Fashion Voyeur

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Categories: Fashion

Paul Costelloe FW18 at London Fashion Week

More and more of the on-schedule designers are going off-piste for their Fashion Month shows.  As Anna Wintour recently said in a video editorial for Vogue Runway: “No longer are we seeing a schlep of anonymous, sad looking models walking the runway in the standard white box, we’re being invited into restaurants, and to new and exciting venues like the Yves Saint Laurent show that took place by the Eiffel Tower on a beautiful evening”.  It’s true Voyeurs, the Karl Lagerfeld effect has massively influenced show season and for us to sit up and take notice, the show itself needs to be as spectacular as the garments we’re there to view.

For FW18 London picked up the baton from a super boring New York Fashion Week and breathed into it new life.  From the emerging talent at Fashion Scout, to the more established on and off schedule houses, London Fashion Week’s FW18 season packed a real punch and with it, came an uplifted, happier vibe.  From the colour and texture driven presentations at Alexander White and Merchant Archive, to the spooky fun Starsica runway show that took a huge step away from the norm cementing it as one of the most memorable of the season, London Fashion Week brought Fashion Month to life.

It should come as no surprise then, that London’s patriarch of fashion, Paul Costelloe, put on a runway show, presentation and live performance rolled into one for FW18 that brought a little Parisian chic to the UK capital.  Costelloe is to London Fashion Week what Lagerfeld is to Paris Fashion Week.  A stalwart and powerhouse who evolves with each season, reacting to not just expectations in fashion, but also sustainability, technology and the time in which we live.  For FW18, the house of Paul Costelloe invited a select group of the global fashion media and buyers into the Waldorf Hotel for a breathtaking show which saw the typical Costelloe textures injected with a youthful edge.

Secretly Livid

I arrived at the show at The Waldorf Hotel on the wettest day of Fashion Week.  Not only that, but moments before entering the hotel I was covered head to foot in puddle juice after a truck saw a roadside opportunity not to be missed.  I was wet and pissed off Voyeurs, and looked like crap.  I spent about three minutes attempting to dry my hair under a hand dryer only to discover that it looked worse than when it was drenched with London puddle and after booking an emergency blowdry at SHOW Beauty I thought fuck it, I’m going in….

I won’t say I wasn’t huffy, I was, and there’s photographic evidence to support that.  But like a pro, I took my seat and waited to see what Paul Costelloe had in store for us.

Paul Costelloe FW18

The co-ed collection from the fashion giant is a subtle reflection on an Irish heritage of leaving homelands in search of new life and new dreams, disembarking from the landing stage of Ellis island, ready to join millions of others in search of a new identity and creating a culture of endless diversity.

Key pieces in the collection feature heavy plaid tweeds from Magee of Ireland’s County Donegal alongside Costelloe’s signature tailoring.  The British and Irish narrative is worked into full length coats and high waisted trousers which echo that American aesthetic of the 50’s.  Distressed jacquards from Lanificio di Sordevolo in the Italian province of Biella compliment this International offering.  The room lends itself perfectly to the show in this format, models walk the runway four at a time in choreographed steps in order to give a fully immersive view of each piece.  In a London Fashion Week first, the whole event was filmed and broadcast via Insta360 allowing the viewer into the show as if they were right there in the audience.

The custom prints featured in the show came from second generation Costelloe by way of William Costelloe Design, making it feel like we were experiencing something truly special.  If you’re a fan of Costelloe’s work, you’ll know that texture is a huge feature, often used as a total juxtaposition throughout his body of work, FW18 saw heavy tweed paired with polished latex and leather to create a new branch of Costelloe DNA.  As a live band played, the looks kept coming and once the show was over, guests were invited back into the room for an informal presentation.  As far as shows go, this is the most chilled I’ve been to in a long while.  Models came out on to the floor wearing key looks from the collection on rotation and guests we able to touch fabrics and really get up close and personal with the pieces.  Trust me, you’ve never felt a tweed weight like the one on this amazing swing coat, it’s to die for.

