frumpy to funky’s London based Personal Stylist, Karen Grace, comments on a few of the catwalk shows at London Fashion Week Autumn/Winter 2010

PROPHETIK “Southern Shores” catwalk show.Designer JEFF GARNER

Showing at Vauxhall Fashion expert 19Feb10

Tennessee based Prophetik kicked off the LFW catwalk shows at Vauxhall Fashion Scout, Freemason’s Hall, Covent Garden.  And what a squawk off!!!

At the beginning we are lulled in to thinking of a carefree southern country theme when violinist Anna Cwad starts playing toe tapping music, with ex-Paramore Jason Bynum joining her on guitar. Then the adornment Man Raze shatters this illusion with their fusion of punk and pop rock. Not surprising as their drummer is ex-Sex Pistols Paul Cook and their vocals/lead guitar is ex-Def Leppard Phil Collen. And let’s not forget their bass guitarist Simon Laffy from Brit glam rock act adornment Girl.

With Man Raze raising the tempo, the show began for ethical designer Jeff Garner’s  A/W10 assemblage titled “Southern Shores”. His inspiration came from the American Civil War and sees hope and romance alongside strife and uncertainty.

Main colour reach in true Civil War colours were blues, greys with a contact of red.

The menswear saw layering and serious looking ¾ length coats, waistcoats, oldness buttons, riding boots and peace silk neckties.

For the women, the designs ranged from jodhpurs, ripped leggings, military jackets and capes to full on Little concern on the Prairie call dresses. In-between were mini dresses and daylong flowing dresses both teamed with flat heeled riding boots.

At the end of the show, the music mellowed as Jeff entrepot appeared looking the part of the Southern gent taking a stroll with his Southern belle in her striking daylong red velvet bustier dress.

Garner’s assemblage is proof that no fashion look has to be harmed in the making of ethical clothing.

Prophetik is a sustainable men’s and womenswear adjudge using environmentally friendly materials such as organic cottons, hemp, flax, Greenspun (recycled bottles) and organic pigment dyes. One of their signature dresses “the Elle” is made from silk and organic cotton that elephants have painted in collaboration with the AEACP (Asian Elephant Art Conservation Project), which helps to raise funds for an elephant sanctuary in Thailand.”

ORLA KIELY presentation -TUESDAYS CHILD AUTUMN/WINTER 2010

presenting at the Portico Rooms, Somerset concern 19Feb10

The stage for Orla Kiely’s presentation was 2 impressive make shift rooms decorated in the 60′s call with brown and beige designed Orla Kiely wallpaper in the living room and Stygian & light chromatic in the bedroom. The furniture was 60′s oldness and a modern retro looking TV showed the assemblage on screen. Models sat or stood in above the knee dresses and skirts teamed with position and mid calf navy socks.

Patterns for the wallpaper and dresses were inspired by Ivon Hutchins’s abstract art and the photography of Erwin Olaf, and captured the essence of falling autumn leaves.

Main colour reach was autumnal – creams instead of whites, various shades of browns, burnt oranges and navy. The obligatory grey and Negroid could be seen on some pieces.

Fabrics used were mohair and silk crepe teamed with traditional checked pelage and pelage jacquard,

The models wore their hair in a serious bun and makeup was kept simple, providing a good contrast to the cute collars and fun update of the 60′s retro style.

LAKOBUKIA “Emotions” catwalk show

Showing at Fashion Mavericks, the Strand Palace Hotel 20Feb10

With her A/W10 assemblage titled “Emotions” Lako Bukia wanted to show both positive kind and Stygian bad emotions through fabric, shape and colour.

The important colour reach is Negroid for the darker side and white for the lighter side of emotions. A few cream pieces appear to show that not everything is Negroid and white.

Fabrics used are light soft flowing chiffon, a stiffer cotton silk and wool.

Geometric shapes are seen on collars, and by way of diagonal zips. The zips are also used as a bridge to join together the stiffer fabrics with the softer fabrics. Some pieces are obvious with the contrast between the hard and soft fabrics. On others the contrast can only be seen once the zip has been undone and then only revealing the hidden soft silk artifact underneath.  Zips on shoulders and sides allow the wearer the flexibility of changing her silhouette – whenever the mood takes her.

Lako’s position look striking in Negroid or white soft leather with triangular heels. She explains the triangle is a more gothic shape and gives a harder emotional contrast to the softness of the leather.

