LFW Diary AW12: Lako Bukia

Taking inspiration from broken mirrors and the conviction of belief in her homeland that looking into a broken mirror brings bad luck, Georgian designer Lako Bukia’s AW12 offering is a shimmering collection of sleek silvers and dominatrix blacks.

Entitled ‘Broken Mirrors’, Bukia plays on her trademark aesthetic for expert cutting, subtly mixed fabrics and bold use of colour to create strong and arresting silhouettes.

Featuring a plethora of sheer blacks juxtaposed with opaque fabrics and embroidery to represent cracked mirrors and shattered glass, the underlying theme is of self-belief and challenging one’s fears. Intricately combining tough leathers with delicate silks and chiffons, the AW12 collection boasts defined curves lent structure by pencil skirts, fitted trousers and dramatic dresses.

A more wearable collection – sure to be a hit with buyers – than perhaps we’ve seen in previous seasons, several shirts, skirts and cute shorts peppered a beguiling catwalk display that was above all else fun, demonstrating the talents of a yound designer who does not take herself too seriously.

Stand-out pieces include silver leather trousers, Silver wide-leg and high-waisted slacks, suede and sheer shirts and beautifully tailored jackets.

Images throughout courtesy of Felicities.

LFW Diary AW12: Derek Lawlor

 

A striking designer I came across at LFW for the first time is Derek Lawlor. With a striking AW12 collection that focuses on the interplay between hard and soft, Lawlor builds on his signature form-fitting silhouettes embellished with unusual textures, introducing loose ladder and lace techniques that are reminiscent of delicate cobwebs.

Utilising a mixture of corduroy embellishment and knotted detailing, the results are breath-taking. Mixed yarns of mohair, cashmere and rayon combine to create a highly tactile range of dramatic designs in a monochrome palette accented by blood reds and moody greys.

Images throughout courtesy of Derek Lawlor

LFW Diary AW12: Simeon Farrar

Entitled ‘The Haunted House’ Simeon Farrar’s AW12 collection is exactly what I’ve come to expect from this multi-talented artist and designer. A perfect balance of fun prints, cute silhouettes and playful colours there is an eerie undercurrent to this offering that draws parallels between flickering candlesticks and decadent chandeliers and between cobwebs and ancient lace.

Towering, decrepit houses loom large with distant figures visible in the window, while monolithic skulls stare out with lifelike eyes. Portraying a series of ghosts as a happy-go-lucky group who skip and dance, ‘The Haunted House’ brings together an eclectic array of inspirations and characters who emerge from the shadow of vein-like tree branches or hide in the lining of leather bags.

LFW Diary AW12: Hedonism

Charlie le Mindu

One of the best parts of LFW is the static exhibitions, where you get to marvel at the latest creations up close, and this season was no exception.

J Smith Esq

Once again teaming up with Royal Ascot, the British Fashion Council showcased a selection of British milliners under the moniker ‘Hedonism’. Featuring work by Charlie le Mindu, Piers Atkinson, J Smith Esquire, William Chambers and Noel Stewart, this was only part of the project which will see the racecourse host an installation during Royal Ascot in June.

Piers Atkinson

Curated by world-renowned milliner Stephen Jones, the ‘Hedonism’ initiative celebrates the new wave of emerging British based hatters.

 Noel Stewart

William Chambers

LFW Diary AW12: People Tree

To kick LFW off with a bang the cool people in the world of sustainable and ethical fashion [Safia Minney (People Tree CEO and Founder) and Harriet Lamb (Director of the Fairtrade Foundation)] invited journalists and celebs such as the lovely Alexa Chung to party. Combining a preview of their AW12 collection with the forthcoming Fairtrade Fortnight (Feb 27th – March 9th) it was a night of celebration.

LFW Diary AW12: Reclaim To Wear

A new collaboration was born this season for Estethica: Orsola de Castro, creative director of eco-pioneer label From Somewhere and Reclaim To Wear, an organisation that labels upcycled capsule collections, showcased the sustainable collections of Central Saint Martins students.

Ten teams of eight students from Central Saint Martins’ fashion courses were challenged to make an upcycled capsule collection by adopting Reclaim To Wear’s method of producing clothes using the fashion industry's surplus including stock, remnants and off-cuts. Each team was briefed to create a catwalk piece and two ‘commercial’ pieces, in addition to a look-book and a short film for their autumn project.

 

LFW Diary AW12: David Longshaw

A designer who creates witty illustrations and fun-filled stories that result in bright and vivacious garments is David Longshaw.

This AW12 sees his famous cult-character Maude share the centre stage with protagonist Lucia:
*Having fallen down a hole and in to a dress Lucia (who is trying to escape a frightfully dull wedding) is a tad surprised to be greeted by two talking fabric mice; Maude and Doris. In turn Maude is surprised to hear Lucia has no idea who she is.
‘How can you not know who I am! I'm Maude, Editor-in-Chief of MAUDEZINE, the future fashion bible’...
Fashion waits for no man or fabric mouse.*

Once upon a time was not how it started- the story of Maude by David Longshaw from DAVID LONGSHAW on Vimeo.

