LFW Round up

London Fashion Week drew to a close on Monday (boo!) and boy, what a week its been. London is often considered the more rebellious, more gutsy sister to New York, Paris & Milan - and I certainly wouldn't want it any other way. London's heavyweights, Erdem, Christopher Kane, Mary Katrantzou, Jonathan Saunders and Burberry produced knock out collections, whilst relative newcomers like Simone Rocha put their name on the map.

Here are my top 5 favourite collections: 

Holly Fulton

Admittedly, I've never been a huge huge fan of Holly Fulton. Make not mistake, I have appreciated her previous collections, but for me has never made an impact like that of Erdem or Christopher Kane. Well, not this season. I absolutely loved her kitsch 50s/60s style collection. It was fun, playful and more to the point, wearable. Undoubtedly her best yet. 

Mary Katrantzou

Ah, there's just something about Mary. The woman can do no wrong in my eyes. Every season she pushes the boundaries of what's possible with digital print. Last season she was taking us back to school with literal pencil skirts, but this season she was showing us the money. Inspired by stamps and bank notes, she printed the former on to day wear, made up of crisp, clean, A-line shirt dresses, and the latter, onto show stopping metallic suits and form fitting dresses for evening wear. As always, I can't wait to see what she has up her sleeve next. 

Alice Temperley 

Pretty, ladylike, prim, gorgeous, Princess like. These are just some of the words that could sum up Alice Temperley's recent Spring/Summer offerings. Packed with white lace, beautiful blue, cherry red and fifties skirts, this really was a collection fit for a Princess. One thinks Kate Middleton will be debuting one of these Grace Kelly-esque beauties very soon indeed. 

Christopher Kane

Ah Christopher. Never one to be predictable, this season he was inspired by none other than Frankenstein. And whilst instant horror may be the first thing that springs to mind, don't be fooled. Because there was nothing scary about this collection. Yes, nuts, bolts and masking tape may have been involved, but so too was pretty bows, pastel hues, jewels, lace appliqué and floral quilted jackets. The result? A typical Kane showstopper, with just the right amount quirk. 

Erdem

This, without a doubt was my favourite collection of the entire week. I have been a fan of Erdem ever since he came on the LFW radar (and came to my uni for a talk about his career - he's so lovely!). There's no denying that the man knows how to design for women. Admittedly, when I first started flicking through the images of his S/S2013 collection, I was concerned that we were in danger of not seeing florals this time around, when a snakeskin dress and jacket combo opened the show. But I needn't of worried, because a couple of clicks in, and there they were, in all their blooming, feminine glory. So too was lace, applique, crochet, and just a hint of neon. The term, sugar and spice and all things nice can be appropriately applied here. 

Other collections that I really liked were Jonathan Saunders (he's unstoppable!), Simone Rocha, Henry Holland & of course, Burberry (what a Quality Street bonanza that was). 

What was your favourite collection at LFW? Or, if like me, you can't possibly single just one out, who made up  your top 5?

(All images courtesy of Vogue.co.uk)

Downton Abbey fever.

       

I know, I know, fashion magazines/ websites the world over have been harping on about period drama, Downton Abbey's influence within fashion over recent months - making me probably the last person on the planet to discuss it. But with the hit ITV series returning to our screens this Sunday, I still think it needs discussing! 

The Autumn/Winter shows were awash with Downton references - no matter how subtle. But perhaps the most un-subtle of the bunch was Louis Vuitton. To start, the models disembarking from a steam train were reminiscent of the scenes between lovebirds Matthew & Mary saying their emotional farewells on the platform. But, that was just the beginning of a collection wreaking in period references. The sumptuous fabrics, rich in brocade, embroidery, velvet and silk weaves were the constructs of beautiful long, A-line evening dresses, which wouldn't have looked out of place worn by one of the Crawley sisters at dinner. At Giles Deacon too were glimmers of 19th Century ladylike romance, with tailcoats and tuxedo dresses being at the fore of the Downton offerings. Meanwhile, Etro, Burberry, Missoni & Steven Alan had jumped on the bandwagon too. 

So you get the gist. 

Of course being in the midsts of the Spring/Summer shows, we expect to see a few more collections fit for Lady Mary, Sybil or even Edith (poor Edith). In fact, the actresses who play the three formidable Crawley sisters have seen their style credentials go through the roof. In the current issue of LOVE magazine - 'A Costume Drama' - each had their own amazing cover, accompanied by an equally stunning, sexy, stylish, dark romantic photo shoot inside, where they can be seen wearing Vivienne Westwood & Alexander McQueen. Editor in chief Kate Grand revealed in her editors letter that she had been 'engrossed' in Downton Abbey, making a connection between the drama, film, Paris Is Burning and the work of Malcolm McLaren - all of which culminated in the creation of what is my favourite issue of the bi-annual magazine.

Now, with the third series only 24 hours away, it sees the characters move forward into the roaring twenties, meaning not only more beautiful costumes for us to feast our eyes on, but more inspiration for many a designer next Autumn/Winter (yay!) 

What do you think of the 'Downton look'? Will you be inspired by it this season?

(Images from left: Marc Jacobs A/W 2012, Giles Deacon A/W 2012, Etro A/W 2012, Burberry A/W 2012, Steven Alan A/W 2012 & Missoni A/W 2012 - style.com; LOVE covers - Grazia)

Jennifer Lawrence for W Magazine

How beautiful is this editorial of Hunger Games star Jennifer Lawrence? Shot for W magazine by the amazing Tim Walker, Jennifer appears wearing lots of stunning feathered creations by Alberta Ferretti, Prabal Gurung, Alexander McQueen and Vivienne Westwood. Whilst I think she looks stunning in the accompanying editorial, I'm not so keen on the cover - I think her pose is a little awkward and couldn't instantly tell that it was her. What do you think? 

You can read the full interview here. 

Orla Kiely Spring/Summer 2013

How darling is Orla Kiely's Spring/Summer collection? Staying loyal to her sixties silhouette and retro hues, Kiely showcased a collection packed full of wonderful day time frocks - with shirt and babydolls aplenty - and supremely elegant, Hepburn-esque, evening dresses. Whats not to love?  

Summer of fun. #Instagram