London Fashion Week A/W 2016 womenswear editor’s picks
Christopher Raeburn: This season Christopher Raeburn, who is mostly known for his innovative work with fabrics, worked together with The Woolmark Company to shine a light on the diversity of Merino wool. Heavy knits were interspersed with fluffy jumpers and lightweight coats, all in powerful military-esque shapes and shades
Toogood: For their first on-the-London-schedule fashion presentation Faye and Erica Toogood tackled the subject of repetition in mainstream fashion. Repetitive movements were being executed by performers dressed in newly knitted designs of abandoned threats and yarns decorated with treasures. In true Toogood style the sisters championed the serendipity of the chance of finding something special
Joseph: For A/W the British brand unravelled its most avant-garde collection to date that was anything but the luxe leather and cashmere basics that Joseph is know for globally. Although still finely finished, suiting was unpicked and turned inside out in an anti-conformist fashion, while bulky oversized knitwear was hand sewn with naive bird or eye motifs, their thick woollen yarns left unsnipped and trailing. A rebel spirit may have punctuated the runway show but it was still reassuring to spot a plethora of creative director Louise Trotter’s luxurious coats, voluminous patent leather skirts and exaggerated culotte pants that were also all in possession of that timeless Joseph quality stamp. Photography: Jason Lloyd-Evans
Peter Pilotto: Silk silhouettes, soft knitwear and warm coats covered in graphic neon accents blazed through and icy winter landscape. Spoiled by the different textures and colors you would almost miss Peter Pilotto and Christopher de Vos’ first jewellery collection with Atelier Swarovski which consisted of colourful crystal hair pins, cuffs and dangling earrings. Photography: Jason Lloyd-Evans
Osman: For the Autumn season Osman Yousefzada, who originally trained as a tailor, stayed true to his background. The signature OSMAN look of clean lines and architectural shapes formed the canvas for the designer’s own hand-painted botanical prints which were seen in the form of oversized prints, embellishments and appliqué. Photography: Jason Lloyd-Evans
Roksanda: Just like Picasso had a blue period, so it seems Roksanda has. In a show venue lined with a blue carpet and filled with blue panels depicting modernist inspired female silhouettes and faces, she sent dark blue and plum looks down the runway, complemented with cognac, ochre and, pink and purple hues. Ruffled necklines, velvet ribbons, and velvet two-tone trompe l’oeil boots added an art-school teacher vibe. Photography: Jason Lloyd Evans
Eudon Choi: The Korean-born designer started his autumn journey with the work of abstract artists Saloua Raouda Choucair and Helen Frankenthaler that in turn coloured his graphic prints, which while blocky, possessed an expressionist softness in their muted hues of dusty pink, canvas white and cornflower blue. Best in show: Choi’s Seventies-era shirting that was either bibbed and buttoned-up scrubs-style, or in possession of exaggerated pussy-bows – albeit cut in crisp cotton rather than floppy silk with architectural, tear-drop shaped ties. Photography: Jason Lloyd-Evans
Charlotte Olympia: For her London fashion week show debut Charlotte Dellal ventured out of this world with a space age collection coined, ’The Girl who fell to Earth’. Delivered with her signature Old Hollywood panache the accessory designer’s space odyssey ran the gauntlet from Perspex ’rocket’ platforms to glitter coated booties (all inspired by retro science fiction film posters and comic books), and concluded with a selection of circular ’planetary’ clutch bags at London’s Roundhouse theatre
Roberts | Wood: For her second collection, Roberts | Wood chose the installation format – one in which dancers – against a backdrop of dark polystyrene blocks draped with her knotted and pleated textiles – performed synchronized, entrancingly slow movements, their hands and feet enigmatically dipped in blue. It was a meditation on her own thoughtful and slow way of working that emphasized the moody girliness of intricate sheer dresses
Gareth Pugh: Gareth Pugh seems ready to put theatrical power dressing back on the menu and he doesn’t have any qualms about it. Opening his show with a slickly suited woman strutting down the Freemason’s Hall flanked by two equally sharply suited men, the tone was set for a fierce parade of beautifully cut coats and jackets in cashmere and shearling, to structured bustiers in check patterns and leather pencil skirts. Photography: Jason Lloyd-Evans
Anya Hindmarch: That Anya Hindmarch has a playful attitude to accessorizing is an understatement. For this winter collection she pulled out all the stops to make that clear with an interactive set made of illuminated tiling in various colours, and cubes that moved like the early computer game pixels. Apart from her signature bags and clutches, Hindmarch added statement coats to her lively patterned mix – complete with space invaders, fried eggs and smiley motifs. Photography: Jason Lloyd-Evans
Claire Barrow: ’The Retro-Spective’ by Claire Barrow - a collection featuring shapes from various decades and intricate embroidered knit designs made in collaboration with luxury knitwear brand John Smedley. All covered in Barrow’s signature humorous hand painted prints
1205: Paula Gerbase’s reductionist approach is as appealing as ever, both in design and set. Celebrating ’the purity of the untouched’ by honouring the invisible, the LFW Brewer Streer car park home base runway itself paid tribute though suspended mirrors which afforded spectators a completely different perspective on Gerbase’s precise tailoring. Photography: Antonio Camera
Topshop Unique: This season Topshop seemed to tap into the Victorian era. Set in the grand halls of Tate Britain, surrounded by the works of William Turner, long silhouettes of dark lace, high necks and velvets came flowing by. Photography: Jason Lloyd-Evans
Belstaff: Picking up where its snow covered men’s presentation within Southwark’s railway arches left off, Belstaff’s ’Polar Pioneer’ women’s collection offered up high altitude, après adventure style. Shearling coats topped the house’s signature motorcycle pants, while asymmetrical pleated kilts dressed up tweed duffle coats that were finished with shearling trimmed patch pockets. Further warming up the predominately neutral edit were cable cashmere jumpers knitted with blonde fur inserts and patchwork capes that fused wool, leather and pony skin - the material of choice for sporty backpacks too. Also on show: a capsule line designed by actress Liv Tyler that was made for the open road from her military-style woollen overcoats to shearling-lined khaki anoraks and flat, lace-up boots. Photography: Jason Lloyd-Evans