So after five long days of catwalk shows, presentations and of course, parties, London Fashion Week has finally drawn to a close. Unless of course you count menswear day which, let’s face it, just isn’t as much fun. The end of fashion week is always a rather bittersweet experience. On the one hand your sad to wave goodbye to what is always a joyous coming together of the sartorially minded. But at the same time the idea of wearing flat shoes, comfy jeans and going make up free for a few days is pretty darned attractive.
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I wore… Blazer: Zara, Top, Shorts & Bag: Whistles, Shoes: Topshop
Tights: Accessorize, Necklace: Anne Bowes Jewellery |
Having danced the night away at the “This is New York” party hosted by uber bloggers Tommy Ton and Susie Bubble I was ready to hang up my heels come Tuesday morning. But there were still a few shows to go and they were simply too good to miss so I donned my final fashion week outfit and headed, ok hobbled to the tube. First up was Meadham Kirchoffat the Topshop venue. As handpicked protegee’s of Fashion East founder Lulu Kennedy, Ed Meadham and Ben Kirchoff’s designs were always going to good. But quite how successful the boys would be, even Lulu couldn’t have predicted. Known and loved for putting two fingers up at prescribed good taste, Meadham Kirchoff scooped up the prestigious “Next Young Designer” gong at this years’ the Elle Style Awards and have been praised by every fash mag worth reading from Love to Vogue and pretty much everything in between. With a FROW that included her Royal Highness, Anna Wintour, the pressure was really on this season and boy, did the designers deliver.
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| Hamish Bowles & Anna Wintour at Meadham Kirchoff |
The Topshop show space was decorated with balloon archways and began with a rabble of Courtney Love look-a-likes who burst onto the runway caking on red lipstick and dancing wildly. The collection that followed was an eye-popping spectacle of candy colours, sparkles, ruffles and feathers. Cartoon esque prints, pastel shades, gingham checks and fluffy marabou were applied to micro shift dresses and cropped coats with exquisite sculptured dresses in broderie anglaise. It soon became clear that the theatrics wouldn’t stop there as a troop of tweenage ballerinas twirled onto the catwalk, revealing behind them a group of models perfectly posed atop a giant cake. One by one the models took to the catwalk dressed in a dazzling array of spectacular sequinned numbers and shrunken Marie Antoinette style dresses. The collection was theatrical, indulgent and an absolute joy to behold. Several people were even reduced to tears and when their show yielded a rare smile from Anna, Meadham Kirchoff’s fate as fashion’s latest darlings was well and truly sealed.
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| Meadham Kirchoff SS12 |
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| Meadham Kirchoff SS12 |
After that I hot footed it back to Somerset House (fashion week is definitely the most intensive form of cardio!) for the Tata Nakapresentation. Natasha and Tamara Surguladze launched Tata Naka straight after graduating from St Martins and since then the brand has simply gone from strength to strength. The girls really pulled out all the stops this season with a collection that looked good enough to eat. Delicate summer dresses, jumpsuits and chic separates came in a mixture of exquisite floral prints, soft nudes and clashing, brights. The collection hit the perfect balance between fashion forward and wearable with quirky touches such as pleated panels, asymmetric hemlines and neat collars bringing simple shapes and delicate detailing bang up to date. Styles with floral hairpieces, flowing locks and adorable matching shoes Tata Naka’s SS12 offerings were a girly girl’s dream. All in all a fabulously feminine and utterly covetable collection that will be topping many a wish list come Spring.
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| Tata Naka SS12 |
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| Tata Naka SS12 |
Day 5 seemed to positively fly by (possibly due to the 2pm start) and all of a sudden I found myself with only one show left to go. Then again, David Koma is one of my favourite designers so I’d be hard pushed to think of a better show to top off a fantastic London Fashion Week. The FROW was littered with famous fashion faces and influential industry players including Harpes Bazaar Editor Kim Hersov and Grazia’s Melanie Rickey.
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Grazia’s Editor-at-Large, Melanie Rickey
at David Koma |
David’s last two collections gathered unanimous rave reviews and this season saw the young designer develop his style one step further with a selection of bold looks that combined his signature body-conscious silhouette with something totally new. Figure clinging dresses in semi-sheer devore jersey were adorned with strategically placed Polynesian tribal motifs. Shapes where as sharp as ever and David kept his palette simple but striking with monochrome looks and perfectly placed bursts of flourescent brights. Fetishista’s rejoice as it looks as though bondage inspired looks will be sticking around for Spring. David’s show featured lashings of leather forming carefully constructed peplums of pleats and fringing, adding a tougher edge to barely-there dresses.
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| David Komas SS12 |
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| David Koma SS12 |
Tribal customs may have provided the inspiration but the collection was undeniably modern with iridescent sequins and perspex discs giving the final looks a futuristic feel. At the risk of sounding like an judge on America’s Next Top Model, the show was fierce with David’s fearless designs providing an inspiring finale to my Fashion Week Diaries.
Love Ella. X
