Whenever my London Fashion Week schedule is finalised I always check it for my favourites. No we all know that fashion is fickle and whilst designers and their PRs move increase their audience and range with each new season, there’s always the case that some designers don’t make it back on to the schedule for whatever reason too. This season my beloved Starsica left a crucifix shaped hole in the schedule without any explanation, and another designer I was devastated to see missing was Amy Thomson. You might remember I covered her fabulously kitsch pink presentation at Fashion Scout last season which just screamed Barbara Cartland in the most fashion way possible, I mean I almost threw my credit card at the girl it was so fabulous. I wanted everything. This season I was excited, but it wasn’t meant to be. Or so I thought.
I arrived home from London, a little later than planned, to find an email from Amy, explaining that she wouldn’t be showing this season, however that she was still around and had indeed produced a small collection for FW19 entitled Loved And Lost. I mean I love it already, the title, the personal contact, – I’ve failed to mention that Amy is an illustrator so the email is filled with hand drawn pink and red hearts so I’m already feeling a connection…..
So, basically with each collection that Amy Thomson produces, there’s a story. With this one it’s a playful, childhood romance remembering treasured memories, emotions and relationships. This feminine filled love affair explores characters from the overwhelming love of your first crush to your first end of the world falling out with your BFF. Loved And Lost is inspired by romance, by relationships with objects and people at different stages of your life from a child’s perspective. Thomson has a real talent for asking the viewer questions that take them back to their youth and ask them to reimagine and re-examine, in this case it’s remembering your first overwhelming love. Maybe it’s a first pet, a toy, or even a first sweater that you’d wear over and over. Amy Thomson is asking us to remember, reimagine and to fall in love all over again.
Red is obviously a key tone throughout the collection for FW19 and it’s tonally matched with hues of precious pink, powerful purple and even a hint of teasing turquoise. Romance is a strong vibe and the use of texture conveys that well with faux fur outerwear complimenting the exaggerated full frill silk garments that hooked me in last season. Foiled leathers add in further sparkle and there’s an added element of hand embroidery this season.
Thomson has ditched the large scale illustrations this season and instead focuses on illustrative playful motifs that are built up using text and slogans like ‘crushin on you’ and ‘teenage love shrine’ to further narrate the collective prints. This season brings with it a collaboration with Sassy Freak and some super freaky jewellery to further illustrate the narrative around this collection. Clip on earrings – very 1980’s hot mamma and one hell of a pair of glam-ma glasses with a pearl chain so glam-ma doesn’t lose ’em.
What’s really cool though, are the campaign images, shot by Georgie Fen at Poodle and Blonde Location House, they’re everything you might expect from the description above, and a little bit of insider information about Amy Thomson and her design style. Powerful, feminine and empowering, now how do I get hold of that first pink dress?
Pixie