the lace race- francesca marotta shows us how to do it for aw 12....

It takes a strong woman to name her collection Amore Della mia Vita (Love of my life).. But there is no denying that designer Francesca Marotta will break some hearts with her AW12 collection.

Showing in the grandiose surroundings of the new My Beautiful Fashion venue at Goldsmiths Hall; The gothic architecture and dramatic scenery set the pace for the beautiful, earie, yet wearably romantic pieces that were shown.

The models acted the parts of Sicilian widows, lovers, sisters and mothers as they sashayed in combinations of leather, silk, wool and lace. With thorny hair styling, coupled with commissioned jewellery by Milko Boyarov, the green, blue and red phosphorescent statement pieces stepped up the game and sparked a bit of youthful colour into the predominantly black collection.

Blatantly sexual, the see through lace is bound to be a hit on the red carpet, and I can see Lady Gaga or Jessie J in the finale dress and headpiece. But Francesca has something for the off duty sex siren too, and included chunky knits coupled with trousers, cosy overcoats and several little black dresses. All defining femininity by drawing attention to the waist, wrist or a splash of lace on the leg.

As her last collection was glamorous and ready to wear, this one too contains many commercial pieces, my particular favourites being the trouser suit, lace shirt and big knits. Subtly sexy and no doubt will make the wearer the love of anyone’s life!

By Sara Darling

lfw as seen through the square eyes of the fashion editor...

Perhaps it’s because this is such a special year for the UK, with the Olympics and the Queen’s diamond jubilee, that designers have been touched by our rich history in the AW collections. This is a great time to be in London, and the designers at February’s AW12 fashion week certainly agreed.

Major trend for AW is turning back time to the traditional. Checks, dogstooth and tweed were showcased at several big players, with the heritage brand Burberry and of course, Dame Viv, holding the flag high.

This was also adopted by Corrie Neilson, and KTZ who did a take on the 2012 kilt; Clements Ribeiro and PPQ who also dipped their toe in the plaid water and flashed accessories as opposed to full looks at their shows.

Corrie was my first glimpse of the tartan trend at her packed out show at Somerset House on Friday; She chose to champion her Scottish ancestry by using bold black, white and red tartans coupled with billowing trains, as well as her trademark peplum waists and ladylike necklines. Although it sounds extravagant, it is altogether wearable.

Kokon to Zai was all about the layering; Belts, necklace, berets, legwarmers, clutch bags, earrings and bling… the amount of detailing that went into this show was phenomenal and I loved it! The menswear and womenswear had the usual punky androgynous feeling, with boxy jackets for both boys n girls. Pieces were defined by belts, heavy shoes and the occasional sprinkle of sparkles.

Opening the show with all-plaid black and white looks, the designer layered different sized tartans over one another creating an artistic array of oversized shirts and wide-sleeved, bomber jackets for men, alongside long skirts paired with wrap around blazers cinched at the waist with heavy leather belts for women. It was big checks over little checks over medium checks. Red and yellow also made an appearance, coupled with contrasting linings, and my ultimate favourite was the sophisticated red tartan sequined twin set.

More traditional tartans were spied at Clements Ribeiro and Vivienne Westwood Red Label, who used blue to shake hers up a bit. As one would expect from Ms Westwood, this was far from the norm- big was beautiful!

On the Burberry stage, we were transported back to the country estates, complete with tweed caps and cord in subdued tones- olive, burgundy, plum, mustard and brown. All you need to complete this look is a small pair of Miss Marple reading glasses.
With so much to choose from, it’s almost a shame we have to endure SS…! But I am actually looking forward to the Mulberry and Holly Fulton ice cream tones for spring, so actually the tweed can wait!

By Sara Darling

Vauxhall Fashion Scout. A/W 12. Day 6

Author - Hannah Young
Photography © Asia Werbel 2012

Today is Men’s Day. Oh yes. A day dedicated to the man and his many outfits. Man only gets 1 day outta 6 (a slightly unfair proportion some might say) but by the time you do get to Man day, well, you are kind of crazy hungry for it, waiting for 5 days sharpens the taste buds perfectly! I was also enjoying the fact that here at fashion week we celebrate the Woman as muse; here they are headliners. There are so many forums where this just isn’t the case, take Wimbledon for instance. The competition so often feels as if it as all about the Men’s Final. They ARE the grand slam. With the Olympics round the corner I am already getting tired of the focus put on the men’s 100-meter sprint, as if that race encapsulated all there is about being a sportsperson. Here at LFW woman are everywhere, designing, modeling, styling and viewing.  It is incredibly refreshing. In an attempt to address the balance they gave men’s fashion a day. The last day. I just love that!!

