LFW is over! :(

Hi All,

Wow, I can't quite believe that Fashion Week is over for another season! At Vauxhall Fashion Scout, there were some supremely talented designers that I had the chance to meet and speak to.

I have to say that the fashion industry is becoming increasingly diverse, making it more and more fascinating. Not only did these designers have very different collections, but they all had a new way of looking at the world of fashion and were trying to stamp their own mark on it. This could be from using a new process, having a different purpose through design or trying to create a whole new aesthetic. This contributed to an extremely wide range of collections that were fascinating to review.

I have put some reviews up, more to come!

Enjoy!

Kate x

Charlotte Helyar Spring Summer '13

One thing is for sure, the collection from Charlotte Helyar makes her stand out from her Central Saint Martins classmates; it is a collection that immediately makes you want to find out what it is all about and what inspired such an interesting collection. White blank canvas garments, none the less impeccably cut, are printed with fascinating, optical illusion prints that play tricks on the eyes.

 With a passion for screen printing, Charlotte is inspired by trying to find new techniques and results from different methods of print design. “I am really inspired by analogue graphics and 80's album artworks and early iD magazines”, this shows clearly in the collection; although the garments are cut in a very modern and almost futuristic way, the prints give a clear nod to previous decades through their colour use and almost psychedelic nature. In line with this, Charlotte pushed traditional methods of printing; all of the prints are hand-printed using the CMYK colour system and by printing in dots that overlap each other and consequently create some really interesting effects.

It is impressive that, from a distance, the prints look fairly digital and you would not initially assume that they were printed by hand. You cannot see the pixels until you are right up close to the garments, which is fascinating as collections are best when they develop in your mind and you look further into them. Even though they look digital, the printed motifs are inspired by 17^th century artworks, which have a real contrast with the block colour shapes and letters on the garments. The hand-printing technique allowed Charlotte to play with print in a way that you cannot do digitally, printing over folds and seams to distort them even further. There is no visible stitching on the garments, the edges of the fabric are not finished and are cut in very geometric lines, but this allows the fascinating prints to speak for themselves and this attention to not overdoing things and creating the perfect balance within a collection is no doubt what has impressed so many people. Central Saint Martins are renowned for encouraging their students to find their own niche and something that they are passionate about and it seems that this is what Charlotte has done.  

David Koma LFW SS13

Two years ago, designer and Central Saint Martins graduate David Koma won the coveted Merit Award at Vauxhall Fashion Scout and ever since he has had great success to critical acclaim with some of the world's most famous celebrities, Beyonce to name one, becoming fans of his designs. David Koma revealed his Spring Summer '13 collection this morning at Somerset House and provided beautiful spring designs inspired by the amazing summer of sport that London has just been home to.

 Influenced mainly by Tennis and Wimbledon in particular, to inspire his designs David spent time at the event, getting to know the sport and the players. Taking this sportswear influence, he put the David Koma twist on it and consequently created something intelligent and refined but still true to it's original inspirations. The collection featured a palette of tennis white, Wimbledon greens and yellow and inclusions of black and electric blue that gave the collection a more futuristic edge. Describing the collection as “Hard, fast and beautiful” in an interview with VFS partners Fashion Monitor earlier this year, this was exactly what it was with bold panelling juxtaposed with voluminous pleats that provided movement as if playing in the wind at Wimbledon. Enlarged net-like prints played with scale and almost created a 3D look, bringing contemporary edge to a traditional inspiration.

The collection had a stunning array of fabrics, from opaque black heavy jerseys to sheer silks. Translucent vests and shirts layered over tight, panelled dresses and cut in innovative ways enhanced the looks taking them from sportswear to contemporary high fashion. The innocent tennis whites were made slightly more rebellious with geometric cut-outs, and black dresses were embellished with patent elements that gave the whole collection evening looks that were sophisticated and chic. Once again, the designer gave us designs that are wearable and commercial however still pushing boundaries.  

