London Fashion Week has to be my favourite purely because it is in the country I am from and therefore I would say I have a wider knowledge of more of designers whereas during New York Fashion Week I would only know the big names. Not only that but there is simply more coverage of it because even the z-list celebrities will be at some shows and you can be sure that they are going to post every ounce of fashion week that they can on their Instagram. Not that I wouldn't do exactly the same thing if I was lucky enough to attend a show.
Having enjoyed the fashion of NYFW so much this year I felt London had a lot of to live up too and in so many ways it exceeded my expectation. Just over the weekend I had written about 5 shows but it did seem to slow down a bit at the end of the week. However I loved every single show I looked at whereas during NYFW some of the shows didn't massively thrill me but London seems to have been pretty consistent. In comparison I would say I prefer the London styling and the types of clothes; there is a lot more knitwear and it is much more of what you would actually wear in the UK. More generally the clothes seemed more daytime appropriate. I mean as much as I would love to wear a full Tom Ford outfit, it would definitely be too much for your everyday.
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| Picture from Vogue |
Markus Lupfer
Markus Lupfer are a brand who, for me, have grown an identity out of one iconic jumper. They create the iconic jumpers/tops with the sparkly lips on them and I feel like it is something I would wear all the time. Whenever I am in Harvey Nichols I always eye up their jumpers and wish that I could buy one. However I have to say I've never really had a look at their fashion week collection. Markus Lupfer did a showcase rather than a runway but I wanted to talk about it because I think the collection is amazing. If you are looking for full Winter chic, Markus Lupfer is the brand for you.Alongside oversized coats were oversized fur hats and mittens. There is a lot of faux fur in this collection which I love and it is giving me all sorts of ski vibes. These are the sort of clothes you wear when you are in the bar pretending that you are skiing when really you are making the most of the rum and hot chocolate. My favourite pieces of the collection are the two coats. There is a long line faux fur leopard print coat which looks incredibly cosy and the second is a gorgeous almost full length black wool coat with crystal embellishments. The black coat provides a staple look whereas the leopard print is very seasonal due to the print but you could pair it with the most plain outfit and this would give it life.
For when you get fed up of the ski lodge and you are drunk on boozy hot chocolate, Markus Lupfer also provides walking boots so you can take yourself outside for a cool down. I like the Winter outdoors theme and it gives a clear concept, Winter sport chic realness. The Winter chic theme is continued through the use of knitwear which is something you see a lot more of in LFW compared NYFW as they have less of a need for it whereas it is a staple in British fashion. I love that even in this showcase they included one of the iconic jumpers. Typically showcases/runways display seasonal clothes rather than continuous lines but I like the nod to a well known piece.
The colour palette was very neutral - but dark neutrals - with the occasional pop of orange. Florals seem to be a trend for next A/W with them seeming to feature in a lot of NYFW and LFW. However this collection held a lot of skirts, long skirts which sort of go against the idea of Winter chic but they are stunning none the less and they are the one item that I will be taking to my wardrobe. I recently bought a pleated skirt and those feature throughout the Markus Lupter showcase. Loved this collection and I will continue to pine after one of the iconic jumpers.
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| Picture from Vogue |
Alexa Chung
Considering she only debuted her first collection last season, Alexa Chung has certainly grown her collection to seem less kitsch. Alexa has been a frequent feature on front rows so she knows exactly what goes into a show and it has helped her. This is one of the runways that was all over Instagram on the Saturday.
Within all of the looks there is a mix of every fabric going: satin, leather, fur, velvet, denim, corduroy. Anything that has been popular in the past 10 years was featured but that just means there is something for everyone. I have to say I struggle to find a defining style within the clothes other than to simply describe them as Alexa. You can see the styling within her pieces, especially the dresses. I have always seen Alexa's fashion in pictures online and I loved when she did the Future of Fashion series on the British Vogue Youtube, well worth a watch if you haven't seen it. Back to the dresses. All of them have a high neck line, usually with a collar and quite often they are a gorgeous midi length that automatically provides an elegance.
The colour scheme mainly consists of gold, navy, black, emerald green and the only bright colour is a spot of yellow. A lot of the yellow features in a clueless inspired style tartan print which pleased me, especially the oversized coat in this pattern. However the stand out piece for me was a satin leopard print blazer style jacket. I love it paired with the yellow trousers and I just love the structure it gives an outfit with such a fun and whimsical print. For me this sums up the collection: fun but ultimately it means business.
