In February we will see the Autumn/Winter 2013 collections and I for one look forward to what London's designers have to offer, especially bearing in mind that black (the staple colour of winter) is a major trend for this summer and I am sure the highly fashion conscious will be looking for something new.
The preliminary schedule has been released (www.londonfashionweek.co.uk/schedule) and I have made two lists below. For each day of LFW I have selected two designers. One that I feel fashionista/o's will appreciate (The Miranda Priestly choice) and then one that I think those who feel they don't know/understand fashion should check out (The Andy Sachs choice). If you've never watched The Devil Wears Prada, firstly shame on you! And secondly you will struggle to understand those references. Photos below show the designer and examples from their last collections.
Friday 15th February
Miranda's Choice: Central Saint Martins MA
The elite postgraduates selected by fearsome course director Prof Louise Wilson OBE, will send their graduate collections down the runway for the first time. This show is a must see for those scouting new talent and looking for the success stories of the future. Expect the weird and wonderful but an assured display of talent in every garment.
Andy's Choice: Zoë Jordan
Awarded WALPOLE Brand of Tomorrow in 2012, the designer has gone from strength to strength. Her aesthetic is built on sleek and clean lines that whilst highly feminine has an androgynous edge that provides a powerful vibe. Her designs are highly wearable and always use a fantastic colour palette.
Saturday 16th February
Miranda's Choice: Thomas Tait
The Canadian designer who debuted just last year, is the wonder boy of structure. The garments hold incredible curve silhouettes, and the garment construction techniques are obviously complex but effortlessly accomplished.
Andy's Choice: House of Holland
Henry Holland's bold and colourful collections have resulted in collaborations with Topshop in the past and is a great designer to watch if you are looking for fun without the "why are they wearing boxes on their heads" aspect that a more directional designer might cause.
Sunday 17th February - THIS IS THE BEST DAY IN MY OPINION AND I COULD HAVE PICKED SEVERAL! I know that I am going to be settling in with my popcorn and notepad and watching the live streams of pretty much every show.
Miranda's Choice: Jonathan Saunders
Having won the Elle Designer of the Year Award 2012 and the Vogue Fashion Fund Award 2012, Saunders has a lot of pressure on his shoulders to deliver a knock out collection. I am confident that he will, having fallen in love with his menswear collection I don't see why this cannot be repeated for womenswear. Master of print and colour and an exquisite artisan using silk I am sure the collection will be worth a gander at the very least.
Andy's Choice: Mulberry
Creative Director Emma Hill has transformed the brand since she took the supple leather reigns in 2007 increasing profits to nearly £50million. The show is always strongly themed has seen the addition of bicycles and poodles accompanying the models down the runway in previous seasons. This show will definitely express the entertainment side of fashion shows.
Monday 18th February
Miranda's Choice: Tom Ford
Prior to his menswear show held last week Tom Ford was the last designer to refuse press access to his shows. Instead choosing to release a few selected images well after the show. Whether this had diva-ish intent or not, his attempt to keep his shows exclusive somewhat backfired when influential press and bloggers began slating him. Once again the power of the internet crushes a traditional set up, however in this case I am rather happy about it. Ford produces collections of rarely-rivalled quality which is widely known, but this season you can see it as it happens as opposed to waiting a week, which after all in thus day and age might as well be a year!
The undisputed crown jewel of LFW, and to be frank, why wouldn't it be? In numbers, Burberry is London's most successful brand by...well... tens of millions. As a global super brand Burberry draws attention from the press, buyers, a sneaky chav or two who thinks they can still pull it off. Everyone! Expect a big budget show littered with celebrity front row occupants. Watch this show if you want to get the gist of what shows are all about.
Tuesday 19th February
Miranda's Choice: Haizhen Wang
Pronounced "Hi-jen", I speak Mando so don't mess yeah :p Those immersed in the fashion world sould be eager to see what this Chinese designer, who won the Fashion Fringe Award in September 2012, has to offer. Unsurprisingly with circa 1.4billion people China produces a fair few designers but few have achieved international acclaim. With China becoming more and more influential in the world in every aspect, I am eager to see what Wang can bring to the table.
Andy's Choice: Roksanda Ilincic
Admittedly having worked for Roksanda I could be accused of being biased in my decision. Well you are wrong, cause even with this in mind as the queen of colour, Roksanda's collections will surprise and gently challenge the fashion fearful amongst us. Combining classic draping with contemporary colour and fabric choices results in consistently well received collections. Some pieces you may love and some you may hate (cue marmite analogy) but regardless deserve your attention.
That's all...
Is that CRISTO CLEAR?
x
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