LFW Diary AW12: Krystof Strozyna

Held in the upstairs vestibule of the resplendent Freemasons Hall, Susie 'Style Bubble' Lau was the biggest name in the room, causing many to point and stare at the front row, seeing a blogger trump competition from Sugababe Amelle Berrabah and part-time cast member of E4's Dirty Sexy Things, Jay.

Staying true to his signature design aesthetic Krystof Strozyna's AW12 collection celebrates the female form as I've come to expect from this young designer; fabric is cut to frame a silhouette in all its glory with delicate draping and a well-placed split to add a bit of drama to this range of classic shapes.

Designed with an hourglass figure in mind, panelling and accent colours brought the collection to life, with a strong geometric cut cleverly concealed. What was at first dominated by shades of the night sky, Strozyna deftly mixed in shades of cream, ink and navy, with bursts of cobalt blue and powder pink.

His ninth collection, press releases on each seat told the audience that AW12 is predominantly inspired by Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. An altogether slick offering, dresses were the epitome of sophistication and understatement, making Strozyna one of the most wearable designers on the London scene.

Perhaps aiming to capture the imaginations of red carpet celebrities and those already on the hunt for the 'perfect' dress for winter's party season, decadent jewellery punctuated the most elegant gowns, while contrasting textures such as leather and sheer panelling added definition. Modern twists and embellishments came in the form of multiple zips.

Hair was simple and elegant. There was none of the fuss seen at other shows where models have had to endure all manner of crazy dye jobs, oil or worse still drastic cuts: sleek and chic, elegant blow-dries were the order of the day.

*Images throughout courtesy of Goodley PR.

LFW Diary SS12: Dans La Vie

A show I was unexpectedly invited to, Dans La Vie are a brand that ashamedly before SS12, I wasn’t too familiar with, however after seeing their beautiful colour-infused collection I’ve seen the light!

 

Held in the resplendent upstairs gallery of Freemasons Hall, for their second collection shown in London, Dans La Vie’s My Pop Madonna continues to play with a theme centred on clashing prints and colours, seeing the SS12 offering deeply inspired by Tokyo in the aftermath of March 2011’s devastating earthquakes.

Split into four sub-sections, My Pop Madonna was divided by four anthems, fittingly Madonna’s Like A Prayer opened the show, Amy Winehouse’s Back To Black and Rihanna’s Only Girl came next with Lady Gaga’s Born This Way making for a great finale packed with attitude.

 

I think what I love most about this collection is twofold. Firstly, the repetition of the iconic Virgin Mary iconography is inspired, and I also love the printed raincoats and pleated balloon skirts which had been laminated with a thin plastic, to make them both waterproof and super shiny.

LFW SS11 Diary: Jacob Kimmie

Situated a stone’s throw from Vauxhall Fashion Scout’s base of operation Freemasons Hall, South African born designer Jacob Kimmie previewed his SS11 collection entitled, Eternal Delight to a full house at The Studio. Taking his title from William Blake, Eternal Delight is a collection brimming with attitude and uncompromising vision.

Introducing menswear into his collection for the first time, Kimmie has expertly created a futuristic range of sleek masculine neo-tailoring, including the most exciting piece on display; The New David, which refers to the garment specially created for a model born with a congenital disability, encasing his left arm in an all white concept body piece. I thought this piece was absolutely fantastic and I loved that David had been recognised with a creation custom-made for his body. He looked great and if he wasn’t modelling I would have loved to talk to him as he is going to have a hugely successful career (you heard it here first).

Present throughout the collection were a combination of subtle and extravagant beautifully intricate futuristic cuffs and collars made from lazer-cut paper in black, white and electric blue colourways, which added to the impact of Kimmie’s firm and striking collection.

Aimed at women who want their wardrobes to reflect their personality rather than stereotypes, Kimmie says of his collection: “This [collection] is the antidote to the caricaturised view of women. It’s a collection of clothes for women to claim back individuality and sexiness.”

Beekay

An old friend whom I bumped into during LFW was Beekay who was exhibiting as part of Vauxhall Fashion Scout in the grand setting of the Freemasons Hall.

Having graduated back in 2008, Beekay debuted his menswear label at On|Off last year where he showcased his collections for AW09 and SS10.

Inspired by heavy metal animations, Beekay utilised his signature leather to great effect creating a striking AW10 collection inspired by natural motifs, with particular attention to the natural contours of tree trucks and the raw textures of leaves.