As Fashion Week draws to a close, the big guns come out in Paris, but have they been worth the wait?

Starting with Chanel (my favourite), which is more or less always a highlight and not just because of the clothes, which this time, incidentally, were incredibly safe and incredibly beautiful. I don’t mean that first part as an insult, safe doesn’t mean boring, just that tweed is one of the label’s signatures and Karl Lagerfeld ran riot with it. The traditional dogs-tooth suit was given an update with oversized blazers, cropped jackets and slouchy pants that hinted at the post-apocalyptic, what with their weather-beaten treatment and tough black boots as accessories. But I digress, because one of the main reasons that Chanel is always a treat is that Mr Lagerfeld really knows how to push the boat out when it comes to a show (last year’s glacier flown in from Sweden springs to mind), and this collection was presented in a custom-made dingy forest, complete with scorched, still-burning earth and soundtracked, fittingly, by The Cure’s A Forest. You really can’t go wrong with a Cure song. And afterwards the designer was heard saying ominously ‘The world is a dark place.’ Oh Karl. I love you.


The catwalk at Chanel


The house of Alexander McQueen was all over the British press this weekend, with various publications wetting themselves over the persistent rumour that head designer Sarah Burton is ‘the chosen one’, ie, the person selected to design Kate Middleton’s wedding dress. If it’s true then snaps to Middleton, because it would appear that Burton is more than up to the job. Spookily, this collection did begin with a white dress. White and ethereal and other-worldly, McQueen’s successor is proving to be the queen of angelic attire, expertly juxtaposing cold, modern zip details, with soft, fluffy marabou feathers as if they were made for each other, like it was the most natural thing in the world.  And a little later on in the show she succeeded in making what could easily be mistaken for S&M wear into classy corsetry. Now that is talent.


The catwalk at Alexander McQueen


Stefano Pilati’s position at the head of Yves Saint Laurent has been the subject of many whispers lately, namely that it’s in jeopardy. But if I were him I wouldn’t worry, this collection appears to have been extremely well-received. And he did beautifully encapsulate many of Saint Laurent’s favourite influences and styles, the Prince of Wales checks distilled into neat long blazers and skirt suits, the glossy voluminous satin of the Seventies, the trapeze line he perfected at Dior, even the white Le Smoking. So naturally it all looked great. And whilst there was enough of Pilati’s own stamp on it to prevent it from being a simple trip down memory lane, I can’t help but wonder if this is what the designer would do given total free reign of his imagination. There is just an element of restraint to his YSL designs that I’d be curious to see ripped away...


The catwalk at Yves Saint Laurent


Speaking of Le Smoking, that’s exactly what Kate Moss was doing on the Louis Vuitton catwalk. No, not sporting a tuxedo, but having a fag. Is that even legal? No matter, probably works better if it isn’t, since Marc Jacobs’ latest collection for the fashion juggernaught was nothing if not provocative. Evidence? See-through flasher macs, rubber dominatrix boots, and skirts with transparent panels that exposed the models’ knickers. Gorgeous yes, but also terrifying. This is a Winter collection, and that season is supposed to feature less visits to the gym. Bum flashing requires lots of work. Back to the erotica flavour, several outfits had a look of the French Maid uniform to them, in that sexed-up Rocky Horror way. And they may have featured breast-exposing sheer fabrics and PVC corset belts but it’s amazing how non-trashy something can be if you stick a Peter Pan collar on it.


The catwalk at Louis Vuitton

Category : Fashion Week-Round up

So Phoebe Philo is a fashion genius. We all knew that, the press know it, her peers know it, pretty much everyone who has ever glanced at one of her collections for Celine knows it. So obviously Philo herself knows it, but of course she’s always been far too refined and classy to remark on her own copious talent. But surely now, with this A/W 11 collection she’s just showing off. I can’t think of any other reason she would take something as naff and dated as a polo-neck and put it at the core of her collection, other than to prove to us all she’s so good she can make anything stylish.
And of course hers are, the neat cream versions that form the basis of the new Celine uniform are effortlessly elegant, smart and totally covetable. No mean feat for something usually only seen on Starsky and Hutch reruns and librarians (not the sexy ones). Get on the bandwagon before everyone else does.


