People Behind the Scenes at LFW # 1 - Nina Ferguson
After featuring Charlotte Clark last season – I felt it only fair to give some limelight on my fashion week blog to Nina, Charlotte’s business partner and sister-in-law. We have worked with Nina on a number of projects and events in London and Paris – always the professional and fantastic to work with.
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.
Sinha-Stanic AW09
Fiona and Sacha decided on a more low key presentation this season to a small more focused audience. Showing in a raw gallery space in the Brunswick centre, Modus were on hand to distinguish between the Saturday shoppers and fashion folk.
The show was a perfect example of what they do best – a tight collection of 19 draped dresses and one pantsuit.
PUMA Central Saint Martins Dinner at the Design Museum
With Louise Wilson and Hussein Chalayan doing the inviting you know that dinner is going to be interesting. Held at the Design Museum – the location for the current exhibition of some of Hussein’s work over the last 15 years, 100 people were treated to an evening of Ducati Motorbikes customized by St Martins MA students; a close up view of the Puma Bursary winners from yesterdays catwalk and a delicious meal from Urban Caprice.
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
London Fashion Week AW08
Back in London after a week in New York. The mood in London is so positive compared to the doom and gloom in NYC. New Yorker’s seem to be looking for their MOJO, lack of financial stability seems to have really knocked them.
London Fashion Week however seems undeterred. Perhaps because London fashion is used to having no money there is this feeling of ‘let’s have a party’. Designers are finding more interesting ways to show their collections or downsizing the scale of the presentations.
So here goes six shows, a dinner, a presentation, two after parties…
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
Things Fashion Folk are talking about on the front row # 5 - BARBIE at 50
She’s been through a lot of outfits, accessories, homes, vehicles and pets but still the ultimate fashion heroine.
Barbie celebrated her 50th birthday during New York Fashion week with her own runway show – how else?!
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