The first show I settle down to is called “Milk-Tray Man”. This day just gets better and better. Milk Tray Man. I can see those toile curtains fluttering, the only sign that the MTM has been and gone (that and a nasty box of chocolates left on the bed which I then get stuck into whilst I yearn for him to return.) I can see the torrid waves thrashing, but MTM is undeterred. He will go to extreme lengths to give me those blasted chocolates. He desperately needs to clear a bit of space in his incredibly slim briefcase, that or he just LOVES me. The end result is chocolate, so I don’t really care about the reasons.  Baartmans and Siegel site MTM as a leading inspiration for their collection his “sartorial style and mystery” giving the collection a playful and slick appeal.  A man in disguise. A man on a mission.  A spy with a soft side. The Spy who loves me (oh I’m getting my references mixed up here but MTM has a lot of the Bond about him) So we get a man ready for action but also dressed to impress. A double-breasted suit with a puffa jacket layered on top. Or a pair of leather gloves paired with a puffa. Traditional British tailoring such a jodhpurs reinvented in easy to wear fabrics such as jersey. Cute woolly hats to keep out the biting cold with a perfectly pressed initialed handkerchief poking out of the breast pocket. Nice touches. Some of my favorite pieces were the silk and cashmere scarves, which accessorized the collection. The patterning was gorgeous, in monochrome colours with a print like atoms or snow falling, they gave the collection something that the MTM lacked.. A touch of the metro sexual man.  He was too busy readjusting his goggles in his latex gloves to give a silk scarf a try. He looks even better now, with one!

Next up was “The ones to watch men” a collection of the hottest new talent on the fashion scene. This is what that Vauxhall Fashion Scout do so well; spotting and promoting emerging talents.  Their tag line is “the Home of new Talent” and they have certainly earned that title. Tobefrank of England kicks us off with a gorgeously theatrical take on men’s fashion. A man in an Elizabethan-esque jacket rocks on to the stage, he holds a bunch of red roses in his left hand. I think Mercutio just swaggered into my world, A Mercutio in DM’s and startling tattoos. I notice that a lot of the models chosen for this collection share a taste for the inky art. One has a tat that grips his throat then slides down his esophagus like the advert for benylin, but a sexy San Fran version. Is that possible? Military styled shirts, utilitarian and plain, tailcoats and braces, a wax jacket. The detailing in this collection was superb. My favorite one?  Putting two pairs of collar on one shirt. Magic. One was red the other blue. AND WHY NOT??? Somehow it just worked. The trousers all had a cute turn-up, some of them finished with a flash of red. The braces all had a fabric tab to clip onto. Another tiny touch but I noticed it and enjoyed it. Sometimes it’s all in the details.

Julian Zigeni wants to take us “to Infinity and beyond” in a expedition worthy of Scott and his crew. Backpacks are integrated into the fabric of the garment, to keep us as streamlined as possible. (Although heaven knows how you would get anything out of the backpack without either undressing or having a very helpful friend standing behind you) The materials used are weather and waterproof. Cajoles are plonked on heads; the look we used to rock in the playground. Bags are accessorised with beading placed in sweet patterns, as if they were drawn on by a lovesick teenager. Yes there is something of the school kid about this whole collection. A schoolboy’s fantasy of adventure and the great outdoors.

BodyBound brought glamour back to the catwalk in a massive gold shower. The first piece is a huge gold jacket worn with an over sized gold visor. Then the collection takes a more delicate shift and gold is woven on tops and garters with a stunning criss cross beaded design. I had never thought that tweed and gold beading would look so good together. Kim Choong-Wilkins doesn’t just make it look good he makes it sexy and oh so easy.

Joseph Turvey is the last of the “ones to watch” and has a coquettish delight in surprising us. His first piece is a shocking pink see-through Mac with a lace and frill inset at the back. He takes the socks and sandals look and really runs with it. Matching the colour of the socks EXACTLY to the sandals.  If Jesus walked in to LFW Vauxhall building he’d be straight on to this look.  Well it is kind of a miracle to rework the socks and sandals combo. Joseph Turvey uses digital technology to pattern and colour his fabrics so everything has the sheen of something beyond the ordinary. It feels hyper real and very hot in here suddenly. It must be the suit made entirely of tiny cut out flowers or the purple hologram material on the underside of the peaked cap. Or the yellow gingham shirt making me think of Dorothy in the wizard of Oz making her way down that hot dusty road. Girl by Beyonce plays us out. Here I am watching boys to Girls. An irony not lost on me. LFW it’s been an absolute delight. Thank you!