Looking at the shoes, much like Tom Ford, you've got a platform but in this case they are substantial platforms, not quite as delicate. However it is something that has come across from NYFW. My favourite aspect of the beauty was the fact that the queen of makeup herself, Lisa Eldridge, did the makeup. She created a sort of soft smoked out eye look with a peachy tint to the lips - love it.
Within all of the looks there is a mix of every fabric going: satin, leather, fur, velvet, denim, corduroy. Anything that has been popular in the past 10 years was featured but that just means there is something for everyone. I have to say I struggle to find a defining style within the clothes other than to simply describe them as Alexa. You can see the styling within her pieces, especially the dresses. I have always seen Alexa's fashion in pictures online and I loved when she did the Future of Fashion series on the British Vogue Youtube, well worth a watch if you haven't seen it. Back to the dresses. All of them have a high neck line, usually with a collar and quite often they are a gorgeous midi length that automatically provides an elegance.
The colour scheme mainly consists of gold, navy, black, emerald green and the only bright colour is a spot of yellow. A lot of the yellow features in a clueless inspired style tartan print which pleased me, especially the oversized coat in this pattern. However the stand out piece for me was a satin leopard print blazer style jacket. I love it paired with the yellow trousers and I just love the structure it gives an outfit with such a fun and whimsical print. For me this sums up the collection: fun but ultimately it means business.
Looking at the shoes, much like Tom Ford, you've got a platform but in this case they are substantial platforms, not quite as delicate. However it is something that has come across from NYFW. My favourite aspect of the beauty was the fact that the queen of makeup herself, Lisa Eldridge, did the makeup. She created a sort of soft smoked out eye look with a peachy tint to the lips - love it.
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| Picture from Vogue |
Molly Goddard
I first heard of Molly Goddard through Vogue, I read an article about up and coming designers and she was one of them and I was instantly taken in by her designs, even though they were something I would never wear. I can safely say I have never seen anything quite like Molly Goddard designs and there is something so refreshing about that. You see a lot of similarities between a lot of the other shows but this always stands out.
It is the dress designs that I love the most. Rihanna wore a purple Molly Goddard dress when she was initially promoting Fenty Beauty and it looked stunning on her. If I wore one I would look like a cross between a toilet roll holder and a child from the 70s. The shaping of the dresses is so unusual but still flattering. There is a black tulle dress which is my favourite piece of the collection. However the long magenta dress which closed the show is the one that everyone has been raving about and it is typical Molly Goddard. I feel like this is the sort of brand that most people would look at on the runway and question how anyone could like it but there is a unique quality to these dress that gives them their allure.
Not only are the dresses unusual but the Molly Goddard showcases/runways always have something unique and in this case it was a wind machine. The wind gave the dresses movement beyond the slight movement the models get from walking the catwalk. There was a lot of tulle going down that runway and the wind machine brought it to life. The colour scheme was varied with some spring like pastel dresses making their way down the runway. A lot of the more traditional clothes being a bit more reigned in with less colour. Molly Goddard seems to have become a massive brand in her own right but if you haven't heard of her before, her unique designs have quickly made her a fashion favourite so you should definitely check her out.
Not only are the dresses unusual but the Molly Goddard showcases/runways always have something unique and in this case it was a wind machine. The wind gave the dresses movement beyond the slight movement the models get from walking the catwalk. There was a lot of tulle going down that runway and the wind machine brought it to life. The colour scheme was varied with some spring like pastel dresses making their way down the runway. A lot of the more traditional clothes being a bit more reigned in with less colour. Molly Goddard seems to have become a massive brand in her own right but if you haven't heard of her before, her unique designs have quickly made her a fashion favourite so you should definitely check her out.
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| Picture from Vogue |
Victoria Beckham
Sunday only had a handful of shows and the biggest one was definitely Victoria Beckham (with Burberry a close second.) After a hard year in terms of finances, Victoria Beckham once again proved herself on the runway. In December The Guardian reported that the brand was going to announce millions of pounds of losses, not good. (The Guardian) There was no sign of this struggle on Victoria's runway with the Tate Modern being taken over for the runway. This was only her second time at LFW opposed to NYFW but since she has brought the brand back to the UK, I think it has seem some of it's best designs. The brand fits better in UK.
Going into it's 10th year the brand has gone through a lot of changes to become the tailoring powerhouse we saw on the runway this season. The tailoring became the star of last seasons runway and it had definitely been built on for this seasons collection. Everything has quite a masculine shape but is given femininity through the patterns and colours. The clothes aren't conventionally sexy but there is a power to them that gives them that vibe.