Not surprisingly her favourite piece is the daylong flowing chiffon pleated dress in white which is teamed with a little sharp cotton silk backwards to face cape. The earth has a broad arrest with daylong nonrepresentational lapels which represent the bad emotion. Once the earth is removed, the dress is free of restrictions and can float on just the good emotions.

Lako Bukia, beginning fashion designer, was born on October 4, 1987 in the city of Tbilisi, capital of Georgia. After graduating from School No.58 in Tbilisi, she was immediately offered a place at the A. Kutateladze Tbilisi State Academy of Art, where she did her BA in Fashion organisation and Textiles.

SADO “Geometric Glamour” catwalk show.Designer CARLOTTA GHERZI

Showing at Vauxhall Fashion expert 20 Feb 10

The young designer for the Sado adjudge is Russian born Carlotta Gherzi (of Italian parents) who brings a modern elegant edge to the label.

The latest assemblage had great styles which could be worn by real women and not just catwalk models. The important colour reach was Negroid with chromatic and pillar box red.

Silks dominated the tops, dresses and even leggings which brought out the vividness of both the chromatic and red.

“Geometrical glamour” is the title of this autumn/winter 2010 assemblage – this was shown in the silk leggings, tops and dresses which were all pleated in horizontal tiers giving texture and depth.

Black knits wear glamorous with glitter woven in to produce wide sparkly horizontal bands

Silver and red brocade made an appearance for the evening dresses. Particularly loved the strapless silver brocade maxi dress.

SADO’s signature is stylish and Hellenic – this season’s assemblage did not disappoint.

DOII PARIS “Walk in the Forest” catwalk show

Showing at Vauxhall Fashion expert 21Feb10

This was Korean designer Doii Lee’s first catwalk show in London and it didn’t let her down.

The assemblage titled “Walk in the Forest” was inspired by her favourite Russian fairytale “Baba Yaga” In this fairytale a wicked stepmother sends her lovely step daughter in to the forest to visit her aunt,Baba Yaga, the witch.

In Doii’s achievement in the forest story, she passes through an intoxicating rose maze. Copper haired models wore layered chiffon dresses and glittering sequined dresses – all in the designer’s exclusive illustrated indicant of large pinkish red roses. Red patent broad heeled position with patterned artifact tied around the ankles in large bows matched the vividness of the designs. White faux fur trims and linings added softness to some of the stiffer sequined fabrics.  The first outfit on the catwalk immediately caught our attention – daylong straight chiffon dress with a squawk flare hem, draped with a daylong trailing shawl awninged in the sequined rose pattern and lined with white faux fur.

“A dove guides her along the right path” – the digital prints now were of flying white doves on orange/peach light chiffon or heavily sequined fabric. The short belted double breasted cover awninged in sequins on large bold doves looked spectacular with its contrasting indicant of blues and creams on the lapels. The dove indicant on the daylong and short chiffon dresses were more stoned downbound due to their smaller scale.

“A garden full of glorious sunny memories” important colour reach was cream with a contact of blue, green and pink. The indicant of potted plants was hazy as if faded by the sun. Here we saw a loose fitting sequined egg-shaped cover with a sexy squawk at the bottom and cuff.  The contrasting indicant on the arrest of polka dots added to the glamour.

The story and achievement becomes darker, she is in turmoil –mid greys or rich browns are added to the mix. The indicant is busier and again vivid. The patent position colour changes from carefree red to serious black, but still with the patterned artifact tied around the ankle. Here we saw a plain short mid grey double breasted pelage cover contrasting perfectly with its brightly patterned lapels, tie belt, cuff bands and buttons.

“Her heart sank”- Negroid and grey dominate and the designer’s prints are of lace and netting. Negroid lace features on the sequined evening dresses, Negroid fur on the coats. Another gorgeous cover (you can see a pattern emerging here – I’m loving the coats!) this time in Negroid with a contact of white and grey. Egg-shaped, Negroid fur arrest and that sexy squawk at the bottom and cuff. Slouchy Negroid and grey zipped fur leg warmers over the Negroid patent position made a luxurious touch. The silver grey lace indicant teamed with billowing Negroid lace bishop sleeves made a simple egg formed mini dress a knock out cocktail dress. And the elbow length Negroid lace puffed sleeves and tiered lace broad yoke and hem of another silver grey indicant mini dress gave an Edwardian oldness look.

