So in this post, I’m going to round up the best looks and collections from the rest of LFW A/W 14. I know it seems like it was ages ago now but I didn’t want to rush out reviews that were substandard and instead spent a lot of time really looking into the collections and looks and seeing what I really loved. I’ve already blogged about LFW twice – my review of Vivienne Westwood Red Label and my review of Meadham Kirchoff – and those two were my stand out collections but here I have as I stated above rounded up the best of the rest for you all to have a look at. It was a brilliant LFW I think and now I’m excited for A/W 14 fashion already.
Felder Felder
It was a very good collection from Felder Felder with particular highlights being the watercolour style prints on garments, almost holographic multicoloured weaving for fabrics and lots of fabric contrasts from leather teamed with mohair to chiffon, organza and feathers. Colours ranged from softer hues of deep yellows, khaki’s and deep pinks through to black, bright yellow [a la the feathered dress] and a white which looked like it had a slight blue tone to it. My favourite looks were the two above: I mean the coat just look how perfect it is, I have never laid my eyes on a more perfect coat and I doubt I ever will again. I said on Twitter I wanted this and you know what I still do, coat perfection. The skater style dress is just perfect too, I love the colour scheme of red and deep pink and the pattern which I’m not really sure how to describe it [almost like waves] just adds some interest and I really love it.
Holly Fulton
I’m only featuring one look from Holly Fulton which is very different for me but I’m being strict on the ‘what I really loved’ pieces. This dress I absolutely adore, the deep red and black patterned strapless dress with the black lace layered over the top falling down from the neck piece is just wonderful and the little white flowers attached to the lace just makes everything even more special. In terms of the collection as a whole, I didn’t love it [like I usually do] but I didn’t hate it. It was a good collection and well put together and the Art Deco inspired prints onto fabrics and pieces were really wonderful but a lot of it just wasn’t for me. This dress though, I would love one of these.
Pam Hogg
A designer that usually always makes a statement this time made one hell of a statement with her recent collection for LFW. The whole show was a protest really and dedicated to Pussy Riot and the terrible treatment they have faced in their own country. There was placards with slogans on carried by the models and protest songs used as the music the girls walked to and though that took a lot of the focus and media attention, the clothes are what people were there for and they are more than deserving of a mention. Yes, some featured slogans but ultimately this collection was really good. Lace and leather and bomber jackets and tight skirts and fur hats and bright colours featured throughout alongside shiny synthetic fabrics, embellished gold heels and neon lycra a la Winter Olympics athletes. I liked the anarchy driven protest vibes, I’m all for a bit of anarchy and it worked. It’s not fashion a lot of us would wear and as the models stated on their placards the collection is ‘not for sale’ but as a statement it worked brilliantly and at the end of the day isn’t a lot of what fashion is meant to be about is making a statement.
Orla Kiely
Orla Kiely has become a big name in the fashion name over the last few years with her twee, 60’s inspired collections. It’s stuff pretty much every girl likes or wears or would like to wear and I think that has definitely helped in her success. Along with her clearly very good designs and slightly more attainable price points. This collection looked at city girls out and about walking the streets of London to meet friends or to go to work, it may be raining as the presentation suggested but they still look wonderful. All the looks above were my favourites from the collection and are things I would/would like to wear as I like the flattering shapes, the wearable colours and the daisy print dress and cat print dress are just plain beautiful.
John Rocha
For me, John Rocha’s collection was very hit and miss, there was things I loved but a lot of it I wasn’t too keen on personally. I wouldn’t say I hated it as it is well made and well designed but for me I wasn’t really a huge fan. The two looks above though I absolutely love. The black sheer dress that almost reminds of a Victorian wedding dress style is an absolutely beautiful and classic shape that I think any woman could pull off quite easily. The addition of the flowers in dusky pinks, dark reds, bright whites and muted yellows just adds wonderfully feminine edge to it without being overly girly. The black wool layered skirt and oversized jacket co-ords I love, I’m not sure why but I just love the whole style of it. The way the wool is worked together it gives it that air of the iconic Chanel two piece suit. The black is a wearable colour obviously but the brighter white or silver threads running throughout add a bit of sparkle and breaks up the black. The huge layers, masses of fabrics and big, oversized, boxy jacket shouldn’t work I think and it should just look like too much fabric swamping one person but it does work really really well here for me.
Mary Katrantzou
The skill involved in a lot of this collection to me is extraordinary, this post by Susie Bubble will explain the process of the making of the clothes a lot better than I ever could. The different signs, that almost to me looked like patches for a denim jacket, were put together to create a whole outfit in the case above a rather wonderful dress. All put on beautiful sheer fabrics and embroidered with beads and crystals to add a little bit of a 3D dimension to it all. I love the dress and if I could afford to buy it, it is something I would genuinely wear. The silk pyjama style suit is the first of it’s kind that I actually like and would consider wearing. I’m not a fan of silk pyjama suits unless they are actual pyjamas but these I could see being worn on the street and looking very cool while wearing it. The muted colours with a simple pattern and tailored trousers with boxy jacket I think is a winning combination for this style of suit.
Erdem
Baroque patterns cut into velvet and lace creating beauty and adding something a little bit more interesting into some of the more basic shapes that are on offer through some of the collection. The shapes were mainly 60’s in fashion and for that reason they were very flattering and something I think most women could easily pull off whether it’s the fitted dresses or the cloak/coat pictured above that I absolutely adore. There is a mish mash of influences running throughout from the 60’s and the baroque to 18th century French chic patterns and oriental styles on some of the clothes. It’s a collection full of very nice but odd to imagine together things. Another good collection from Erdem for me.
Mixtape Couture 