Paul Costelloe FW17

As the band played an awesome cover of the Old Crow Medicine Show version of Wagon Wheel, I got a chance to have a little chat with the man himself who paused mid-sentence to yell for the band to “keep playing”.  So what did he tell me?  Well we talked about tartan, heavy denim, Paris and the collection obvs.  But most memorable?  That would be when he told me my eyebrows were “amazing” and left me with the parting words: “Never let anybody tell you to change your eyebrows, seriously, don’t let anybody force you to change them, they’re amazing.” and with that, Paul Costelloe danced away into the crowd…

Pixie x

Categories: Fashion, Uncategorized

Apu Jan FW18 at London Fashion Week

Apu Jan is one of those stalwarts of London Fashion Week, one which never fails to deliver something new, whilst remaining true to its fairytale telling stylistics.  Each season brings with it a new story to be told through the garments and for FW18 the theme ‘Drifting in a Million Stars” conjured images of galaxies, space and clouds before I was even through the huge brass doors of the Grand Temple.

The Grand Temple floor

The collection is heavily influenced by science fiction literature and the swirling colours depicted in galaxies viewed from lightyears away.  As always, the Apu Jan silhouette is simple and timeless and knitwear is present throughout.  The designer is known for their unique knitwear techniques and use of luxurious wools such as cashmere (the holy grail of wool), merino and lambs wool and can make these appear as thin as silk.

As with previous collections, the soundtrack to the show was provided by DJ Question Mark and a string orchestra to set the scene, ready for take off.  I was a huge fan of the Apu Jan SS18 showcase and managed to bag a front row seat, this time I rocked up with a banging migraine (it was day 3 after all) and the kerfuffle and clanging of seats in the moments leading up to the show almost finished me off but I persevered, and I’m glad I did.

The collection was laden with intergalactic and swirling star prints which would have benefitted from an additional presentation format post show so guests could really appreciate the craftsmanship within the collection.  The drum & bass music that accompanied the show created the perfect ambience for a collection that had some serious standout pieces including a hat that has Beyonce written all over it.

A still from the Apu Jan FW18 show at London Fashion Week in the grand temple of freemason's Hall

The palette of navy and black with the odd accent colour was simple enough that it led the focus to the expert craftsmanship and tiny details in each piece.  Layered silk and elongated sleeve shapes are something we’ve come to expect from Apu Jan season after season and they were present for FW18.  However a hint towards a sleeker silhouette made a play in the show too with a couple of styles leaning toward something more tailored to the female form.

Each look was paired with simple platform, lace up shoes and pared back, natural makeup accentuated by a slick of shimmering white highlight under the eyes.  Models’ hair was scraped back into a tight, Chinois style topknot mirroring the simplicity of the shapes within the collection.  In all honesty, Apu Jan is a show you go to, to appreciate and highlight the details.  Those wonderful little details that can’t be appreciated until you see them in the flesh and it’s this that Apu Jan consistently does so well.  There are no bells and whistles, no weird and wonderful shapes to make you gasp, just good old fashioned awesome design that works on and off the runway.

Pixie

Categories: Fashion, Uncategorized

Starsica FW18 at London Fashion Week

In the run up to London Fashion Week‘s FW18 show season I was asked a few times who I was most looking forward to seeing and as I thought about the previous season, there was one name that kept jumping out at me: STARSICA.  The fledgling brand showed as part of Fashion Scout’s Ones to Watch for SS18 and put together a striking and playful collection featuring neon, cutouts and 90’s style logos.  It’s a show that really stood out and one that I was definitely looking forward to this season.

FW18 saw designer Ike Seungik Lee produce his first full collection and like anyone else, I wondered how this would stand up against some of the more established designers who had shown before STARSICA on days one, two and three.  I needn’t have worried, the STARSICA show was an absolute doozie and even now, it’s one of the one’s that stands out in my mind as being one of the strongest shows of the season in terms of the collection, the production and the darkness.  Oh the darkness…..

