Men’s – Melting Pot. Wales Bonner AW17

January 10, 2017January 10, 2017 | Design & Culture by Ed

In my previous post on J.W. Anderson’s medieval-cool collection for men, I’ve mentioned Grace Wales Bonner as another example of a designer, who makes men’s London Fashion Week far, far more exciting. It isn’t a secret that London is Europe’s most celebrated melting pot of cultures, customs, dialects – no wonder why creatives from the whole world come here, to start their businesses. Wales Bonner‘s autumn-winter 2017 colllection is a continuation of her nearly poetic take on the topic of ‘spiritualism’.

“It was about the return of these spiritual characters who have existed in the Wales Bonner language before, it was about making them the heroes and looking at the street in an elevated way – and looking at it at different time periods. It was about bringing this sense of richness and depth to street language,” is the way she explained her latest outing of diverse boys (and girls).

Since the very beginnings of her own label, the Central Saint Martins graduate finds inspiration in her childhood memories – being a mixed-race girl brought up in south London was an experience, which left a significant mark on Bonner’s aesthetical point of view. The clothes presented by Grace clearly showed her interest in intriguing, African culture. Inspired with the unexplored street culture of Dakar, Wales Bonner sent out a line of leather patchwork pants, crinkled shirts with slouchy tailoring and velvet ties – as if the looks emerged out of Patrick Cariou’s photographs from his trip to Senegal.

Patrick Cariou

Tops covered in authentic Masai beading; stunning leather jackets trimmed with Dalmatian-intarsia mink – those are just some of the striking pieces coming straight from Wales Bonner runway. For the collection, the designer invited two, supremely-talented creatives, who are often associated with British fashion – first, Manolo Blahnik, who reinterpreted African sandals and boots. Second, Stephen Jones, who produced a limited number of Rasta caps with white mink stripes (Grace picked London’s Kingston neighborhood as a reference) and Pashtun caps. Bravo.

Photography Chloé Le Drezen

Men’s – Charming Crotchet. JW Anderson AW17

January 9, 2017 | Design & Culture by Ed

“Pagan knights in shining armor. Layers on layers as a defense mechanism. Something knitty and cozy—the epitome of British craft.” That’s how Jonathan Anderson described his autumn-winter 2017 collection for men at his eponymous label. From granny-crotchet details (!) to XXL-scarves in bold orange and purple, the designer reminded every editor and buyer why London Collections MAN is still worth observing. Big brands like Burberry decided to combine menswear with womenswear due to financial reasons, while young designers… well, British menswear is struggling (except Wales Bonner, of course). But J.W. Anderson is a brand that’s always ahead of the rest in regards of a concept. Yesterday in the morning, Anderson presented a collection designed for a modern-day prince ~~charming~~, collage-ing medieval references (voluminous tops with big tabard sleevess, patches depicting stained glass windows on knitwear and jeans). In the evening, he and Alasdair McLellan launched an event at J.W. Anderson Workshop in London, selling highly-NSFW double-sided posters. In other words, expect the unexpected from Anderson, wherever you’re, whatever you’re doing.

Warm Up. Pringle of Scotland Pre-Fall’17

January 7, 2017January 7, 2017 | Design & Culture by Ed

Fran Stringer became the creative director of Pringle of Scotland – the Scottish, 200-years old knitwear house – about a year ago. Looking at the brand’s past collections, and at Stringer’s outings, one thing is quite clear at the very first glance. Pringle of Scotland is the go-to label for anything that’s knitted, in a cool way. Fusing the brand’s archival codes and her own ‘loose’ aesthetic, Fran delivered a brilliant pre-fall collection filled with printed cashmere ponchos, over-sized The Fair Isle sweaters and argyle-patterned cardigans. While it’s freezing outside, you just wish to be covered up with all those absolutely non-itchy wool pieces.

#2016 – Simone Rocha

December 20, 2016July 22, 2020 | Design & Culture by Ed

I always praise Simone Rocha for being an independent fashion designer, who doesn’t fall into the trend of having pre-collections. And that’s truly rare in today’s industry. Two collections a year gives Rocha the time and space for the creative process, which is so in demand at the moment – very few can deliver it under this unbearable pressure. But 2016 wasn’t only a highlight for Rocha in her professional life, but also in her private life. Being a new mom and working in fashion simultaenously is a big achievement. Surprisinly, this meant creativity boost for autumn-winter 2016, letting Rocha look deeper into the meaning of “baby-boom”. “I started to do this wrapping and swaddling with stoles. There’s something a bit surgical and matronly going on—sick-y nudes, the lilac of the uniforms that nurses used to wear. Medical aprons; knitting as women do when there’s a baby coming; schlumpy, relaxed shapes—and a little bit of trauma!” Yep, this doesn’t sound like your average post-pregnancy reflection.