The catwalk at Celine


Givenchy’s Ricardo Tisci is the favourite to replace Galliano at Dior, and whilst it makes sense in that they’re both in the same LVMH stable, artistically I think it’s a strange choice. Dior has always been a classic couture dynasty, the go-to label for chic French mademoiselles, and Tisci, well he’s a goth.
A high-fashion, amazing goth whose creations are striking and intelligent, yes, and it’s also true that Dior are said to be aiming for a younger, fresher direction with the new appointment but still, Tisci’s spiky silhouettes and red and black heavy palettes would be an awfully big leap for a house still best known for creating the ‘New Look’. Anyway, this latest  Givenchy collection of his didn’t do anything to dispel this theory but it was very beautiful. My favourite was the black leather varsity jacket, that Edward Scissorhands-goes-jock look has to be a winner.


The catwalk at Givenchy


Stella McCartney always ends up being one of my favourite shows, every seasons, even though I never anticipate it in the same giddy way I do, say, Chanel. But maybe that’s because the appeal of her designs likes in their subtle, wearable qualities. They’re just always really beautiful, expensive looking clothes that make women look nice. No bells and whistles, just pieces that you could feasibly work into your wardrobe. This season she opted for clean lines and neutral colours again, with very few details, rich, creamy white coats that needed no adornments, and sporty gold dresses with a matte lustre that made them chic rather than flashy. Didn’t care for the crazy print dresses though. They looked a bit manic. It had to be said.


The catwalk at Stella McCartney

The Dior show has had the lion’s share of the press this week, and of course for all the wrong reasons. And since one of the country’s oldest and most prestigious fashion houses has, quite rightly, dropped Galliano like a hot potato, the question of everybody’s lips was who, if anyone, would take the bow at the show. And the answer, it turned out, was everyone. Sort of.  In an inspired PR move, at the end of the show a good handful of white-coat clad seamstress’ and technicians filed out onto the stage, reminding everyone that Dior is about a lot more than one single person.
And it may have been a swan song, but there was certainly nothing limp or melancholic about the collection, which was striking, theatrical and fierce. All mis-matched and eclectic, with outfits that looked like the serendipitous results of a blind-folded raid on a costume cupboard, the fabrics were so sumptuous and the capes and feathered skirts so beautifully crafted, it all came together quite beautifully. Not that it matters, the collection is doomed anyway, each piece totally tainted by the ugliness that preceded its debut.


The catwalk at Dior

Category : Fashion Week-Round up

DAY 1

Yes, it’s been massively over-shadowed by the whole Galliano affair, but there were plenty beautiful collections in Paris that proved fashion isn’t always an ugly business...
So Ann Demeulemeester more or less confirmed she is obsessed by feathers. And this is not some Black Swan hangover, the Belgian has long been enthusiastically featuring plumage in her collections. Backstage she even sported silver jewellery that she’d cast from bird feet she found in her back yard. You can hardly blame her for having a bit of a feather fetish though, they do really compliment the moody, poetic aesthetic of her pieces, with the dark colours adding a touch of gothic elegance.


The catwalk at Ann Demeulmeester

Flower prints at Balenciaga. Now that’s not something you see every day. Even in the house’s earliest days in Spain with founder Cristobál Balenciaga it was all clean lines and subtle colours. And Nicolas Ghesquiere’s modern incarnation, with all its bright colours, directional cuts and off-centre prints are usually far too futuristic to acquire something so traditional. Of course, these weren’t chintzy Laura Ashley florals, more exotic tropical arrangements teamed with slick black leather and geometric shapes, so the label’s hard-core fans can sleep easy tonight.


The catwalk at Balenciaga

The big news with Balmain is that Christophe Decarnin was a no-show. The designer is currently on bed-rest for an unconfirmed illness, but his presence was all over the catwalk, taking his signature sharp-shouldered, body-hugging silhouettes and gave them a glam-rock , Seventies tinged make-over. Decarnin appears to have developed a style crush on David Bowie’s Ziggy Stardust, so enthusiastic was the use of spangles, sequins and shimmer. I must admit I’m not entirely sold on the white go-go boots that accompanied several of the outfits, but the genie-esque jumpsuits are headed straight to the top of my wish list.


The catwalk at Balmain

Actually David Bowie seems to be a reoccurring theme in Paris, yesterday’s Dries Van Noten show seemed to also flaunt an appreciation for the eccentric musical genius, sound-tracked as it was by his hit ‘Heroes’, which by the way sounds a lot better remixed by 2 Many DJs than it ever did being murdered by the cast of X Factor. Visually, Bowie’s influence was a little less obvious, since Van Noten had mashed it up with inspiration from the famous Ballet Russes. Still, it was all very pleasant, the sort of intelligent, tasteful pieces we’ve come to expect from the Belgian, lots of monochrome, with splashes of intricate prints and the occasional well-placed, gleaming fur collar. And the coats were to die for, all of a sudden the Siberian Winters we’ve been enduring don’t seem so bad...