The show, entitled “Seirēn sings for a Mad King” takes its inspiration from learning the phenomenon of otherness.  The idea behind the collection is primarily derived from observing the behaviours of the unspecified masses around us and Lee does this to perfection.  From the eerie opening to the jerky music box soundtrack, the show had me captivated from start to finish.

There is an inherent sense of humour and futility in the collection that is the DNA of STARSICA, displaying distorted aspects of our society in conceptual symbols.  The models walked as exaggerated versions of themselves with jerky motions and through theatrical breaks and interactions with the audience they left us wondering if, in essence, we are all the Mad King.  We utilise the vision of those who interpret the egos and lives of others through their own subjective perspectives.  With this in mind, the collection constitutes a sense of dramatic construction, and draws on reinterpreting Greek tragedy as a fashion monologue.  It truly was a sight to behold and truly if you weren’t there, you missed out.

Starsica FW17

STARSICA’s models took on the appearance of siren-like dolls, a little like the Monster High dolls a child would play with, eerily made up to fit a distorted ideal.  They carried with them pieces from the debut STARSICA accessory line in the form of three dimensional coffin shaped bags which reinterpret the portable bags carried by the Mad King himself, hand mirrors and even bird cages.  Semiotic symbols adorned a grey suit which stood out in a collection where every piece was saleable.

The playful motifs in wings and soft fur which can be understood as symbols of Siren, the troubadour, have been reinterpreted with a modern twist and found in the prints of Lee’s own paintings and the patterns created by embroideries.  These echo the essence of mythological elements such as the star, bird and semiotic signs, the collection is as fun and uplifting as it is spooky and eerie.

Inversely, the Mad King is portrayed through the gothic arched lines in wearable suits and hard reliefs on coats.  The primary colour for the Mad King is dark purple, while grey is used to describe the Mad King’s power.   Finally, glen check patterns and wide sleeves create the juxtaposition of fabrics and colours to express intertextuality and cohesive characteristics of Siren and the Mad King.  These pieces are highlighted with romantic silhouettes on tail edges, scribble prints and splashes of gold which reflect the sense of sadness brought about by the death of the Mad King, perhaps the reason for the models appearing so tortured.  I loved every minute of it and left feeling like this was probably going to be the most memorable show of the season.  I wasn’t wrong.

Pixie

Categories: Fashion, Uncategorized

Malan Breton FW18 at London Fashion Week

Malan Breton is known for putting on a spectacle of a show at London Fashion Week.  His shows are filled with gowns, drama and the occasional raciness and the audience is as interesting as the show itself.  For FW18 Breton’s Omega collection was something of a departure for the Asian designer’s self titled label and guests were treated to a show of calculated decadence rendered in a division between strength and seduction.

You’ll have to forgive my imagery for this show Voyeurs, Malan Breton is a show that is packed to the rafters and so seating is thin on the ground.  I was offered a third row seat but opted to stand closer to the back so I could get as decent a view of the collection, as I could of the opposite front row.  Seated opposite me were Fleur East, Rob Beckett and Romesh Ranganathan (if you know me IRL you’ll know that I’m a huge fan of Ranganathan and his solo show Asian Provocateur which saw his mum and young cousin steal just a little of his limelight).  Lindsay Lohan was tucked away at the opposite end and a few other big names that aren’t really as interesting as my TV husband Romesh Ranganathan.

Anyway, back to the show, you came for the fashion so let’s start with that.  Ok so my images aren’t so good but I wanted to include the show because it was so eclectic and unexpected.  There are a few designers who fall into the same bracket (Mimi Tran, Zeynep Kartal, Rohmir et al) and sometimes the impact of the look can become lost, this season Malan Breton broke out of that pack.

Malan Breton FW18 Fashion Scout London Fashion Week Fleur East, Rob beckett and Romesh Ranganathan on the front row

You’ll have most certainly seen Breton’s designs, they’re worn on the red carpet for premieres and award ceremonies all over the world so his Omega collection was something of a departure from the grand gowns we’re so familiar with.  The first look saw black silk tulle juxtaposed with leather to toughen the feminine silhouette.  If this was the opening gambit from Breton, then what was to follow would see each look explore femininity a little further until it reached the epitome of female empowerment and exploration with an S&M couture bride clad in black leather flanked by two stripped down male bridesmaids who held the cape flowing behind her.

