Tag Archives: London

LONDON FASHION WEEK – Day 2

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12.30 John Rocha – CBE for his contribution to fashion; British Fashion Designer of the Year 2004.

Good Show. Playful but kept his feet firmly on the ground for femininity and seriousness. The ready to wear collection has been injected with doses of quirky styling. A bit victorian, a bit 60s, a bit futuristic.

Brilliant cushiony accessories dominated the show. Pumped and stuffed pillow alice bands. Fur alice bands. Double pillows formed a V-shaped around the neckline. An excellent combination of quirkiness and elegance. Sounds horrific but completely wearable.

Puffy exaggerated alice band.

Puffy exaggerated alice band.


V shaped neckline with two puff collars on the side fitted to an otherwise tube top peplum dress.

V shaped neckline with two puff collars on the side fitted to an otherwise tube topped peplum dress.

Another ongoing theme is sewed on wavy embellishment on flexible see-through material on a peplum. The reinforced rim on the peplum gives a nice contrast to the frivolous and fluid tulle/chiffon used on the skirt.

An attempt to capture the sewed embellishment on the tulle/chiffon bit of the peplum. Look closely and you'll see pleated rope making a wavy mark.

An attempt to capture the sewed embellishment on the tulle/chiffon bit of the peplum. Look closely and you'll see pleated rope making a wavy mark.

Ingenious tweed swimsuit like maillot, perfect fine ruffles on the entire front. Loosely fitted morning gown like coat/wrap. Impressive.

Beautiful and extremely complicated and detailed tailoring is this bathing suit maillot accompanied by a loosely fitted coat.

Beautiful and extremely complicated and detailed tailoring is this bathing suit maillot accompanied by a loosely fitted coat.

Accessories:

1. Princessy victorian collar with chiffon pleating held together by an elasticated ribbon as removable collar.

2. Pea shaped oversized black leather clutch box complete with round the side bold silver zip.

Mens collection is definitely manly and barbaric. Started off with a buff, big and warm; oversized, shapeless and ruthless fur coat that reminded me of a bear. Then a furry Germany SS coat with a thin belt above the waist. Impressive tweed suit that has mocked tailor mark as details.

A bit blurred. But it is the SS coat I was talking about.

A bit blurred. But it is the SS coat I was talking about.


A genuine Nazi black winter overcoat. See the similarity!

A genuine Nazi black winter overcoat. See the similarity!

1445 – Basso and Brooke, Press Office “Blow” at Goodge Street

1530 – Basso and Brooke, Bloomsbury Square, Bloomsbury Ballroom.

Failed to get in, more later.

General: Got interviewed by the Daily Mail, photographed by Elle UK and the stylescout (again!).

LONDON FASHION WEEK – Day 1

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20th Feb, 2009: Friday

13.05 Noir/Bllack Noir.

First show – Danish designer. A must see. For my love of Scandinavian fashion.

The show opened with BFC chair giving a little speech about “ethical clothing” – basically making materials for sustainable farming and good for the landfill etc – should you decide to bin your clothes. That is daunting isn’t it. So 30 years down the line (should you be so incline to be sentimental to your clothes) your clothes have disappeared into a pile of excrement on your wardrobe floor.

Anyhow. Danish show, of collection Bllack Noir, opened with 20 Avril Lavigne looking girls strutting down in outfits purchaseable at NewLook. Perhaps the teen department of NewLook. Tedious tailoring. Completely unimaginative. On the bright side this collection used no Size Zero models.

Professional photos make these girls look more mature than reality. Seeing a show with your eyes is different from reading it on paper. A) You see the texture B) There's no beautification with light C) If it bores you it bores you.

Professional photos make these girls look more mature than reality. Seeing a show with your eyes is different from reading it on paper. A) You see the texture B) There's no beautification with light C) If it bores you it bores you.


Photo courtesy: The Guardian website.

Photo courtesy: The Guardian website.

The light dimmed and lit. Noir now. Unimaginative, unimaginative, unimaginative. Terrible mix of fabric on outfits that look just plain awkward. Velvet cropped jacket/cape thing with a cotton t-shirt and some tight leather pants? Other models looked raped – bare backs with bit of ripped and untidily pleated silk draped around with a rope in the middle. Poor tailoring. The only up side is the leather Afghan scarf. Other than that I’m unimpressed.