Bernard Chandran SS'13 at Vauxhall Fashion Scout, London Fashion Week 2012

Pre-show, the Bernard Chandran catwalk was bustling with excited guests waiting to see Bernard's sleek, feminine creations. Known for interesting fabric combinations, innovative silhouettes and sophisticated colour palettes, he is a master of design and cutting and always creates cohesive, chic collections that never fail to impress.

The music begins with the first line of the song “You are the only one I ever loved”, as the first model appears mysteriously behind the iron gates in the atmospheric catwalk space and makes her way down the runway. The collection is inspired by 'the rough edges of a close friend's love tale' but instead of focusing on the heartbreak and the angst, the Bernard Chandran collection depicts the confident woman who is not fazed by the dramas of love. The first look oozes confidence, a perfectly cut white dress, accessorised with sunglasses that bring summer into the room and create connotations of an elegant, authoritative modern woman.

Famed for attention to unique and interesting details, the dresses turned this seasons dropped back hem on it's head and gave us dresses short on the back, and floor skimming on the front. In some of the outfits, this gave the impression of almost two designs merged together. The look is designed to show 'simplicity on one side and curvier, more detailed lines on the other'.

One of the most impressive concepts was patent leather-fronted jackets that had impeccable details and were then backed with silks and triangular prints that provided a perfect harmony. Beautiful panelled dresses continued this harmonic feel with sections of lace, leather and satin all in similar tones that worked together perfectly. The collection seemed to have so many influences; elements of art deco, retro and most interestingly elements of functionality, a popular trend this season. Jackets featured large pockets across the crest of the back which were made of leather or PVC which made a bold statement about fashion being functional as well as aesthetically pleasing. Despite these unusual features, the collection was extremely commercial with linear patterns, intricate sequin work and a dip into flowing nudes and pastels which anyone would be happy to wear. 

The collection was strangely 'Girl next door' meets the modern, confidant woman which surprisingly worked really well. As always, the collection was feminine but forward thinking and proves that Bernard thinks carefully about the shape and personality of the modern woman he is designing for.  

Nottingham Trent University at Graduate Fashion Week

Nottingham Trent's Graduate Fashion Week show went back to basics and concentrated on the techniques of fashion design and how they can be developed to create new and exciting ideas. The pattern cutting was exquisite, the knitwear was sophisticated and technical and the show as a whole evoked a sense of class.

Beautiful fabrics were chosen by designers such as Rebecca Munn, whose collection was stunning and full of fluid silks and sheer fabrics. Her pattern cutting was second to none, and hints of subtle prints on the bottom of the silk dresses gave the designs another dimension. The collection was accessorised with neon acrylic accessories that gave the colour palette a flicker of bright tones. Beautiful fabrics recurred throughout the Nottingham Trent show, with the collection from Hannah Sharp being in completely black and white but with both horizontal and vertical stripes contrasting with each other, the overall look was amazing. Gathering and pleating added a 3D element and details such as oversized pockets on the back of jackets showcased Hannah's talent for design. 

The menswear collection from Amy Terrell featured some great geometric prints with cube designs that complimented some fantastic tailoring perfectly and concluded with a stunning outfit featuring a soft, fluid jacket with a bold brown and orange print over a polo and skin-tight leggings, accentuating the jacket.

The knitwear throughout the Nottingham show was intricate and well considered. Fine gauge knits were gathered in the collection of Holly Marke to create innovative and creative silhouettes. Subtle metallic and mohair detailing gave the collection a regal sense that was chic and sophisticated. Tamsin Lakhani created knits with delicate stripes and subtle patterns imbedded within that were reminiscent of that of Missoni, with holding checks and geometrics on simple but stunning silhouettes that allowed the knits to speak for themselves. Olivia Williams used a palette of coffee hues within an amazing combination of laser cut leathers and soft knits that provided an impressive contrast of weights and textures.

Lastly, the collection from Yuchi Ozaki had everyone in the audience smiling with it's fun, but perfectly constructed garments. As the models came down the runway, they unzipped their jacket lapel or dress panel to reveal a stunning laser cut or folded fabric underneath, much like a fold out birthday card. The reveal element was so innovative and only enhanced the classic tailoring that Ozaki had to offer.