London Fashion Week day 3 A/W 2012

Author - Hannah Young

Photography © Asia Werbel 2012

Today I wanted to spend looking a Street Fashion. Looking at how and if what I am seeing on the catwalk filters out to the High street. So I head to the TOPSHOP venue in Billingsgate to hang out and people watch. One of my very favorite pastimes. Along with having a nice cup of tea. Tea and people watching go very well together I find. So sipping a bit of the good stuff I look around and start to wonder about how our consciousness is affected by these fashion houses. They seem so very elitist once you are on the outside looking in. In fact if you don’t have a pass and an invitation with a certain number of stamps on it (your guess is as good as mine?) you can’t get in to these events for love or money. I had my fair share of this at the end of the day when I couldn’t get in to Pam Hoggs’s collection and waited at the back door like a Victorian orphan at the window of a posh person’s house.  Ok slightly dramatic but the image speaks of being on the outside looking in.  So. The first thing that strikes me is just how nice it is to be outside. The sun is shining, we are by the river and the view is wonderful. I love this city. Someone once asked me which way I look when I walk over Waterloo Bridge. I tend to look to the East, to the Gherkin and Canary Wharf, instead of to the west with the Houses of Parliament, and apparently I passed the “being a proper Londoner” test. I was very pleased. If he had given me a certificate I would have put it on the wall.  I’m looking at the river and watching the people passing and I notice my first pair of Dr Martens of the day. Black patent. 8 eyelets. Classic. Lovely. Like seeing a familiar friend. Then I notice more and more of them. In pony skin. In pink. As a shoe. In white patent. Dr Martens are having a come back. The word is on the street. Ok, they never really went away but they haven’t been so prevalent at the heart of the fashion world for a long time. This always bemused me. We’ve had to live through the grim age of the Crocs before we remembered what we have always known …That Dr Martens are the BEST practical-slash-fashionable shoe you can EVER buy. An investment. Part of our cultural heritage. Truly something that never dates.

I notice a group of students sitting on a wall. One of them is wearing DM’s. Sofia Liam and Danny are fashion students from Middlesex and utterly charming. Danny is the one with the DM’s (of the black leather simple shoe variety). He tells me that his father was a Punk rocker, so was his Brother but in a futile rebellious way Danny had waited until just 4 months ago before he got his first pair of DM’s! Now he can’t imagine being without them. He explains how getting a pair of DM’s is like a rites of passage and I understand what he means. It’s like your first kiss or your first drag on a cigarette or your first bra. Seminal moments. Oh I am feeling so very British, and so very much a Londoner, and this is what fashion can do for us. When a Brand really works it makes us feel comfortable, at home, familiar. If that Brand were a person we would really like that person. Dr Martens would be a gorgeous friend from University, from the old days, with whom who you could talk rubbish and art and everything in between over a pint. He would be called Martin of course. 

TOPSHOP is another Brand that has the same familiar feeling. If TOPSHOP were a person I think it would be a woman called Bobby who is bright, vivacious and eats exactly what she wants and never worries about stupid things like putting on weight or paying off her student loan. She lives in the moment. She can keep secrets too.  Walking into the TOPSHOP space is brilliant. It is white and bright, open and airy and friendly. Accessible. There is amazing food and champagne and apple juice (Bobby knows how to look after her friends) this is a place where fashion doesn’t feel elitist. You can see that ethos everywhere you look. There is no “front row” as the catwalk loops back on it’s self so the seating is arranged with multiple front rows. The staff are friendly. Harriet who is working on the T-shirt collection spends time talking me through the collection. To mark 10 years since TOPSHOP launched NEWGEN in which they collaborate with young designers, they have launched a range of T-shirts designed by some of their star players. Holly Fulton’s geometric tower block (which I so lusted over when TOPSHOP launched her jersey dresses) Erdem’s prettiest Delft China print with a peter pan collar, Jonathan Saunder’s Graphic print on black.  They all look familiar. TOPSHOP have raised our awareness of burgeoning young talent from our streets and fed it straight back to us. Now that is a cause for celebration! I grab another glass of the bubbly stuff and consider buying a pretty Mary Katrantzou T; it would look fabulous with my black skinnies. The cost? £30. £7 of which goes direct to CENTREPOINT, a charity supporting young homeless people. TOPSHOP has got it right on some many levels. It is truly a fashion house that looks outwards, that realises it has a social responsibility, in fact any art form does. It also realises that what they are promoting should fit our needs, our budgets, and should be made from our talents and tastes.