Noir's Afghan scarf in leather. Not so much creativity in terms of design. Good concept in terms of modern trend vs a classic material though.

Noir's Afghan scarf in leather. Not so much creativity in terms of design. Good concept in terms of modern trend vs a classic material though.

14.30 Eun Jeong

Second show – Designer Eun Jeong Hong from Korea. Just won a fashion award “Fashion Fringe” and presented a trophy by Donatella Versace. Prize money of £100,000 for her first solo show here and now.

According to Eun Jeong, the minute she won the Fashion Fringe sponsors were flocking to her. L'Oreal has set out some goodie bags for the front rows. Music was rather relaxing as opposed to adrenaline pumping. A refreshing start.

According to Eun Jeong, the minute she won the Fashion Fringe sponsors were flocking to her. L'Oreal has set out some goodie bags for the front rows. Music was rather relaxing as opposed to adrenaline pumping. A refreshing start.

Superb. Started with music that didn’t pounce my heart out and you already know it’s going to be a different show. Pieces are supremely creative; tailoring is flawless, exact and exquisite. Eun Jeong has certainly shown great ability at casual sporty and romantic. Evening wear contains surreal haute couture elements.  Eun Jeong has successfully spiced up her ready-to-wear collection. Authentic!

Finale, tried my best to capture as many pieces as possible with my applausing hands and as unprofessional as possible camera.

Finale, tried my best to capture as many pieces as possible with my applausing hands and as unprofessional as possible camera.

Harem pants – lots of. One piece Harems that have their top half mimicking a sailor’s overall. Harem pant shaped trousers that wrap around the bum in silk with loosely fitted legs with bulging pleated see-through. Eun Jeong has even made boyfriend unfriendly Harems exciting!

Excellent coats. Perfect execution of mutating a pea coat into a massively hooded masterpiece. The hood is so intensely big it can also serve as a shoulder cape. Dark flower carnations with sequins sewed into the inner hood. Pea coat has a low cut breadth and big round buttons to spice up the fluorescent pink knee length coat. Intensely mind blowing.

Shocking acidic pink coat with 3D floral studded inner hood.

Shocking acidic pink coat with 3D floral studded inner hood.

Evening – a bubbling and bulky white tube topped full length dress that pounce along the catwalk like a winner.

Training gown. Severly bubblish but haven't lost the frivolous fluidity. Excellent fabric manipulation. Applause.

Training gown. Severly bubblish but haven't lost the frivolous fluidity. Excellent fabric manipulation. Applause.

Eun Jeong is the one to watch.

General Note: I felt coronated when the press pass jumped on my neck. The pass protects and guides me through inaccessible areas. I had no ticket for any of the catwalks. So I had to rev up my confidence – I belong here! I was still better off than most – there was a “Press” queue for the catwalks!

In between shows Champagne are flowing. Oh the much needed alcohol. You do need a bit of high to chat to these fashionistas who may look a bit daunting. Erin O’Connor! Tall, elegant, super nice. Outrageously brilliant outfit spotted here:

Crazy style here. Totally original and self-expressive.

Crazy style here. Totally original and self-expressive.

Fag outside the tent – got photographed twice! Once for a “trend prediction website” and London Lite!

Sneaked backstage for Eun Jeong’s show. Reassured the PR I wasn’t going to cause trouble, will take a few pictures then leave. First time back stage! The pieces were packed away at an incredible pace – 10 minutes after the show all pieces were already hanging in black bags on the rack!

Next door was CSM’s backstage. Sneaked in and the pieces looked incredibly 3D and amazing. Tried to get a ticket from the CSM students puffing away outside and got directed me to a tutor (who stands next to a Punk from the 70s who wore a whole pack of eye shadow) and to no avail. Tried to get in for the CSM show again but security is so tight – no fucking way.

As close as I can get to any Central Saint Martins pieces. CSM backstage.

As close as I can get to any Central Saint Martins pieces. CSM backstage.

Wrapped sleeved jacket is still the jacket to have. Note. Note. Note.

–>Already looking forward to the shows tomorrow.

John Rocha at 12nn. Looking forward for more elegant classics ala Chanel and some neo-Calvin Klein with more shapes.

Nathan Jenden, 1500 at W1. New Galliano?

Basso and Brooke, 1600 near Tottenham Court Road. Won 2004 Fashion Fringe and showing independently since 2005. Creative juice has yet to run out, last AW’s show was as shocking as ever.