The catwalk at Dries Van Noten

Category : Fashion Week-Round up

Milan isn’t usually renowned for its quirkiness (the Italians being rather more fans of glamour than kitsch), which is exactly why this has turned out to be the most surprising fashion week so far, with some of the biggest and most traditional houses turning up the eclectic factor. A risky move perhaps, but for the most part, we liked it!

Maybe the biggest shock came from Dolce and Gabbana. You know..the sartorial kings of all that is sexy and sensual.  You know, that Dolce and Gabbana, purveyors of underwear as outerwear...masters of lace...never met a corset they didn’t like?

Well it was double take central when they send out a collection of tailored suits, and by suits we don’t mean the slinky numbers of last season, but proper androgynous silhouettes with little-boy cropped trousers and Doherty-esque pork pie hats, crispy white shirts that covered everything up and smart black braces. All very tasteful, and no one could argue they weren’t cool, but I have to admit...I miss the curve-embracing dresses.
The usually flirty and playful Moschino took a similar stance, the label that mastered the frilly skirt went for a masculine military theme, with bright pops of colour on silky cummerbunds being the only frivolous addition to sober looking jackets and trousers with buttoned up blouses.


The catwalk at Dolce and Gabbana and the catwalk at Moschino

Modern life can be tiring, I get that. But is it really a credible excuse for turning nightwear as daywear a genuine trend? And I don’t mean slinky chemises, we’re talking seriously sumptuous looking pastel plaid dressing gowns masquerading as coats on the Missoni catwalk, with what looked suspiciously like elegant, embroidered pyjamas underneath. And moments after witnessing this I noticed a friend’s Facebook update questioning why certain trendy young things in London’s East End had now began venturing out in their daily lives clad in their pyjamas. Coincidence...or is this genuinely going to be a fashion  ‘thing’?


The catwalk at Missoni

When it comes to Fashion Week, much of the talk is dedicated not to the collections, but who turned up to spectate from the front row. Well, yesterday Giorgio Armani blew everyone else out of the water. Forget Hollywood starlets, IT girls and singers of the moment, his guest of honour was the living legend that is Tina Turner. Sadly she wasn’t  sporting a tin-foil look dress or her signature mullet, and instead looked beautiful in red lipstick and a black suit. The collection itself wasn’t exactly the sort of thing you could imagine the Nutbush City Limits singer to include in her wardrobe, the colours were soft and neutral, the shapes elegant and demure, but there were a few outfits you could imagine her rocking. For instance a chocolate coloured slither of satin topped with richly-hued feathers, the lady may be in her Sixties but she still oozes sex appeal.


Tina Turner at the Armani show, and a look from the catwalk

And finally, this hat by Moschino. Yes, it’s a stuffed chicken. If this is Milan, god knows what all those Belgians in Paris are going to come up with...



The catwalk at Moschino

Category : Fashion Week-Round up

DAY 1

New York had the glamour factor and London had the banging parties, but Milan fashion week is proving to be something of an education.
And the first piece of homework for journalists when we get back home is to look up Yves Saint Laurent’s famous collection from 1965, since its centrepiece, the Mondrian dress, seems to be a massive influence for Miuccia Prada. When one dress with wide black checks and splashes of primary colour went down the catwalk you could almost see a hundred journalists furiously scribbling down ‘cubism’ and ‘modernism’ and ‘YSL’ in perfect unison. Familiarise yourself with this classic picture people, I’ve a feeling it’s going to be everywhere!


YSL's original 1965 'Mondrian' dress and the Prada catwalk for A/W 11


Next on the agenda is manners and decorum. It seems the Karl Lagerfeld is suggesting we all start wearing bibs (surely as an industry veteran he’d notice that barely anything gets eaten at fashion week?). Naturally, this being Fendi and fashion being fashion these bibs were made of fur. Obviously that’s going to make eating a bit messy but since fur was absolutely everywhere on the catwalks and shows no sign of going away as a dominant trend you might as well attach it to everything humanly possible...



A fur bib on the Fendi catwalk

Still, fur is going to get a serious run for its money from snakeskin in Autumn/Winter 11, and judging by the confused look on a lot of faces as the likes of Gucci and Prada (we’re very surprised at the usually so restrained Miuccia) sent skirts and jackets entirely composed of loud, glossy snake prints down the runway, no one is quite sure what to make of it. Prada gave a stab at making it wearable with neutral socks and a quirky blouse that rendered the look kooky rather than tacky, but how to pull off a skin-tight turquoise snakeskin pencil skirt without the aid of Gucci’s glossy stylings is anyone’s guess. Definitely the trickiest trend we’re going to face next season...