There are a couple of knitwear pieces which feature big old turtle necks. After seeing this theme in The Row runway as part of NYFW, clearly the traditional turtle neck is too basic. The patterns mainly stay within check patterns and a chain pattern which features on a lot of the clothes. These patterns are embedded within an autumnal colour range with a burnt red/orange providing the main bit of colour in terms of clothes. The bulk of the colour comes from the shoes.
The shoes are mainly made up of two different types her traditional pumps which she has created in yellow, orange and pink or thigh high sock boots, the leopard print ones being my favourite thing from the whole show. You can't tell they are thigh high in any of the pictures as all of the skirts they have been paired with are longer asymmetric midi length skirts but it was mentioned in an interview. Victoria Beckham has definitely found her defining style and it has inspired me to find more tailoring for my wardrobe. These are the sort of pieces I would love to wear to my fancy job every day, if I had one.
Going into it's 10th year the brand has gone through a lot of changes to become the tailoring powerhouse we saw on the runway this season. The tailoring became the star of last seasons runway and it had definitely been built on for this seasons collection. Everything has quite a masculine shape but is given femininity through the patterns and colours. The clothes aren't conventionally sexy but there is a power to them that gives them that vibe.
There are a couple of knitwear pieces which feature big old turtle necks. After seeing this theme in The Row runway as part of NYFW, clearly the traditional turtle neck is too basic. The patterns mainly stay within check patterns and a chain pattern which features on a lot of the clothes. These patterns are embedded within an autumnal colour range with a burnt red/orange providing the main bit of colour in terms of clothes. The bulk of the colour comes from the shoes.
The shoes are mainly made up of two different types her traditional pumps which she has created in yellow, orange and pink or thigh high sock boots, the leopard print ones being my favourite thing from the whole show. You can't tell they are thigh high in any of the pictures as all of the skirts they have been paired with are longer asymmetric midi length skirts but it was mentioned in an interview. Victoria Beckham has definitely found her defining style and it has inspired me to find more tailoring for my wardrobe. These are the sort of pieces I would love to wear to my fancy job every day, if I had one.
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| Picture from Vogue |
Vivienne Westwood
Much like Philipp Plein during NYFW, you know Vivienne Westwood is going to put on a show during LFW. Typically with a political statement themed throughout her runway as well as an eccentric display of fashion. I have to say it is one of the runways that I struggle to take inspiration from but she deserves her place with the icons of fashion purely because she is so different. I always check out her runway purely to see what she is going to do this time.
The word that sprang to mind when I first sat down to take a look at the Westwood runway was manic. I feel like the show must be what the inside of my brain loos like with all the clashing patterns however all of the clothes had an incredible fit and really, if you look at the outfits and take them apart, there is at least one piece that I would wear from each look.
There is a satin cowl neck dress which is stunning and reminiscent of Miley Cyrus' wedding dress which was Vivienne Westwood. Not only was the dress gorgeous but there was a red check coat which was also stunning. Not only were the clothes unconventional but so were the models. I feel like it shouldn't be unusual to see people who aren't stick thin walking down the runway but it is, so it was great to see something a little bit different.
This was easily the most colourful and playful runway yet but it had several serious politic messages conveyed throughout the show: Brexit, the Me Too movement, rich vs poor divide, the environment, topics which fashion is all too ready to ignore. The thing I will take away from Vivienne Westwood is the feeling of rebellion and also some of that gorgeous check print.
The word that sprang to mind when I first sat down to take a look at the Westwood runway was manic. I feel like the show must be what the inside of my brain loos like with all the clashing patterns however all of the clothes had an incredible fit and really, if you look at the outfits and take them apart, there is at least one piece that I would wear from each look.
There is a satin cowl neck dress which is stunning and reminiscent of Miley Cyrus' wedding dress which was Vivienne Westwood. Not only was the dress gorgeous but there was a red check coat which was also stunning. Not only were the clothes unconventional but so were the models. I feel like it shouldn't be unusual to see people who aren't stick thin walking down the runway but it is, so it was great to see something a little bit different.
This was easily the most colourful and playful runway yet but it had several serious politic messages conveyed throughout the show: Brexit, the Me Too movement, rich vs poor divide, the environment, topics which fashion is all too ready to ignore. The thing I will take away from Vivienne Westwood is the feeling of rebellion and also some of that gorgeous check print.
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| Picture from Vogue |
Burberry
Riccardo Tisci came from Givenchy to Burberry in a move that seemed rather unusual for a brand known for tradition. In his second runway for the brand, he merged the classic elements of Burberry: tailoring, checks and coats with the street wear style that made Givenchy so popular in recent years. I actually watched this runway live on Instagram and I was taken by what seemed to be different segments of the show. It seemed to start with a more youthful street wear style and then slowly made its way to the more traditional designs. In a way it seemed like he was trying to please everyone. As a creative director it must be hard to know what people want to see from the brand before you put it out there.
