The insider's guide to London Fashion Week always deviates from the glamorous, glossy and gilded auras that surround the industry. The months of preparation required for showcasing next season's collections become only relevant when
one realises behind the glitz lies a multi-billion pound industry, employing more than a million people in its chain from design to manufacturing, from retail to public relations, from journalists to shopgirls.
Each year the message that London is the world's hotbed for creativity is duly amplified and media-fied. The BFC ambassadors, from the newly appointed Prime Minister's wife to designers like Anya Hindmarch, keenly trumpet the unique value of British brands and their role in an ever competitive market. The downside, of course, is that for every brand heralded on the catwalk, graced on the pages of Vogue and brought to our attention by the fashion press, a handful of other brands are struggling to survive in a cut-throat industry and don't manage to stay afloat despite the continuous positive reinforcements from the arbiters of taste. At the end of the day, the successful brands that carve out a niche are those that sell, sell, sell. Which duly brings us back to London Fashion Week, where all the new season's collections are introduced, most importantly, to buyers, who we hope will fill their department stores and boutiques next season with ample British designed product.
So what is new for Autumn Winter 2011? To start, the venues are paradoxically grand and imposing. Like Vivienne Westwood showing at the Royal Courts of Justice, Old Billingsgate Market as the new home to Topshop NEWGEN, Somerset House the grand headquarters of the BFC and Hyde Park a glorious location for Burberry. Over 5000 visitors are coming through the doors of what is essentially an invitation-only trade show for the fashion industry. The final day for London Fashion Week is devoted entirely to menswear, which this season has grown to 14 shows and 7 presentations. These range from the Topshop Design show, to E. Taut's modern Savile row luxury. Behind the main womens catwalk presentations are also a plethora of off-schedule happenings, from On/Off to Vauxhall Fashion Scout, to the numerous brands taking up suites in West-end hotels to benefit from the buyers in town, but who prefer to show in private. Many buyers from prestigious boutiques don't like to buy at the exhibition, to avoid being seen by other buyers who may then copy their buy.
As for London Fashion Week, there are 65 catwalk shows, 45 salons and presentations, with the hot tickets being Giles, Christopher Kane and Burberry.
At Giles, Giles Deacon showcased fresco print dresses, peplum waists, cropped corsetry and feather and leather gowns, all with a Victoriana slant. Styled by Love Magazine editor Katie Grand, who is also a notable trend contributor to Deacon (she styles Louis Vuitton and Dolce & Gabanna too, thus knows are thing or two about what's hot." If anything, the show was proof that British fashion is at the forefront of creativity.
The same, unfortunately, can't be said of Burberry this season. Whilst Christopher Bailey pulled out all stops for a spectacular presentation which featured a parade of outerwear, like raglan-sleeved boxy coats in a army of colours, fur-trimmed military shapes and a multitude of new silhouettes, even the snow flurry that bestowed the catwalk wasn't enough to create a big bang. Many insiders felt the brand was more a 'crowd pleaser' than heritage collection we come to love from the Burberry. The Herald Tribune stated aptly: "Burberry has to be careful that its brilliant and forward-looking embrace of the Internet does not leave too much behind — especially that ironic take on tradition, the British countryside and the brand heritage that Mr. Bailey can tweak so well." Draper's was more blunt and called the collection "hit and miss."
Christopher Kane fared better this week. Not only by his show, of which he said he was tired of doing just decorative pieces and opted for a more sterile approach, but also that the house of Versace, for whom he now designs, announced they had taken its licensing back in-house. Sure the coming seasons will see his value grow both with his namesake brand and that of Versace.
Canadian designer Erdem continued his paint-inspired prints for Fall, which backstage looked luxurious and novel, but on the catwalk not quite as impressive with so many cocktail shapes. Mrs Cameron, who was on the front row, noted the uber skinny girls on the catwalk which prompted a cyberspace frenzy on the size zero debate. We wonder why his casting team opted for such skinny girls, in contrast to so many other designers using more acceptable height/weight proportions. Erdem had no comment.
The British Fashin Council this season embraced technology, choosing to bring the catwalk to life for those outside the industry. There are daily video highlights on screens in the underground with highlights from the London Fashion Week twitter feed. An outdoor LED screen on the BFC Catwalk Show Space in the courtyard at Somerset House has been showing daily highlights for those that brave the weather and are fans of live streaming.
Let's not forget the best thing about London Fashion Week, the parties! The style headed to the Mulberry party at Claridges on Sunday, where Bloc Party's Kele Okereke DJed. Also hot on the list was Love Magazine's party for American designer Alexander Wang, which was held at Liberty and Jefferson Hack's 10th anniversary party of Another Magazine at new Soho hotspot The Box, also of American origin.
For all the press, the noise, the tweets, the facebook pages, and the attention bestowed on London Fashion Week, the clothes won't actually hit the stores until September. In the meantime, it will be interesting to see what unfolds on the high street, who's inspiration is fueled by the British catwalks. Interesting too, is to see what happens in Milan and Paris, where so many other Brits are at the helm of their fashion houses.
The insider's guide to London Fashion Week always deviates from the glamorous, glossy and gilded auras that surround the industry. The months of preparation required for showcasing next season's collections become only relevant when
one realises behind the glitz lies a multi-billion pound industry, employing more than a million people in its chain from design to manufacturing, from retail to public relations, from journalists to shopgirls.
Each year the message that London is the world's hotbed for creativity is duly amplified and media-fied. The BFC ambassadors, from the newly appointed Prime Minister's wife to designers like Anya Hindmarch, keenly trumpet the unique value of British brands and their role in an ever competitive market. The downside, of course, is that for every brand heralded on the catwalk, graced on the pages of Vogue and brought to our attention by the fashion press, a handful of other brands are struggling to survive in a cut-throat industry and don't manage to stay afloat despite the continuous positive reinforcements from the arbiters of taste. At the end of the day, the successful brands that carve out a niche are those that sell, sell, sell. Which duly brings us back to London Fashion Week, where all the new season's collections are introduced, most importantly, to buyers, who we hope will fill their department stores and boutiques next season with ample British designed product.
hristopher Kane fared better this week. Not only by his show, of which he said he was tired of doing just decorative pieces and opted for a more sterile approach, but also that the house of Versace, for whom he now designs, announced they had taken its licensing back in-house. Sure the coming seasons will see his value grow both with his namesake brand and that of Versace.