a romantic, yet deeply wearable, autumnal dream. Knitwear is always something this Brit brand does well and their AW12 collection included some seriously covetable confections. I’m not going to get started on the handbags or we’ll be here forever but you can rest assured they were gorgeous.

A wise woman once told me that during February fashion week you can either be chic or be warm and this season I decided, or at least tried, to go for the latter. Unfortunately the temperature plummetted on Day 3 so after Mulberry I was *ahem* forced to seek shelter in Starbucks. One venti, extra hot, non fat, triple shot latte later I had just about regained feeling in my toes so headed back out into the cold and across town to Somerset House for show number two, Marios Schwab. Marios’s was the first fashion show I ever attended so I feel strangely loyal to the Greco-Austrian designer. Actually, it’s not all that strange as season after season he wows his Editor packed FROWs which today included Harpers Bazaar UK’s Kim Hersov, Grazia’s Melanie Rickey and the legend that is Suzy Menkes.

According to the show notes, Marios was “returning the the femme fatale he previously encountered” for SS12 and I certainly couldn’t have put it better myself. For AW12 the designer continued doing what he does best, that is sleek silhouettes and effortless allure. The show began with an array of ultra chic tailored wool ensembles but just as I was starting to fear that Marios was coming over all prim and proper, out came the leather, lace and seductive sheer panelling. The collection was elegant yet ever-so-slightly subversive finishing up with a spectacular, shimmering finale.

As you can probably imagine, by this point I was pretty exhausted so decided to nip home to watch Gossip Girl and reboot my energy levels before my last show of the day, Louise Gray. After an intensely frustrating couple of hours spent stuck on the tube (damn weekend track closures!) I arrived at the Topshop show space just in time to grab a glass of champagne and take my seat for Louise’s show. The designer took her trademark “more is more” approach again this season and the collection was a visual delight of clashing patterns, super brights and layered textures. Louise’s signature madcap approach to assembling her ensembles was at its’ very best with eye-popping prints, neon hues and excessive embellishment thrown together with sweetly old fashion brocaded pieces and stunning Scottish cashmeres. Once again Louise Gray broke every style rule in the book but thanks to her talent with textiles and devil may care attitude, somehow pulled it off with aplomb.

Love Ella. X

Posted on February 20, 2012 by Ella Catliff in Fashion Week 3 Comments

La Petite Fashion Week Diaries: London AW12, Day 2 (part II)

As you may have gathered, LFW day 2 was fairly full on and I’ve therefore had to split it into two separate posts… So to pick up where we left off, after satisfying my sushi cravings I headed back to Somerset House, planning on hitting the press lounge and actually getting some work done. In between stopping at Starbucks and a spending good half hour generally mincing around I somehow never made it and all of a sudden it was time for my next show, John Rocha. As far as I’m concerned, this show is a LFW must-see and with Virginia Bates, Leah Weller, Susie Bubble and Jameela Jamil on the FROW, I was pretty darned chuffed with my second row seat. There’s always something other worldly about John’s collections and this season was no exception. His trademark texture play was ingenious as always including everything from sheer chiffon and slinky silks to chunky knits, mohair, leather and PVC. The show was a fabulous fusion of haute couture and sportswear, contrasting the fluid and the sculptural to breathtaking effect.

Next up was Todd Lynn, a designer who’s work I’m ashamed to admit I don’t know particularly well but certainly want to know better after seeing it in action yesterday. Sharp suiting, immaculate tailoring and minimal detailing were the name of the game with emphasis on the designer’s masteful manipulation of fabric. Ultra modern and subtly sculpted, the strikingly simplicity of Todd Lynn’s collection certainly set it apart from the crowd.

At some point during London Fashion Week each season it inevitably pours with rain and that’s precisely what happened on the afternoon of day 2. Naturally I didn’t have an umbrella so was forced to make a deeply unstylish jacket-on-head dash to the nearest cab. My next destination was Westminster where Temperley London had invited me backstage (backstage post coming soon) before their show. I didn’t think it was possible for them to top last season’s venue (the British Museum!!!) but somehow, Alice and co managed it. One Great George Street provided a regal setting for the aptly named “Renaissance” show. As expected at Temperley, the FROW was strictly A-List with Jaquetta Wheeler, Jade Parfitt and Poppy Delevigne sitting alongside Peaches Geldof, Anouck Lepere and Jefferson Hack.

Pixie Lott, Peaches Geldof, Poppy Delevigne Fashion Week

If you thought Temperley’s SS12 offerings were delicious then frankly, you ain’t seen nothing yet. The collection was utterly exquisite, unapologetically opulent and nothing less than a treat to behold. From what I’ve seen so far, it looks like gold could be the colour for AW12 and there were plenty of super luxe metallics at Temperley alongside rich autumnal hues, inky blacks and delicate nudes. The overall feeling was somewhat Slavic, with plush velvets, thick brocades and glossy leathers set against glammed-up folk touches and embroidered florals. Fabulous fur hats, sumptuous silks and gobstopper bling oozed high octane glamour, topped off with a blindingly bedazzled finale.

Getting that many buyers, journalists, fashion editors and assorted celebrities in, seated and then out of a venue is a fairly lengthy process. Add to that the fact that, even in fashion week terms, Temperley was a pretty late starter, and I found myself with roughly 10 minutes to get back to Somerset House for the Issa London show. What followed must have been a fairly comic scene; an impractically dressed, high-heeled mob legging it to their waiting cars or, somewhat less glamourously, piling into the London Fashion Week Press Bus. As you can imagine, stress levels were pretty high during that frantic journey back up The Strand but somehow we managed to make it in time and without anyone getting hurt. The Issa London show notes promised a “trans-siberian journey from Moscow to Bejing” and that is precisely what Danielle Helayal delivered. The collection kicked off with power prints and then morphed into slinky, jewel toned dresses and beaded, thirties style numbers before culminating in a sequence of baroque printed, fur trimmed emerald beauties.

Eight shows later, Day 2 was still far from over and after that I had to make a high speed dash home for a quick outfit change before the Temperley aftershow party. Countless cocktails were consumed, a lot of fun was had and (surprise, surprise) I felt none too fresh this morning.

Love Ella. X

Posted on February 19, 2012 by Ella Catliff in Fashion Week 1 Comment

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