Perverse Innocence. Simone Rocha SS17

September 20, 2016September 20, 2016 | Design & Culture by Ed

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 (similarly to Gucci’s memorable anglomaniac resort 2017) 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.

Toxic Paradise. AV Robertson SS17

September 19, 2016 | Design & Culture by Ed

“It’s like paradise gone bad,” said Amie Robertson after her second runway collection, supported by Fashion East. “An ‘other’, magical land where the flowers that sprout are toxic and taking over. The silver metallic PVC also gives it a space-like element, like being on another planet.” Embroidery and embellishments are A.V. Robertson‘s signatures – that’s why it’s intriguing to see how the London-based designer evolves creatively in those two, painstaking fields. Inspired with 50s horror films like Forbidden Planet, the collection focuses on a vision of a tropical paradise kept in a toxic, dark aura. The season’s look – a transparent, turtleneck blouse with a slit, midi-skirt – is ultra-feminine, while the embellished alien-like florals give it a sci-fi twist. A slip-dress also went through Robertson’s botanic makeover, all in fish-net mesh and fluorescent crystals.

London Utility. Marques Almeida AW16

February 26, 2016February 26, 2016 | Design & Culture by Ed

It’s exciting to see how such label as Marques Almeida evolves. Firstly, the concept behind London’s favourite designer duo, Marta Marques and Pablo Almeida, was simple – ripped denim pants with the 90’s attire. But the apparel revival wasn’t the first and last invention of the Portuguese-born brand. The vision of Marques Almeida girl is always different with every season – but the youthful soul isn’t leaving these clothes even for a second. And this is easily seen in the model casting for Marques’ autumn-winter 2016 outing – few days before the show, the designers shared Polaroids of the friends, who were about to walk the closing show of the London Fashion Week. Naturally diverse models, as one of the designers said, weren’t over-dressed, in order to keep their real attitude, and not the posh versions of themselves.

The clothes weren’t ground-breaking, but there were many pieces that seem to be checked on the LFW must-have list – even though we’ve had a season of the truly beautiful collections from the British designers, Marques Almeida’s clothes makes you really want to have them. Maybe because of this rawness? The bold orange and fuchsia duvet coats prove that my not-so-stylish jacket for dog-walks ranks up. Utility, and style in one. The long, body skirts styled with elongated checked shirt is a bit grunge, which is already an approved trend that appears in a high number of collections. But of course there is the feminine side of Marques Almeida – the classic slip dress a la Corinne Day’s Kate Moss photographs.

You were good this season, London!

Punk, Belts and SoHO. AF Vandevorst AW16

February 25, 2016 | Design & Culture by Ed

A.F. Vandevorst showed its new collection in London, which felt quite unexpected, as the designers behind the Belgian brand – An Vandevorst and Filip Arickx – used to be the regulars at Paris Fashion Week. But the city was a pretty obvious choice for them, though. The punk spirit, which was the theme behind the collection, is reflected in British music history in the best possible way – and the fish-net tights revived the old, clubbing attitude of SoHO, before it became a trendy, hipster district. The faces of the models were splattered with red, while some of them wore restrictive belted helmets made of leather or velvet. To a surprise of many, velvet had a bright moment this season at Vandevorst, looking good on platform boots and extra-large maxi dress. Also, the deconstructed skirts and pantalons had a rebellious twist, looking quite fierce with red suede stompers. Punk and rock’n’roll have been present in the label’s codes from the very beginning, and to a large extend this collection was a good occasion to highlight that fact – even though I will always consider A.F. Vandevorst as a much more Paris-based label. Whatever they say about the British subculture present in these clothes, the chic, French decadence is oozing from every corner – and I hope this won’t change.

Mum Knows Best. Christopher Kane AW16

February 24, 2016February 24, 2016 | Design & Culture by Ed

“Things are so normal these days,” Christopher Kane concluded after his autumn-winter 2016 fashion show. “So why not think out of the box?” After the New York Fashion Week, where everything blurred between shades of beige and black, London Fashion Week booms with colour and lifey attitude, and Christopher Kane’s experimental outing is the best proof for that. The woman, who infinitely inspires Chris is his mother – and this season, the tied-under-the-chin plastic rain hats (made in collaboration with Stephen Jones) were a nod to the embarrassing moments when Kane’s mum picked him up from school in one of these. But, as it’s visible – the unsung tendency became London’s obsession. However, the whole “edginess” of this collection was focused on the clothes, which have an uncommon sex-appeal. Note the stripes of tan pleather and sheer black lace dresses, and the not so average florals applied on the transparent textiles. The chaotically scattered feathers on over-sized pants and masculine coats appeared to be another thing that made this collection so strangely attractive. Of course, it can’t be all just so arty and abstract – the designer slightly bites the dust with the voluminous “K” knits, but that’s understandable – something needs to be a sure best-seller, even though we’ve got dozens of desirable pieces here.