Playing the name game in London is far from easy: So many cool young designers, so many unusual names, and only a week to make sense of them all. It’s largely due to the aversion many Brit design talents have to being crafted into the sort of the fashion celebs we adore stateside. No worries; the clothes spoke volumes for themselves, as London dialed down the quirked, and turned out one of the most sophisticated seasons in recent years. See for yourself!
New show reviews and galleries are in from London! Check out Kinder Aggugini, Daks, and Margaret Howell.
The Kinder Aggugini ticket promised us a “typically eccentric and gothic forest” setting on the top floor of the newly opened ME Hotel. We didn’t see much evidence of set design (bar a few ivy plants) but the show definitely had an interesting theme. Aggugini took inspiration from two young British girls who in the 1980’s forged evidence of fairies in their back garden and gained nationwide fame.
Couldn't make it to London fashion week? NBD. It's already in full swing and we've got you covered so you can watch (most of) it from the comfort of your couch. So what are you waiting for? Grab some ice cream, put on your best pair of Louboutins with your Target pajamas, and open up your lap top to sit front row to take in London's finest on live stream. Bonus point for those who wake up early enough to catch all of them!
New York fashion week is now a fond memory, but our fashion month coverage is still going strong. We saw our first shows in London today! Check out Kinder Aggugini's sweet girls on a sea holiday, Markus Lupfer's icy queens, and Dion Lee's ultra-modern neoprene and leather.
The Clothes: Sweet and girly. Think ginghams, map prints, and Liberty-esque nautical prints all on a peaceful cream background. Pinafores, paper bag w
London fashion week is in full swing and we've got new show reviews posted. Check out Kinder Aggugini's version of Dolly Parton-meets-Jay-Z and get
“Dolly Parton mashed with Jay-Z”, read the show’s notes. Our version reads something like: the O.K. Corral has met its contemporary and much wittier match. Cowboy-on-horse prints, eclectic 10-gallon hats, urbanized Doc Martens and a soundtrack of hip-hop classics including a funky version of "Sweet Home Alabama", all served to drive the point home. The models, fitted with gold tassled, loafer-ized Docs, paraded down the runway in dramatic duster coats accessorized with punchy pink wide-brimmed hats. At one point a rogue photographer over-stepped her bounds and jetted out onto the catwalk, but the scene-stealing cocktail dresses came out at the perfect time, quelling the commotion in the photographer’s pit. The collection was a spunky and playful color blast of deep forest greens, rich cherry reds, bubblegum pinks and amped-up periwinkles anchored with soft grays, earthy sandstone and eggplant purples. But it was Aggugini’s nod to a more romantic side of the good ol’ Wild West days that had everyone smiling. (We're not sure how the models could smile with those gold glitter-crusted lips, though.)
It's hardly news considering the rumors that Giambattista Valli was up next to design a line for Macy's have been circulating for some time, but today brings the official confirmation from the mass retailer that it's actually happening. And sooner than we thought. The collection is set to hit Macy's stores on October 26, WWD is reporting. Valli might not have the name recognition of Karl Lagerfeld, whose collection for Macy's Impulse line goes on sale on August 31, but he appeals to a more discerning in-the-know-type fashionista and gives the retailer some serious fashion cred. According to WWD, the line will be priced between $50 and $150 and is comprised of "cocktail dresses, skirts, blouses, lightweight jackets, edgy pants and graphic T-shirts" all done in the designer's signature bold color and texture combinations and ladylike style. For our part, we're hoping to see something like the look above, left, that Emma Stone recently wore on the red carpet.
"Am I in it?" Kinder Aggugini asks no one in particular as we watch a promotional video for his new Macy's collection. The London-based Aggugini, who has worked for the likes of Vivienne Westwood and Versace, is the first designer to sign up for Impulse, the department store's answer to Target's Go International collections. (Next up is Matthew Williamson, then Karl Lagerfeld.) His appearance in the video is fleeting, but he's there--looking very handsome, wearing a leather jacket. But tonight isn't about Kinder. Well, not really. It's about his clothes, a mix of dresses, rompers, and jackets all priced at around $100. And while his name might not roll off the tips of most American tongues, Macy's shoppers won't be able to deny the strength of this collection. "Here, no one knows what my name is," Kinder told Fashionista. "I thought, 'What if I created a collection that people buy because they like it?' There's no reason other than because they love the garment and they want to buy it." It is sort of a novel idea in an age of super brands and celebrity labels. But while there's no hard evidence--as of yet, at least--that Aggugini will accomplish his goal, we're betting the collection will be a hit. The trompe l'oeil dress and play suit will appease any Chanel-loving girl without making her look like a poser, while the dotty dresses and floral frocks flatter women of different ages and sizes. Kinder Aggugini may not be a marquee name, but he's most definitely a marquee-caliber designer.