London Fashion Week AW15 Saturday

Mother of Pearl

If we didn’t say it already, MOP is the perfect show to wake up to. The relaxed atmosphere mixed with beautifully made clothes was a good start to the second day of LFW. Creative director Amy Powney is slowly but surely changing the direction of the brand, which previously focused on artist collaborations, by using art is a point of inspiration. This show indeed felt like a fresh slate but stayed true to the MOP DNA. The collection featured a unique color palette (think forest green contrasted against a blush pink for example). The girlie tones, silhouettes, and sparkly garments were juxtaposed against the messy bed-hair, boyish white socks, and chic flats. There was an overall 70’s vibe in the air too.

Orla Kiely

Ali MacGraw in Love Story was the source of inspiration for this Orla Kiely collection. The clothes, which featured a lot of trench coats, print dresses, and knits. Kiely also incorpreated her initials O.K into the garments. The “geeky chic” collection was appropriately presented in a library-like setting.

Sibling

Do you remember the menswear Sibling show that took place during London Collection’s Men’s? It’s one of those shows that’s quite hard to forget, as it featured an array of macho models wearing head to toe pink, including pink-painted hair! This felt like a continuation of the collection. Leave it to the trio behind Sibling to reclaim the color pink and make it punk; as they contrast it against vibrant orange and pitch black. Even though there are always countless elements in a Sibling show, one cannot ignore the immaculate knitwear, which is always presented in the most effortless way (this time in a Debby Harry-esque tribute). Pink hair one season and mohawks the next! What can we expect for the upcoming season?

Holly Fulton 

There is a particular kind of femininity in Holly Fulton’s clothes; even though it’s overtly girlie and sweet, it’s still sophisticated and womanly.  This collection featured lots of dripping jewels, sequins, mini roses and dramatic chiffon ones, and fun faux fur with the kind of movement that you can only appreciate in person. The illustrations on the clothes, such as surreal female figures and cats were a lovely touch. The clothes kind of took you to another era but ending the show with Gwen Stefani’s Rich Girl was a perfect way to make it feel very now.

J.W Anderson 

In one of the most anticipated shows of the season, J.W Anderson surprises everyone with a collection like no other. It’s always interesting to see how designers explore new areas while staying true to who they are. For AW15, Anderson used New Wave 80’s as a reference point, but reintroduced the most iconic silhouettes. and gave them that exaggerated J.W touch that you can’t deny. There is always something abstract and deconstructive about the designer’s clothes. This season, the chaotic feel was inspired by the way woman actually dress in real life, mixing and matching various pieces to be their individual selves. Refreshing! Every textile imaginable was used; wool, lamé, knitwear, patent leather, and metallics. Somehow, under the hands of a prodigy of a designer, it just worked.

Simone Rocha 

Another young designer who quickly soared to the top of must-see LFW shows is the young Simone Rocha. The designer’s clothes have been compared to poetry, and it’s clear to see why, being that they’re beautiful yet dark. This season was another hit for all the Rocha fanatics out there (you know them, they’re the girls who want to be girlie, moody, and edgy at the same time). Shoes play a big role in any Simone Rocha collection, as they did in this one, but the designer also pushed the envelope with the details. Rocha not only made paisley the “it-print” of the season, but she actually introduced hair into garments and made it look kind of cool. She also showed us that chiffon and tartan make a winning combination. Bringing out the details of the abstract floral print with the makeup was sheer genius.

Gareth Pugh

This Gareth Pugh show had particular significance behind it. Not only is it in conjunction with the designer’s 10-year retrospective exhibition taking place at the Galeria Melissa in Covent Garden, but it marks his return to London after 7 years of showing in Paris. Appropriately, the designer chose Britain as his source of inspiration, and celebrated its history in a way that was both beautiful and dark. Sacrifice was the notion that Pugh played around with. The color red against black was used strongly. In fact, black was the only color used for the clothes, but there was nothing plain about them. Pugh is of course a genius when it comes to fabrics and silhouettes and the garments looked like they could stand on their own. Welcome back Pugh.