Nottingham Trent showcased some amazing talent with perfect construction and sophisticated collections. The knitwear was sublime and tailoring was spectacular.

Photographs by Charlotte Headdey

DeMontfort University at Graduate Fashion Week

As soon as we got our tickets for the DeMontfort show, a monochrome graffiti style print coated in plastic and containing polystyrene balls, we expected hyper-modern textiles using found materials and brand new technologies. The students sent their collections down the runway, and that was exactly what we got. The collections from DeMontfort were so on trend for the upcoming seasons, making use of every material possible from plastic to acrylic to metal and putting them all together to create some outstanding looks that were in line with the trends of techno textiles and hyper-modernity that will be hitting London Fashion Week in the next couple of seasons.

The knitwear from the university was supreme. The work of Alison Woodhouse took so many neon tones and put them into designs that were wearable but extremely contemporary. Geometric pattern knits in every colour way possible were put together and combined with stuffed knits that had be plaited together to provide structure and a contrasting texture. The knitwear continued into menswear, where Clare Sant combined textured knits with clashing prints, and even a knit print that gave the collection a more delicate, lightweight edge in comparison to the chunky knits. The colours were predominantly primary and the prints were tribal, creating a fairly ethnic look that worked with the range of textures. Kelli McGuiness brought another new knitwear dimension with knitted hold technique dresses that revealed fun, quirky prints underneath; the combination of print and knit was popular at DeMontfort.

In contrast to the extreme textures and silhouettes of some of the collections, others evoked a softer, refined feel that concentrated on the intricate pattern cutting and panelling of the pieces. Amanda Salway's collection of Menswear featured exquisite Timorous Beasties style prints combined with delicate checks in pastel tones, with unusual sheer fabrics. Denim in tones of ochre and blue brought a new edge to the denim jacket. Nicola Froud continued with the pastel theme, with some interesting layering of skirts over trousers and interesting techniques of pleated fabrics appliquéd on to the front of dresses and jumpers. The collection had a sportswear style influence, but done in a very feminine way.

Lastly, the use of unconventional materials was something that stood out at DeMonfort on the whole. The collection from Charlotte Baty, featuring hundreds of cable ties woven into knit that almost looked like fur was stunning. Plastics were woven together in macrame techniques to create cuffs and neck details. Jade Clark used a whole host of reflective materials from PVC to organza that abstracted the prints beneath them creating a really unusual look. DeMonfort were very impressive in their creation of new looks and techniques and the collections were fresh and exciting.

Photographs by Dani Farrow

Edinburgh College of Art at Graduate Fashion Week

Eerie music filled the room as everyone prepared to see the final collections from the students of Edinburgh School of Art. A model with her face covered steps on to the runway and sets the mood for the first collection of the show. Jacob Birge's collection headed down the runway with a sense of mystery but power as his models walked with their heads covered by fantastic headwear and showcasing his PVC cladded creations.

Themes running through the collections from Edinburgh were that of structure and volume. How this was achieved varied from structured fabrics to an overload of layering but one thing was for sure, bigger is better. The students demonstrated a love for a contrast in materials, combining leather with flowing silks and tailored wovens with PVC panels and metal accessories. The collection from Jacqueline McLardie in particular, provided a host of stunning fluid prints with leather tops and waistcoats constructed with panels of leather that looked almost like an animals shell and gave the impression of armour.

Oversizing was another method of achieving this volume. The menswear collection from Riona Horrox combined unconventional materials into menswear such as fur and oversized everything from shirts to huge puffa jackets that created interesting silhouettes through the use of padding and clever panelling.

The concepts behind the collections at Edinburgh School of Art are clearly very interesting and the students want to make an impact on the industry by creating collections that are refreshing and contemporary. There was masculine womenswear, feminine menswear and a unisex collection, playing on ideas of gender and androgyny and creating a fascinating, diverse showcase of collections.  

Photographs by Charlotte Headdey