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.