Giles AW09
It’s always the hottest ticket of the week and the most packed as any Editor will tell you. This season did not disappoint with over 50 models and a band, numbers would be very tight and challenging to keep within those ever important health and safety guidelines.
Relinquishing my usual Sergeant Major position at the door was hard but necessary as I marshalled Editors and VIP’s to their seats and answered a 100 questions simultaneously. Finally we were good to go and bursting at the seams when we were told Kanye West had arrived, greeted and dually walked down the catwalk to a space in the front row which appeared much smaller than the one I had found seconds before he graciously gave up the space for his girlfriend, not a PR to have an A lister standing I dashed off to find the last chair I saw at the other end of the catwalk, it seems others had that idea too and Kanye ended up with two seats!
Relieved I watched an amazing Giles show that explored his fabulous imagination, strong and sharp with nods to his graduation collection. Extraordinary oversized knitwear and wonderfully wearable strapless dresses teamed with killer Louboutin’s and elegant Stephen Jones hats, lively hand printed dresses and an outstanding ‘egg coat’ were drawn to a final conclusion with a beautiful grey diaphanous ballgown.
Erdem AW09
Erdem staged his AW09 Collection at the Embankment Galleries at Somerset House. There was a jaunty mood in the air, as Ooh La La treated us to some authentic toe tapping French folk music. Models delicately sashayed down the catwalk in expertly embroidered, boldly coloured silk dresses.
The ethereal feel of last season has evolved. The girl who had been so happy running in the meadows in Spring Summer 2009 had now bought a red lipstick and hopped onto the train to the city! The colours were vibrant, cut-out black lace was dramatically applied to red duchesse Taroni satin.
Tiny red, purple and black flowers were embroidered and adorned with Swarovski crystals. Empire lines and puffed out skirts ruled the catwalk with the additional introduction of slim fit print trousers and mismatched print tops. The feeling was Parisian meets Russian doll, a vast departure from previous seasons but equally as breathtaking…
Jaeger London AW09
Jaeger London took to the catwalk for the third time this season and again to great acclaim from UK editors.
A very desirable ticket; the show was watched by a posse of past Jaeger models including Erin O’Connor, Jade Parfitt, Laura Bailey, Jacquetta Wheeler and the super chic Carmen Dell’Orafice as well as aspiring starlets Tamsin Eggerton, Alexa Chung and Nicholas Holt. Leah and Jo wood also made it a family outing to give us a very fabulous front row!
The collection explored Mondraian and Art Deco references with a strong nod to Russia, with its beautiful sheepskin coats and jackets with varying lengths of wool. An amazing Parchment colour coat with black angora stripes really stood out as key piece - or so I was reliably informed by the wonderful Hilary Alexander, Fashion Director of the Daily Telegraph as I fact checked fabrics for her with Design Director Karen Boyd backstage as she had to dash to the next show.
Twenty8Twelve AW09
Savannah and Sienna’s first ever Twenty8Twelve show was London’s hottest ticket of the week. The girls had very strong ideas of what they wanted their first show collection to be about ‘great wearable fashion for the cool London girl’.
Backstage pre-show was a hub of excitement; final steaming and tweaking was taking place whilst the girls enthusiastically showed a few select editors through each look of the collection. Top hair and make-up artists Luke Hersheson and James Kaliardos arrived with their teams and got straight to work on the models, the look: natural and glossy.
As soon as the doors opened, top UK and International editors were swiftly sat and eagerly awaited the show. Front-rowers Alexa Chung, Jade Parfitt, Skins new it girl, Kaya Scodelario sat amongst Sienna and Savannah’s proud family and friends Matthew Williamson, Leigh Lezark.
The lights went down and the models strutted to the sounds of Prince’s ‘When Doves Cry’, Hot Chip, Elastica and Tone Loc: the collection consisted of gorgeous dresses, super tight denim leggings, jewelled waistcoats and Twenty8Twelve’s trademark butter soft leather jackets. The last look was worn by model of the moment Jourdan Dunn; an amazing jade green backless dress glittering with Swarovski crystals.
The girls take a bow to a cheering audience. We’re backstage again, editors, family and friends queue to congratulate the girls, everyone is elated, cracking open the champagne. We all then head off to the after party at Whisky Mist and danced the night away to the Duke Spirit and DJ Hanna Hanra until the early hours of the morning.
Margaret Howell AW09
The Margaret Howell team quickly transformed their Wigmore St boutique into a show space and the loyal fans within the fashion press turned out in their droves for the AW09 show.
The collection was quintessential Margaret Howell with a neutral colour palette and classic stripes which was teamed, for AW09, with a vibrant fuchsia pink and a duffle coat which was instantly coveted by the Modus fashion teams.
Central Saint Martins MA Show Supported by PUMA
It’s a Puma marathon – a show, a press day and a dinner at the Design Museum.
It’s Puma’s third year of support Saint Martins MA course. The fabulous Louise Wilson OBE presiding. This year the project was focused on Ducati with students redesigning iconic leather jackets. Tyson Beckford opened the show. The winner Katie Greenwood received £8000.
Some favourites included: Michael Van De Ham’s mix of fabrics to provide drape and structure. Laura Mackness’s double-knit jersey pieces in bright colours with playful placement printed illustrated patch pockets, guns and hand motifs. Abigail Briggs with her dribble glitter printed dresses that inflated by model power as the girls walked down the runway.
Fashion and Runway Shows
Calvin Klein Collection for women AW09
The tail end of a hurricane did not stop the International fashion pack and New York’s elite coming to view Francisco Costa’s Fall 09 Calvin Klein Collection’s women’s wear show.
Francisco succeeded in wowing his audience once again. (Said audience also consisted of the gorgeous and very glam actresses Eva Mendes and Kate Beckinsale). His vision for this season consisted of sensual yet experimental clothes with a focus on fabrics and texture.
New fabric treatments and techniques created interesting results such as felted wool that resembled lace and velvet became nearly unrecognisable. Accentuated shoulders, asymmetry, close-fitting tailoring and crescent hems dominated. For evening, a sequence of black stretch silk plisse dresses was utterly divine.
Credit crunch. What credit crunch? I wanna get me one of those dresses!
Fashion, New York and Runway Shows
Nanette Lepore AW09
Nanette Lepore toughened up her signature girly style for Fall 09. The line up of girls rocked the runway in sassy leather trousers, chiffon blouses, plaid jackets and silk mini dresses. Flirty gold sequins and pops of coral and purple accented the look.
The UK’s favourite prime-time TV presenter Lorraine Kelly loved her front row seat at her first ever New York show. Lorraine was so taken with the collection she said she couldn’t wait to get shopping!
Fashion, New York and Runway Shows
Calvin Klein Collection for men AW09
Italo Zucchelli was delighted to present Calvin Klein Collection’s Fall 09 menswear show in the brand’s HQ in New York for the first time.
Kanye West, Jared Leto and Chase Crawford were the well received eye candy for us ladies and dare I say it, some gentlemen too… Italo’s collection featured highlights of futuristic fabrics such as heat-bonded foam and moulded nylon.
Stretch wool and liquid twill acted as a base. The mix of tailoring with sportswear was resoundingly American in feel. A strong, tough and confident look that managed to simultaneously push the boundaries whilst maintaining its commerciality.
Fashion, New York and Runway Shows
Lacoste AW09
For this season Christophe Lemaire showed the collection against a James Turrell inspired backdrop.
The army of models strut the catwalk in muted tones of yellow and blue while the light installation behind them moved through a rainbow of light.
Favourite footwear: knee high sock boots.
Fashion, New York and Runway Shows