In the more traditional pieces, the colour palette remains quite neutral with more colour being used in the more contemporary pieces of the collection like the Bomber Jackets and the more tracksuit style bottoms. The majority of the colour was red which means red is definitely here to stay this season after it also provided most of the colour palette for Victoria Beckham as well as Burberry. However, of course, you still have some of the classic check print that Burberry is so famous for. The check pattern wasn't the only iconic piece of Burberry to walk down the runway, they also displayed the classic trench coat which is something most people will lust over for the rest of their life.
There were so many different looks it's hard to summarise this show. My favourite outfit was a slip dress under a large black coat with print boots. I wouldn't wear this sort of thing in my everyday life but I love the sort of effortless look this has. Unfortunately it would definitely look like I had gone out in my jammies. Since the runway happened there has been a bit of controversy in regards to a jumper which had a noose neck, all I'm going to say was that it was a miss judged accessory that was not fully considered before it hit the runway. Moving on, this was the first season that Gigi Hadid walked for Burberry, her presence alone gives an update to the brand as you don't often see the big models walking for Burberry.
I liked the runway but it wasn't my favourite, just because there was so many different looks so it was hard to take it all in. I love that it shows a more adventurous side of the brand alongside tradition and maybe that is what I should be talking away from Burberry, a sense of adventure.
In the more traditional pieces, the colour palette remains quite neutral with more colour being used in the more contemporary pieces of the collection like the Bomber Jackets and the more tracksuit style bottoms. The majority of the colour was red which means red is definitely here to stay this season after it also provided most of the colour palette for Victoria Beckham as well as Burberry. However, of course, you still have some of the classic check print that Burberry is so famous for. The check pattern wasn't the only iconic piece of Burberry to walk down the runway, they also displayed the classic trench coat which is something most people will lust over for the rest of their life.
There were so many different looks it's hard to summarise this show. My favourite outfit was a slip dress under a large black coat with print boots. I wouldn't wear this sort of thing in my everyday life but I love the sort of effortless look this has. Unfortunately it would definitely look like I had gone out in my jammies. Since the runway happened there has been a bit of controversy in regards to a jumper which had a noose neck, all I'm going to say was that it was a miss judged accessory that was not fully considered before it hit the runway. Moving on, this was the first season that Gigi Hadid walked for Burberry, her presence alone gives an update to the brand as you don't often see the big models walking for Burberry.
I liked the runway but it wasn't my favourite, just because there was so many different looks so it was hard to take it all in. I love that it shows a more adventurous side of the brand alongside tradition and maybe that is what I should be talking away from Burberry, a sense of adventure.
A brand that I am going to speak about but I have very little to no knowledge on is JW Anderson. I had heard of it and I have previously liked some of the designs. Of course when I think of JW Anderson I think of the iconic Pierce Bag which I honestly wish I could have bought but I don't have that sort of money lying around. However my lack of knowledge of the brand was quickly remedied by a quick Google search.
As a summary for anyone else who isn't familiar with the brand. JW Anderson started as a menswear brand and in 2010 launched his first womenswear collection. In that same year he received funding from the British Fashion Council who have also helped brands like Sophia Webster with funding. In 2013 LMVH bought a minority stake in the brand and at the same time made Johnathan Anderson the Creative Director for Loewe as well as still working on his own brand. All of this knowledge was gained from the trusty knowledge website, Wikipedia.
Anyway back to the fashion show. JW Anderson felt like it was talked about a lot online and really it was for good reason. They managed to find a good balance between wearable clothes and creating a show. The one thing that I did question in some of the looks was what seemed to be a fancy ass piece of loo roll stuck to the shoes. I can only assume this look was on purpose but I have to say not my favourite part of the show. However everything else was stunning.
When quickly scrolling through the looks I was immediately sold on the silhouette created by the shape of the clothes and also through the use of a rather beautiful chunky belt. A lot of the outfits had a small waist with the clothes flaring out at the bottom and big shoulders which give a hourglass effect but not an extreme hourglass. I loved the belt that they used and I think it should replace the now over worn Gucci belt that everyone has. The belt wasn't the only chunky accessory, with a lot of the outfits, a chunky gold chain necklace had also been added and it featured on some of the bags too. JW Anderson seem to be backing the power of accessories this season. I tweeted about it but the bags were amazing as well, if you are looking for accessory inspo, JW Anderson is your brand!
