LFW Diary AW11: Eun Jeong

In the heart of the famed Covent Garden Piazza for the second season in a row, the 2008 Fashion Fringe Award winner, Eun Jeong held her AW11 showcase with breathtaking results. As we waited for the second showing to start late on Friday afternoon, guests were more than happy to examine our Kipling and Cosmetic á la Carte goody bags whilst absent-mindedly tapping our feet to a variety of delightful speakeasy tunes which really set the scene and gave me instant visions of the latter years of the hot new HBO drama Boardwalk Empire. It was a pleasure to see the talented and serenely beautiful Iraina Mancini (of former pop group Mancini fame), manning the decks, and as we went to school together it was lovely to catch up after the show and hear all about her hot new band and plans for 2011 – all I can say is watch this space!

As the lights dimmed and the show began, we were treated to an artful collision of Jeong's modern and timeless aesthetic, emphatically displaying the designer's love of her craft – evident in her intuitive fabric choices and refusal to stray from her signature draping. Taking 30's tailoring and embellishment as her inspiration, Jeong deftly discovered ways of resurrecting the classic minimal silhouette, which originally came to international prominence with stars of the silver screen such as Marlene Dietrich and Joan Crawford wearing minimalist fashion in Hollywood.

Iraina Mancini

With an emphasis on neck lines and sexy structured bodices, Jeong's garments embodied a sense of empowerment rarely seen in a designer so young. Beautifully crafted intricate airy pleating combined with an unexpected injection of colour in the form of striking Art Deco prints created a look just as relevant in the 30's as it is today, some 80 years later. Simply blocked base colours of nude, beige and black were cleverly mixed with vintage gold and cold grey shades to create an air of elegant and youthful femininity. Offering a variety of textures and an assortment of skirt lengths to rival any high spec prêt-a-porter collection, Jeong perfectly encapsulates the spirit of 30's tailoring with this bankruptcy inducing collection, appealing to the modern working woman.

A genuinely great show and an amazing collection, I loved the little details such as lace and embroidered underskirts, hip bustles and who could forget the beautiful linear print that featured on the invitation and heavily throughout the collection – most noticeably on printed colour pop silk scarves worn in the models’ hair. Accessorizing with super-skinny belts and an assortment of black knee-high boots from Dune, it was little touches such as vintage inspired leather driving gloves by Sermoneta that really offset Jeong's period designs. Soft curls by Lock On Ego added to the drama as did seductive and smoky eyes by Cosmetic á La Carte. All in all, an incredible display of staggering attention to detail and genuine raw talent making this one of my top three shows of the season.