Opening look at Malan Breton FW18

“This collection, has been a journey of self realisation, a point of gaining one’s hope back in humanity.  Rebuilding one’s shell, one’s armour, one’s heart.  Love lost, valour, and watching gluttony and greed change humanity for the worse.”  Malan Breton

The journey from opening look to closing look was one filled with chatter and frantic shoulder taps from the audience.  Brocade suits in shades of grey and opulent red topped with bow ties stood out from the collection and red was a commonality through the centrepieces – from full red organza gowns, to the flecks of detailing in chinoiserie inspired pieces.  Renowned for his theatricality and artistic flair, Breton delivered a collection with depth and soul, taking inspiration from Edwardian tarot, Merlin, Chinese astrology and the myth of the four horsemen of the apocalypse.  Put simply, I dig it.

The staging of the show was almost indicative of the leather clad finale, just as the delicate, intricate pieces in the first half of the show hinted at the softer side of femininity, the amber and red pieces hinted at the sudden darker twist ahead.

This was Malan Breton sexed up to the max in a dark and pleasing way whilst the designer remained true to his asian roots by using weaving, embroidery and surface dying throughout.  Strong and seductive, empowering and personal, this is surely Breton’s darkest and most personal collection to date and it’s nice to see him sticking with his technique of using recycled bottles to create irregular paillettes instead of shunning this for more modern and readily available techniques.

Malan Breton FW17

If Omega signifies the end of a journey to one’s clarity and self, then this is without a doubt the real Malan Breton laid bare.  One of my FW18 season highlights, but I guess you had to be there for the vibe.  Oh and I totally caught Romesh and Rob laughing at a model who lost her footing on the runway.  Busted.

Pixie

Malan Breton FW18 Fashion Scout London Fashion Week Romesh Ranganathan, Pixie Tenenbaum & Rob Beckett

 

Categories: Fashion, Uncategorized

Minki FW18 at London Fashion Week

Usually towards the end of London Fashion Week the schedule begins to slow down, by day four you find that the days get way easier as there are less shows to hop between.  Not so for FW18.  This season has been crazy in the best possible way.  Day five of show season started early with a runway show followed by a couple of presentations in designer led locations meaning I was out of 180 The Strand and off on an adventure.

The Minki FW18 presentation entitled ‘Who is the most sophisticated creator?’  was set in the Park Chinois which is a hop, skip and a jump from New Bond Street in Mayfair.  With it’s flower covered front and roaring open fire in the entrance, it’s a place that’s full of mystery and intrigue.  The presentation itself takes place down a spiral staircase where a selection of Chinese teas and dim sum available for show-goers to snack on and the dark, red lit, rich interior gives a hint of what’s in store.

The collection is a powerful exploration of gender and binary oppositions.  Minki incorporates feminine bijoux fastenings on mens oversized shirts to provide an oppositional force, the collection benefits from the addition and placement of real precious stones which have been used as raw brooches on coats.  Minki’s FW18 offering is a blend of opposing silhouettes that blend the traditional with the contemporary, heavy pleats in light tulle continue the oppositional trend throughout the collection and Minki plays with texture throughout – heavy quilted outerwear sits over fairy like dresses layered with soft, floaty tulles and voiles.

Minki FW18

Taffeta jackets are part quilted to resemble the reflections that can be seen in precious gem stones and it’s these rocks, minerals and gemstones that form the very foundations of Minki’s designs past and present.  Raw and fragile details such as stone snap buttons from Morocco are paired with heavier materials and shiny velvet trimmings, transparent PVC and furry mohair to create a juxtaposition of texture that works undeniably well throughout the collection.  The check / pleat combo is a personal favourite of mine and the masculine styling of the most feminine pieces is so current it hurts.  Kudos Minki, the FW18 presentation provided a well planned, thought provoking collection that seeks to explore the question: Who has been the most sophisticated creator, nature or man?

Pixie