Runway Rundown: Autumn/ Winter 2013

An unexpected feature that was prominent on many runways this February was colour. It seems that this Autumn/ Winter will be brighter than it has been in a long time and who’s complaining? But don’t worry, designers haven’t ditched the typical dark and moody for the later months as black also made a strong statement. To give you a taster of what’s to come, here is a rundown of some of the shows that Frost attended this season.

KTZ

KTZ
With black and white making a strong statement, some of the looks on the KTZ runway looked like something between high school preppy and a character from The Crucible. White collared shirts were worn under black pinafore dresses and some of the models legs were wrapped in skin-tight patent black tights giving the basic look a little edge. The show notes told us that the collection was inspired by witch craft and tarot cards which was made evident by the massive snap-backs with moon sized visors and tarot printed garments. Even though some of the collection was a little wacky, there was something very wearable about all of the pieces which made the show an even bigger success. All in all, a dark palette with a surprising splash of colour in either red or burnt orange.

Jena Theo

Jena.Theo
Held in the small space of the Portico Rooms at Somerset House, the Jena.Theo show was a very intimate showcase of a completely brilliant collection. A surprising feature was the use of colour and print with black only being featured in a couple of the looks. A strong feature throughout the collection were high necks on dresses and kitted jumpers giving a real sixties vibe to some of the looks. Given that the show invitation was emblazoned with an acid spray painted smiley face, it was unsurprising to see the print on some of the dresses and t-shirts. The cerise pink colour of the invitation was also a prominent feature on long sleeved shift dresses and jumpers. With each piece being just as beautiful as the next, this collection is definitely one that would look good in all wardrobes.

Kukhareva

Ekaterina Khukareva
Inspired by retro housewives, Khukareva’s collection for this winter was nothing short of fabulous. The rich textures and decorative patterns were real eye-catchers on the mid-length skirts and cigarette trousers which, to be completely honest, are not given justice in the photographs online. These designs have got to be seen in person to appreciate the deep colours in her signature knit lana wool and viscose. And if the clothes didn’t say enough, the hair definitely did. Pinned up in massive curlers, thanks to the design talents of Lara Jensen, the height and size of the hair worked perfectly with the body con dresses and flowing skirts. This collection was a definite favourite.

Eudon Choi

Eudon Choi
The autumn/ winter Eudon Choi show was a complete spectacle of all things folk. Complete with a Russian string quartet, velvet room dividers and orchids, the Portico Rooms was transformed to play host to his beautifully dressed Babushka doll inspired models. A-line skirts, thick woollen statement coats and bell-bottom trousers came in an array of electric blue, baby pinks, red and black and were paired with head pieces decorated with bright flowers and pom-poms. In terms of beauty, the models were fresh and dewy faced with blushed cheeks and nude lips; a look that paired perfectly with the exaggerated colours and textures of the clothes. The polished and feminine look of the collection was a first for Choi but one that went down very well with the audience.

Yifang Wan

Yifang Wan
Merit Award winner Yifang Wan show cased her collection in the Freemason’s Hall during Fashion Scout’s runway this February to a great reception. The concept of the physical and mental restraints of the human body behind the collection was great to read about in the show notes and one that created the perfect match of garments and accessories. Her choice of metal structured accessories worn as bracelets, belts and even held in the hand or over the shoulder that paid homage to her inspirations of discipline and control were not only striking but completely thought provoking. They stood out against the backdrop of the dark palettes of indigo, black, emerald and dark violet on perfectly structured silhouettes. Thick wool coats worn over dresses and tailored trousers were the perfect minimalistic pieces needed to let such strong influences shine through.

[Images courtesy of Google Images]

London Fashion Week 2011| Bolshie | Esprit | Paul Costello | Leutton Postle

London Fashion Week 2011| Bolshie |Esprit |Paul Costello | Leutton Postle

I love London Fashion Week, so when my postman handed me a parcel which had lots of invites in an Outnet bag I got very excited. I headed to Somerset house wearing black (standard), flats (controversial) and my camera (which breaks!). Here is my run down so far.

Bolshie

 

Rhiannon Jones presents her first LFW show and gets Bolshie. The 19-year-old couldn’t be cooler, her show was on the top floor of a Shoreditch car park.

 

Rhiannon is self-taught and her ‘Romantic Poverty’, show featured brash prints and had MIC Righteous rapping ‘It’s going get Nasty!’. She also had good goody bags, not that journalists care about that type of thing…ahem.

Paul Costello

 

Paul officially opened Fashion Week again this year, his collection was feminine, flirty. Had lots of ruffles, puff sleeves, voluminous dresses and flowing fabrics. Great colours of coral, pink and green. The collection was inspired by the 1962 Hollywood Classic ‘What Ever Happened to Baby Jane’

Leutton Postle

I arrived early to the Freemasons’ Hall (Vauxhall Fashion Scout’s) and was informed that they were running an hour late. However, the show was worth it. The Vauxhall Fashion Scout merit award is an internationally recognised launch pad for the most innovative designers, and Leutton Postle received, and deserved it. They graduated from Central Saint Martins, design duo Sam Leutton and Jenny Postle then showcased their debut collection as part of the VFS merit award. They have a beautiful couture knitwear collection.

The collection is a colourful array of patterns, with patchwork, fringing, mesh skirts, and multicoloured knitwear. Garments hung loosely over shoulders. Very original.

RCA & Esprit

 

I was overjoyed when I got my bright pink Esprit invite, and even more overjoyed when I arrived, it was the best London Fashion event so far this week. I had a spinach and beetroot cocktail (surprisingly nice), a Russian Standard (very strong!), design my own T-shirt and got the designer Kevin Lyons to sign it. The bonus is, Lyon’s likes my T-shirt. I also coloured it in, have a boogie, eat amazing canapés and check out their collection. Everyone is nice and having fun. Tops stars. They are big on wool and their collection is fun, fashionable and original. Frost loves.

 

I also went to the Esthetica Fashion Champagne Brunch, BFC Chairman Harold Tillman CBE and Gregory Barker, Minister of State Department for Energy and Climate Change were there. It was a wonderful event.

Keep coming to Frost for more London Fashion Week news and reviews, and follow us on Twitter at @Frostmag or me at @Balavage