I seat myself there for Louise Gray’s collection. Inspired. They are playing early Madonna. Even better. The collection is put together brilliantly. The styling is amazing. The girls come out with crazy headdresses, like rays of sunshine or shocking vertical plumes. The make-up is fierce. The boots are fiercer. Made of patent leather or latex with killer heels. The clash of pattern on pattern, silk on top of wool, t-shirts on top of bras is intoxicating. My favorite outfit was a 70’s designed blouse underneath a nude coloured semi-transparent jumpsuit (rather like a clown’s romper suit) covered in beading. Accessorized with a red clutch bag. I am not sure why I liked it so much. It was just wild and looked like so much fun to wear.

I left the space feeling really happy and giggly. My eyes trained on the glorious mix of pattern and texture and colour amongst the people on the street. I notice tweed and appliquéd jumpers, sludgy autumnal colours, then a shock of pink hair and a slash of red lips. A woman dressed entirely in black apart from her white peter pan colour and red necktie and lipstick. Amazing knitwear. Mostly second hand.  My friend Nat is wearing skirt from TOPSHOP’s Unique collection made of parachute silk which blows up every time a gust of wind picks up and underneath a pair of wooly shorts to save the embarrassment. She has had the shorts for years she says. Everyone should own a pair because they are SO useful. I feel certain my wardrobe needs a pair now. A young man who looks like a 6ft tall milky bar kid is head to toe in electric blue, finished off with a pair of cream brogues. Every now and again I see a touch of the spring appearing. A lime green sweater, a yellow rimmed pair of glasses. Spring time. New Beginnings.  I feel an overwhelming happiness to be part of this colourful world and happy to take a fresh look and what is all around me. Thank you day 3. 

Maria Grachvogel A/W 2012

Maria Grachvogel is the champion when it comes to creating billowing, floor sweeping dresses that are eye catching and unique. With Maria's new A/W 2012 collection, her signature style is in every piece but some of the collection had that a little 'extra'. With Tweed flippy skirts, oversized coats and cut-out detailing, Maria's new take on the new season really has improved(not that she need it) her overall collection by adding in some more commercial aspects yet still giving them an exclusive feel. I especially loved the Tweed coat which nearly had a 'mannish' style to it which, as you may know, Maria normally doesn't do.
But you know what? I like it.

By Lois Waller
Images Lois Waller

Felder Felder A/W 2012

Flappy, printy passion was strutting down Felder Felder's Catwalk for A/W 2012. With an essence of fun and fancy free, the models looked relaxed with a LA edge as they donned their flippy metallics and metal stacked shoes. Among the key pieces, were the designers long beaded tassel's, transforming the 1920's from our current season into the next. As well as bright and lush prints, the Felder Sisters, embraced the feminine look and made something that girls will want to wear as well as lust over.
One of the best shows of LFW so far.

By Lois Waller
Images Lois Waller

Clements Ribeiro A/W 2012

Clements Ribeiro seem to be very clever when it comes to inserting their signature look into a new collection for a new season. With prints and blocked colours as the label's main chemicals in their Fashion romance, the brand this season have of course, used the same mold but changed it to fit with our current climate.
With a few key prints, that are slightly antiquey and Gypsy, a 1950's style has also been incorporated with tall gloves and waisted belts. As there is a big use of leather, a Dominatrix look also features, showing that this new season is a very POWERFUL and FEMININE one. With Knee length skirts, slim knitwear and Cardigans, a smart more sophicated style has been achieved yet there is still a hint of playfulness and among the Lady Chic-ers.

By Lois Waller
Images Lois Waller

Fam Irvoll A/W 2012

 It was fun and laughter for all at Fam Irvoll's show for A/W 2012. With Sweetie pastels, dip-dyed tips and Children(?), this collection was definitely full of surprises and really had a sense of enjoyment that many designers at LFW lack. With a core print of cartoon Monsters, the collection consisted of Bomber Jackets, dresses(with reoccurring dip-dye) Monster rucksacks and even Underground shoes with the same child like print but for us older kids to enjoy.
If you are one of those Fashionista's that loves to embody the power of fun and playful fashion, this collection is totally for you.
Just make sure your Kid Sister don't steal it from you.

By Lois Waller
Photos Lois Waller