Indeed, the autumn-winter 2016 collection had a lot to do with nurse uniforms, being psychedelically revamped with a various shades of pink. The fur stoles and fluffy Mary-Jane flats gave the feeling of babyish innocence, but that can’t be said of the darker dresses and coats – Rocha’s “matrons” with strict black bows lurk from the Victorian history of hospitals that up to now haunt Irish tales and stories. The woman behind AW16’s plot is both, sweet and sour – she might be a Lolita, Mary Poppins or Jane Eyre one day – and she is blooming just as the designer herself.

Staying true to her romantic spirit, Simone Rocha staged her spring-summer 2017 show in Southwark Cathedral, where the models walked down the gothic aisle. The venue matched the charming sublimity of Rocha’s latest line of delicate textures and girlie silhouettes, and it smoothly worked with the collection’s British accents and the designer’s long-term inspirations. Voluminous poplin-cotton shirts were layered with Prince of Wales checks; a classic trench-coat has never looked like a Louise Bourgeois sculpture before. While working on the collection, the designer took a glance at baptismal gowns and communion dresses, reworking them in authentic broderie anglaise lace. But don’t expect to see a traditional wedding dress here. Simone Rocha’s fascination with perversion oozes in those not-so-bride-ready gowns. Although we’re talking about sacred and holy, the designer’s pieces are far from innoncent. Sheer organza sheath with elongated sleeves shyly exposed nipples, while a tulle skirt with embroidered flowers showed some leg… accidentally. Note the models’ patent wellies and synthetic-white, rubber gloves. Red lips and wet hair. Rocha’s Catholic girls coming from good village families are naughty. In a very elusive, gentle way.

What will 2017 mean for Rocha?

Your wardrobe needs… Simone Rocha buckle heels, Simone Rocha embroidered tulle top & Simone Rocha ruffled skirt.

#2016 – Hillier Bartley

December 17, 2016July 22, 2020 | Design & Culture by Ed

Hillier Bartley, formed by Katie Hillier and Luella Bartley, is a label offering womenswear created by real women. The brand is already widely recognized for its Anglomania attire: at a first glance, the idea’s based on the wardrobe of an English aristocrat, who belongs to a classy gentlemen’s club. But then, the elegance goes Absolutely Fabulous non-chalance. The designers’ eternal love for 70s West London bohemia is oozing in every single piece of their spring-summer 2017 look-book. Discussing their inspirations, Luella named everyone from Zandra Rhodes to David Hockney, who were the quintessence of colour, partying and fashion back in the times. It’s absorbing to see how these two female designers evolve during their design process, and succeed in keeping it true to their style.

We’ve got Savile Row-inspired tailoring, all covered in multi-colour ostrich feathers; those thick knit sweaters became even softer with fluffy, purple fur sleeves; loosely fit, pink shirt was a nod to David Bowie’s legendary style. The musician’s spirit, who passed away in 2016, is present in these beautifully decadent, yet alluring clothes. As Luella Bartley told Vogue, “Talking about Bowie’s influence on myself or any other creative person is like talking about how oxygen influences the breathing process. Bowie, as the Thin White Duke in a double-breasted linen suit, felt particularly apt to illustrate a vague idea we had to imbue the Hillier Bartley woman with a louche ’30s glamour.” Just like the legendary musician, the Hillier Bartley woman has a style tendency for androgyny – note the importance of English tailoring, from cool blazers to high-rise trousers. Hillier Bartley isn’t about styling, though – if you separate the clothes from the looks, they appear to be (slightly eclectic) essentials of your on-the-go, everyday gear.

For autumn-winter 2016, the designers went for flea-market cool, which is so timeless and eternally relevant in London. One of the coats virtually looks like a re-cut and re-shaped Persian rug. A satin robe is worn as an evening dress according to the designers, with a pair of moccasins. Icy blue, velvet suit with a black, ribbed turtleneck underneath is a total-look worth investing. The intricately embroidered gown is a cherry on the cake – I’m obsessed with the way the oriental motif contrasts with the entire collection filled with feather elements, leopard spots and romantic, Fleetwood Mac flair. Oh, and the bags line is blooming, which is mostly on Katie’s part. From ‘Bunny’ clutches to collar-box bags with lilac tassels, the range is… yummy.

Looking forward to see Hillier Bartley’s next step in 2017!