Fashion Voyeur

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Categories: The Fashion Closet

Merchant Archive FW18 at London Fashion Week

After the bore-fest of New York Fashion Week (and I’m going to go on record and say that it seems to get more boring with each season), London Fashion Week brings a cooler, more youthful vibe to Fashion Month.  I’m not slating the NYFW collections, although some of them are, well, a bit samey, but the production can feel very repetitive.

Then, when you least expect it, the show of your dreams comes along and it’s just perfection.  The location, the staging, lighting and the collection itself is all just so well planned and packaged that it sets your world on fire.  It doesn’t happen often that a show stands out and you’re thinking about it long after Fashion Month has passed, but when it does, man it’s awesome and it gets you psyched for the next season when you can spot high street pieces clearly inspired by that one awesome moment that you got to be a part of.  Prepare yourselves for a barrage of beautiful imagery…

Pixie Tenenbaum wearing a floral dress & baker boy style hat at the Merchant Archive FW18 presentation at Lancaster Gare during London Fashion Week

Front of pack for the FW18 season was the largely underrated Merchant Archive.  On the final day of London Fashion Week I schlepped through the rain in a floral SS18 Topshop dress and pleather tifler, to a disused hotel in Lancaster Gate immediately after the Minki presentation, to attend A Common Thread – the label’s presentation for the coming season.  On approach, the building is tired and lacklustre, but hidden inside is a breathtaking space that’s been frozen in time.  Somewhere between rack and ruin, perfectly poised to provide the most beautiful backdrop that never overshadows the collection we’re gathered here to view.

Merchant Archive FW18

Dressed with wild flowers, heather and fern leaves in perfect disarray it’s the first time I’ve ever looked at a venue and been able to see the synergy between the surroundings and the collection.  If you’re not impressed by my description of it then just check out my pictures, all taken on my iPhone X, no filters applied, it really is that beautiful, and yeah, my outfit matched the surroundings perfectly.

The presentation itself spanned three main rooms of the old mansion house hotel.  One strewn with quirky chairs, another dressed with balls of wool suspended from the ceiling in a grid, and the last displayed the garments on thick, cubed metal rails.  We were also treated to a breakfast of champions with freshly backed pastries, shortbread and some of super posh and instagrammable biscuits which I’ll admit, kept me there longer than planned.

Merchant Archive FW18

One of the really great things about this non-static presentation was the steady flow of models through the bottom floor of the hotel, allowing you to capture the garments from every angle.  The collection itself centred around a patchwork blanket found on the last page of children’s book The Paper Dolls by Julia Donaldson.  A book which designer Sophie Merchant reads to her young daughter every night.

“Colours imagined in hues with the help of the passage of time.  The loving hands of a kindly grandmother.  These muted tones are interspersed with inspired punches interjected from a 1930’s crochet cushion found in a market in Somerset.”  Sophie Merchant

The Merchant Archive FW18 season collection sees the reintroduction of knitwear in cashmere blends, using four feature knit stitches to create a patchwork with arun references.  When you see it in front of you, the simplicity is what makes it so bold – ironically that’s exactly why it stands out from the crowd.  The prints in this collection speak of the journey taken by the Paper Dolls in the story book and that childlike reference is present in the form of a dab dot paint spot which resembles that made on a page by a young child.  The collection is one that explores both the start of life and the wisdom of later years, both of which are visible in the key pieces, the shapes are simple and fluid and the venue complements this perfectly allowing the colours to lift from the backdrop.

Basically, it’s just beautiful.  All of it.  There aren’t many great Fashion Moments any more outside of The Grand Palais, but the Merchant Archive FW18 presentation, this was one of them.

Pixie

Categories: The Archives, The Fashion Closet

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: The Archives, The Fashion Closet

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: The Fashion Closet

Cassey Gan FW18 at London Fashion Week

As one of Vogue Italia’s “Future generation of talent”, Malaysian born Cassey Gan’s FW18 presentation was hotly anticipated at London Fashion Week.  In fact, her graduate collection was one of just twenty five womenswear collections selected by London College of Fashion for its external press show in 2012 – not bad for someone who began her higher education reading Chemical Engineering.

A shot of the crowd in Freemason's Hall at Holborn for the Cassey Gan FW18 presentation at London Fashion Week

If you read my post on the Kristel Kuslapuu FW18 presentation at Fashion Scout, you’ll know that my top tip is to head in around 15 minutes before close for the best views and angles of the collections, not the case with Cassey Gan.  The interest for Gan’s FW18 collection was peak and even right up to close, the hall was pretty much full.  Gan’s collection is pure, clean and striking.  She plays with dimensions which challenge the perception of each individual garment, whether it’s an offset shoulder, or an asymmetric cut that isn’t quite obvious at first glance, the collection seeks to challenge our self perception.  The presentation itself was a lot easier to navigate than some of the others, despite being static, the models used the stage and raised blocks in the room to ensure that even if you weren’t right up close, you still got a decent view of the garments.  Or at least the top half of them.

When creating her FW18 collection, Gan explored how social media has caused society to create almost fictional versions of ourselves in the pursuit of perfection.  As beauty standards become more pronounced and culturally accepted, the line between fiction and reality becomes blurred and we tend to forget our true selves, constantly self editing until the line between truth and untruth is no longer detectable.

In addition, Gan also considered the works of Maria Svarbova when developing her concise collection – where a seemingly picturesque utopia is juxtaposed by the dullness of Svarbova’s subjects – Gan used the visual aspects of these pictures as a direct reference in her choice of print and textile.  With repetition as the common denominator, ripple patterns cascade the collection in pastel blues with accent hues of tomato red.  Detachable layers held together by gold metal fixtures also give a nod to art deco.

With the macro trend for clashing prints showing no signs of abating, Gan has taken this to the next level by combining multiple prints in one garment.  The collection seems rooted in style over fashion by using classic layering, wearable and interesting accessories and bold primary colours as it’s M.O. and it’s one that will no doubt be plagiarised by high street stores who have a hand in their own print design.  It’s only a matter of time before Zara are passing these striking yet wearable prints off as their own.

Pixie

Categories: The Archives, The Fashion Closet

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

Pixie Tenenbaum Editor's signature with fashion illustration graphic