Back to the clothes they remained relatively low key with the colour selection, there was a lot of neutrals with the occasional addition of a bit of colour to an outfit. The most vibrant outfit was a full magenta dress which was reminiscent of the end dress for Molly Goddard so I'm guessing magenta will be a good colour for A/W19 alongside orange/red. There was a lot of layering and very wearable pieces in the JW Anderson show but with beautiful shaping and some incredible accessories.
I hope this has given you a little bit of an insight into London Fashion Week, there were so many shows I could have spoken about but I have tried to limit it to my favourites of the season. Now we move into Milan Fashion Week which is definitely going to be 10x bigger than LFW and with Fendi showing the last collection created by Karl Lagerfeld it looks set to be something everyone wants to see. With a rather modest NYFW and LFW behind us, we move into the powerhouses of fashion.
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As a summary for anyone else who isn't familiar with the brand. JW Anderson started as a menswear brand and in 2010 launched his first womenswear collection. In that same year he received funding from the British Fashion Council who have also helped brands like Sophia Webster with funding. In 2013 LMVH bought a minority stake in the brand and at the same time made Johnathan Anderson the Creative Director for Loewe as well as still working on his own brand. All of this knowledge was gained from the trusty knowledge website, Wikipedia.
Anyway back to the fashion show. JW Anderson felt like it was talked about a lot online and really it was for good reason. They managed to find a good balance between wearable clothes and creating a show. The one thing that I did question in some of the looks was what seemed to be a fancy ass piece of loo roll stuck to the shoes. I can only assume this look was on purpose but I have to say not my favourite part of the show. However everything else was stunning.
When quickly scrolling through the looks I was immediately sold on the silhouette created by the shape of the clothes and also through the use of a rather beautiful chunky belt. A lot of the outfits had a small waist with the clothes flaring out at the bottom and big shoulders which give a hourglass effect but not an extreme hourglass. I loved the belt that they used and I think it should replace the now over worn Gucci belt that everyone has. The belt wasn't the only chunky accessory, with a lot of the outfits, a chunky gold chain necklace had also been added and it featured on some of the bags too. JW Anderson seem to be backing the power of accessories this season. I tweeted about it but the bags were amazing as well, if you are looking for accessory inspo, JW Anderson is your brand!
Back to the clothes they remained relatively low key with the colour selection, there was a lot of neutrals with the occasional addition of a bit of colour to an outfit. The most vibrant outfit was a full magenta dress which was reminiscent of the end dress for Molly Goddard so I'm guessing magenta will be a good colour for A/W19 alongside orange/red. There was a lot of layering and very wearable pieces in the JW Anderson show but with beautiful shaping and some incredible accessories.
The Takeaway
London Fashion Week seemed to pass by in a flash of colour with designs that are definitely more modern, especially in comparison to what I am seeing from Milan Fashion Week which has only just started as I have written this post. Other than Burberry there is a lot of contemporary designers whereas the next two weeks (Milan and Paris) have more fashion houses. You can definitely tell London takes itself less seriously with Winter chic being a common theme, with that in mind let's look at LFW as a whole.
London Fashion Week is so close to home and it would be the only shows I would even have a tiny chance at seeing in person but in Bristol, it seems very far removed from where I am. One day I would love to go to show but for now I will just have to be content with sitting at home viewing them on Instagram and Vogue.- In terms of colour: a lot of neutrals but look to add a bit of magenta or orange/red to your wardrobe.
- Check remains a staple with tartan showing itself more than once on the runway.
- TAILORING - stunning tailoring which gives structure but with a feminine print
- I need a pair of leopard print boots! Preferably the Victoria Beckham ones but I'm sure you will see a rip off on one of the fast fashion websites in no time
- Killer accessories - JW Anderson has got me looking for a new bag as we speak and gone are the days of the skinny belt. Bold is better!
- I definitely need a new coat. London hasn't been quite as oversized as NYFW but there has definitely been a theme of long line coats this season.
- Markus Lupfer is all about bringing Winter Chic to your everyday mundane walk - why shouldn't you be your best dressed self when walking your dog?
- In terms of beauty - a warm smoky eye is something you should be doing for Winter, go for warm browns instead of bold black
I hope this has given you a little bit of an insight into London Fashion Week, there were so many shows I could have spoken about but I have tried to limit it to my favourites of the season. Now we move into Milan Fashion Week which is definitely going to be 10x bigger than LFW and with Fendi showing the last collection created by Karl Lagerfeld it looks set to be something everyone wants to see. With a rather modest NYFW and LFW behind us, we move into the powerhouses of fashion.
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