Archive for February 2011

LONDON–Jonathan Saunders‘ show on Saturday night was probably my first “pinch me, I’m at fashion week” moment of LFW. First of all, the venue: a vacant office floor formed a glass cube above the nighttime city, with giant globe lights warming the echoing space. Despite its size, the place felt intimate thanks to the two rows of benches on each side. We were in the second row, in the same section as Olivia Palermo, Yasmin Le Bon and Marina Diamandis.

And the clothes: the shapes were strict, with midi-length pencil skirts dominating, but the prints made marvels out of these prim building blocks. Abstract, brocade-like bird and floral prints ran across bodices, waists and hemlines, with brighter diamonds set into some bodices defining waistlines and heightening contrasts.

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Trendspotting

Trendspotting: Button Up

Monday, Feb 21, 2011 / 1:16 PM


Buttoning up your shirt all the way to the top isn’t anything new–everything other girl at LFW is doing it. In this circumstance, the runways are imitating the street, from Bora Aksu to Matthew Williamson.

LONDON–Attention, Michelle Obama: next time you care to risk a furor by wearing British fashion, look to Clements Ribeiro. The husband-and-wife design team presented a precisely judged fall collection on Saturday night, full of jeweled twinsets and exquisite original prints.

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LONDON–Mulberry left the enchanted countryside set from the show in place for its after-party at Claridges. Guests Kirsten Dunst and Clemence Poesy sipped organic cider and noshed on mini toad in the hole, while other attendees posed for snaps in Fantastic Mr. Fox animal masks. As for us? All about the dance floor, baby.

Click through for images form the party.

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I’m having a really good time at London Fashion Week. Here’s why:

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Richard Nicoll called out the 1920s and sport as Fall 2011 inspirations, and you could see those references in his silhouettes–dropped waists, baseball jackets, raglans, and drawstrings. But there’s an elegance to Nicoll’s clothes that only fine silk crepes and satins–cut with the utmost rigor–can confer. The high neckline was quite directional–we’re bound to see more dresses and blouses move upward. And the trains–cut at sharp, 90 degree angles–brought a discipline to the style not seen on other runways.

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Fashion Week

Would You Rather…? The Ombré Edition

Monday, Feb 21, 2011 / 6:09 AM

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LONDON–As Ibiza becomes known more and more for 24 hour ecstasy binges and less and less for a beautiful villa owned by Jade Jagger at the end of the island, Matthew Williamson moves further and further away from that dreamy, flowing look–the look that made him king of the boho chic set.

Today’s show, much like last season’s, was an updated idea of boho, with jewel-plated collars and wild fur coats. It was also very, very trendy–pretty much every trend we saw at the New York shows appeared on his catwalk, from red and pink to red and blue to plain ol’ red. There were also massive ombré furs nearly identical to those shown at Prabal gurung, only Prabal’s were pink and red, not olive.

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LONDON–Random notes from Topshop‘s fall show:

An insane crowd of photogs swarmed around Anna Wintour when she arrived in her seat. Alexa Chung, Harley Viera Newton, and Pixie Geldof were an afterthought.

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LONDON–Although there’s Whyred and Filippa K in my wardrobe, no Swedish designer dominates like Jonny Johansson. I own a lot of Acne. Why? Because it fits me well, and I feel good in it.

So I was excited for this morning’s show in Piccadilly. Johansson said in the notes that he was inspired by the women who work in his studio. “These girls make fashion out of nothing,” he said of his team. “My girls are glamourous but not rich–they are cool.”

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LONDON–The Claridges ballroom was filled to the brim this morning with editors taking in Mulberry‘s charming-as-usual Fall 2011 show. We were seated in sections delegated by animal–the owl, the porcupine, the bunny–and kitted out with stickers, a fox mask, and a new Mulberry tote bag. Waiters were passing out mini cakes and purple soda. It was kind of like being at a very fancy film showing.

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LONDON–Where were all these people last season? Ticketholders packed sardine-style into the Issa London show in hopes of catching a glimpse of top client Kate Middleton. The future princess never appeared, but Daniella Issa Helayel capitalized on the royal boost to her brand with a rollicking, “Celebration”-themed show.

Figure-flattering silk jersey dresses are what Issa does best, and there were plenty of those. She showed skater skirts and drapey goddess gowns in Bordeaux, brick red, mortar and cobalt with matching Manolos and felt berets by Stephen Jones. Murmurs ran down the rows as Yasmin le Bon gave a saunter, the swish in her hips showcasing the clothes at their utmost.

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