Longshaw originally devised Maude, the fashion fabric mouse while studying at Central Saint Martins and since the character has been recreated in 100% cashmere by Saville Row tailor Richard James.

Creating a collection that could be classed as ‘transitional’, the emphasis is on form, with cocoon silhouettes and statement shoulders taking centre stage: beautiful prints of illustrated characters and florals evoke summer.

Collaborating with Kirsty Ward for the fifth consecutive season on jewellery, Longshaw once again renews his relationship with milliner Katherine Lee to create to exquisite Maude pieces.

LFW Diary AW12: Kirsty Ward

A designer whose bold silhouettes, originality and statement jewellery I adore is Kirsty Ward who is set to debut her AW12 collection during Paris Fashion Week.

Staying true to the signature aesthetic that fans and press alike have come to love over the past three seasons, Ward has opted for clean lines, minimalist shapes and defined structures, incorporating tabards and apron fronts; adding an additional layer and extra length to dresses, skirts and shorts.

Utilising a simple and modest colour palette of grey, white and black, greens and pinks are carefully placed – primarily in the form of embellishment – to inject some soul into the most clinical of Ward’s collections to date.

Doubling up as a blank canvas on which to promote Ward’s intricate and ornate jewellery garments embody a collection of two halves and a master-class in the art of balancing restraint with indulgence.

Working with print for the first season the results are breathtaking, further establishing Ward as an all-round designer who greatly deserves the many accolades and plaudits she has garnered since founding her eponymous label in 2010.

Oversized abstract images dominate, seeing fabric detailing and prints of instantly recognisable jewellery components emblazoning silk vests and tunics. Once more Ward has renewed her ongoing collaboration with Swarovski Crystallized Elements to fuse her fashion and jewellery design skills, embellishing often overlooked functional areas such as fastenings and arm holes through to the front panels of dresses.

A designer whose collections I look forward to seeing each season, Ward embodies the three keys to great design; bold cut, defined structure and powerful embellishment – this year’s graduates should take note.

Images throughout courtesy of Kirsty Ward:
Photography: Martin Zahringer
Styling: Victoria Sekrier (Fashion Ed at SIX Magazine)
Hair: Banksy
Make up: Natilie Piacun
Model: Olga @ Profile

LFW Diary AW12: Ada Zanditon (part 2)

Introducing her new collection, ‘Simia Mineralis’ via an enthralling film presentation on the inaugural day of this season’s LFW, Ada Zanditon’s AW12 collection is a triumph. With a title meaning ‘ape of the mineral’, Zanditon’s new offering depicts ‘the human thirst for technology and the consequences of our greed for it’ through an intense colour palette of red, grey and black.

A journey of awaking, the collection deftly uses expressions of shape and form to explore the past, present and future of the human race. Signature silhouettes are reworked, taking inspiration from the structure of metals at the atomic level and layers of the earth from an archaeological yet modern perspective.

With an undercurrent of the Victorian era bubbling beneath the surface, prints are inspired by Pan, the god of nature and the wild, created from intricate repetitions of the designer’s drawings, photographs and paintings of animals.

In keeping with the film short directed by Thomas Knights, the mood and tone of ‘Simia Mineralis’ is frantic and conflicted, seeing swathes of silk geometric prints drawn together effortlessly to create a plethora of glamorous evening dresses and staple jackets and coats.

The showpiece of the collection is a dramatic, yet elegant conceptual tailcoat inspired by the Silverback male gorilla and features a shock of sustainably sourced human hair – highlighting a controversial and expanding sector of the hair and beauty industry. An animal with whom humans share 95-99% of our DNA, Zanditon has an affinity for the Silverback gorilla, exploring the impact of mining on primate species and the consequences of human conflict and poaching which result in increased habitat loss.

An immensely gifted and intellectual designer, Zanditon is in her own league, eschewing cyclical trends and mainstream inspirations to instead reflect her passion for ecology and in particular conservation, exploring the individual and social struggles to resolve both natural and manmade conflicts through a series of simple choices.

A collection of juxtapositions, there is a tension between fluid shapes and strong structures throughout, with a range of textures and cuts creating a cacophony of beautiful garments of varying volume. A scholar of sustainability, this season sees Zanditon work with several luxurious S+E fabrics including fair-trade organic velvet, denim and cotton sateen, British woven wool, up-cycled Chanel tweeds, eel skin and vegetable-tan leather.

Keeping waste to a bare minimum, Zanditon has gone one step further for AW12, reapplying fabric residue from her SS12 collection to create the interior architecture of many of the intricate pieces.

Once again geometric jewellery is produced in collaboration with the wonderful Luca Romanyi, seeing laser-cut and etched walnut dominate, with organic paint, eek skin and vegetable-tanned leather providing exciting accents and embellishments. Lifting a key print of this collection from Zanditon’s original artwork, Romanyi has effortlessly translated it to wood, creating an expertly crafted collection of architectural inspired pieces.

LFW Diary AW12: Fannie Schiavoni

 

 

 

 

LFW Diary AW12: Victim Fashion Street