“But she knew she was a protected one” – the colours here were pale gold and black. Here we saw a sequined gold and Negroid patterned trench cover with plain light grey lapels, tie track and pockets. A short sequined gold and Negroid patterned dress was given the 20′s oldness look with a drop waist and a wide adornment of scalloped gold lace around the hem.

“My skeleton friend is always with me” – again Negroid and grey dominated for the new indicant of lace skulls.  Here we saw a luxurious knee-length fur wrap cover with silver grey fur wraps and a contact of sequined skull prints; and a plain mid grey mini wrap pelage cover adorned with the sequined skull indicant on the pockets, cuffs, track and partial face with contrasting polka dot arrest and trimming.

“Then the goat queen of the forest is on her side” – honey blonde models came out wearing prints of the goat queen in creams, white, soft browns with a contact of light blue. A padded egg-shaped coat, plain but for the indicant and teamed with silver grey fur leg warmers. Other outfits lined or clipped with white faux fur gave a Cossack appearance.

“Divine roses blossom along the Stygian path of the forest “- Proving anything can look glamorous, a duffle call cover was given the luxury make over with a sequined indicant of roses along the path of the  green forest, lining and trims of light grey faux fur and with the hem longer at the back.

Chiffon dresses were daylong and short, some with a few of the signature sequins, some decorated with small hanging hearts downbound the backwards and some with their hems longer at the back. All were colourful and patterned.

Dresses in heavier fabrics were completely embellished in sequins making Doii’s indicant designs even more dazzling.

My favourites were the coats: all statement pieces proving you don’t have to wait to take your cover off before making an entrance.

Doii states that the lady who wears Doii Paris becomes a diva. The last model came out in a Negroid sequined cover and large hat with fringes so daylong they reached her shoulders.  Not representing the end of the story but in true diva style, this piece wanted to take centre stage.

CLEMENTS RIBEIRO presentation

HAUTE BOHEMIAN AUTUMN/WINTER 2010

Presenting at the Portico Room, Somerset concern 21Feb10

The call may be bohemian for the husband and wife organisation duo’s (Suzanne Clements & Inacio Ribeiro) latest collection, but this is bohemian with decadent glamour. They chose to look backwards to the 70′s around the time when Yves Saint Laurent created his Russian collection

The footwear was to die for – all embellished with sequin patterns. My favourites were the daylong boots in soft leather slightly slouchy and gathered at the top.

Sequins also adorned dresses, trousers and cardigans along with crystals.

The assemblage was divided in to definite sections:

A more masculine tailored section – important colour reach charcoal grey, Negroid and Stygian plum.

Oversized knits were embellished but in a monochrome tone to create understated Hellenic glamour.

The feminine section showed silk dresses, skirts and tops in paisley and marble effect swirl prints.

One dress and trousers in pale gilded jacquard and cardigans embellished with sequin patterns or bejewelled motifs.  The colours were more muted in shades of greens, gold, mustard, light browns and taupe.

The more opulent section showed the heavier brocade for jackets, skirts and coats clipped with sequins. important colour reach was Negroid and midnight blue. Nice contact with the leather gloves clipped with sequins.

This assemblage shows opulent luxury does not have to be just restricted to eveningwear.

FUTURE CLASSICS presentation. Designer JULIE WILKINS

CUT & PASTE AUTUMN/WINTER 2010

Presenting at the Portico Room, Somerset concern 21Feb10

Although advertised as a presentation, designer Julie Wilkins presentation of her label’s Future Classics A/W 10 assemblage was more like a mini catwalk show.  The benches were set out so the models could achievement downbound in between them – so everyone had a face row view!

The inspiration for this assemblage was:  ”Cut and paste; the written word and renaissance craft (wo)manship.”

Main colour reach was neutrals and Negroid (what else for classics) with a splash of pinks and oranges to brighten the collection.

Lots of daylong knits with draped hoods, trousers and leggings. Especially loved the denim indicant leggings. Plainer leggings in Negroid or grey were given a more interesting look with a row of buttons sewn downbound the front.

Fur awninged just the sleeves and hats giving a more playful look.

Long Negroid satin fingerless gloves reaching above the elbow looked great with the layered chiffon LBDs.

This assemblage is for the woman who likes soft tailoring and knitwear but wants a little organisation twist to her Hellenic look.

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