Snakeskin at Gucci (left) and Prada (right)

And finally, D&G might not have provided much on the education front, but they certainly had us using our brains, mainly to try and decode what on earth was written all over all their brightly coloured tights and tube dresses. The vibrant yellows and oranges made a welcome change from the usual moody Winter palettes but I found my attention firmly on the mixed up letters strung out across the pieces. Do they mean anything? And if so, how are we going to find out how to break the code? And how long will it take before we give up trying and just accept that they’re just very pretty dresses?!


Mind-bending words at D&G

Category : Fashion Week-Round up

DAY 3

On day 3 I started with Jasper Conran at the BFC show space. Sixties dresses, mid-heels and bouncy hair were all in order to complete the swinging look that Conran was going for. It made Betty Catroux come to mind and made me want to read The Beautiful Fall again…


The catwalk at Jasper Conran


I had to go and see Charlie le Mindu’s much anticipated show at the On/Off venue in Covent Garden. The show opened with a naked model once again, this time covered in ‘blood’ and sporting a huge headpiece, which read ‘violence’. That definitely set the tone for his X-rated, war-time Berlin inspired collection, with Victorian lace and some signature human hair thrown into the mix. Le Mindu took his bow sporting a butcher’s apron and bloody hands. The pigs (or were they horses??) getting slaughtered on the soundtrack probably scarred me for life but his collection was strong and disturbingly enjoyable. It’s like watching a horror movie; you want to be scared, you expect to be scared and you enjoy being scared. The only thing missing was the popcorn.


The Charlie le Mindu catwalk and the designer comes out to greet his audience


I headed back to Somerset House to have a look at the collections on offer and fell in love with Camilla Skovgaard’s collection, especially the shearling buckled sandals. Her infamous rubber soles makes them a real treat for the feet and quite mandatory during the fashion weeks.


Camilla Skovgaard's A/W 11 collection

Had lots of fun at the Matthew Williamson party at Sketch. The champagne was flowing, the great tunes were spinning, the time was obviously flying and next thing I know its 2am. I realize that the wake-up call for the 9am show next day won’t be too much fun so I jump in cab.


DAY 4


The catwalk at David Koma

And I was right… Day 4 of LFW is hitting me hard with a hangover worse than Charlie’s slaughtered pigs! As I rush to the Peter Pilotto (It’s bad enough that they start shows at 9am but being the first one it always start on time!), I’m praying than there will be coffee left. It’s held at the Old Billingsgate, the official Topshop venue which, depending on the time of the show, offers ice coffees, champagne, risotto and cakes! The collection didn’t disappoint and the duo extraordinaire delivered beautiful shirts, knits, long dresses and coats. The dresses with shirt elements incorporated were spellbinding.


The catwalk at Peter Pilotto

David Koma and Holly Fulton were showing back to back at Somerset House and while Koma showed us a totally different side of him with furry pompoms appliquéd onto dresses, Miss Fulton delivered a collection consistent with her signature prints and Swarovski crystal encrusted numbers. There were lots of fun accessories too.


The catwalk at Holly Fulton

Michael van der Ham followed with crushed velvet dresses quite reminiscent of a certain Mr Kane…


The catwalk at Michael van der Ham

Then came Todd Lynn and his leather clad army. With a clear inspiration from Rick Owens, Lynn always delivers a perfectly orchestrated collection with a strong aesthetic. We can only applaud.


The catwalk at Todd Lynn

Mark Fast followed and it felt like a new chapter in his career. He cleverly incorporated into his A/W11 collection some soft leather pieces, in the form of long hooded parkas with open backs, as well as boiled wool jacket and dresses which looks like real fur. It was great to see him keeping his signature web dresses but moving forward in his approach.


The catwalk at Mark Fast

After a quick run backstage to congratulate the Canadian designer, I made my way to the Alexander Wang and Love Magazine party at Liberty’s. LOVE cocktails and mini burgers were served, Nick Grimshaw spinned some tunes and Beth Ditto performed. What a great way to end the night!


Beth Ditto performs at the LOVE and Alexander Wang party

Category : Fashion Week-Round up

Ilia Darlin performing at the Jean-Pierre Braganza after-party


DAY 1

First day of London Fashion Week started nice and easy; most editors are still on a plane from New York, the bloggers and the style hunters are sipping lattes, a bit like a warm-up day to prepare ourselves for the mad week (well, 5 days) ahead of us. So after picking up my press pass at Somerset House I went to see the Jean-Pierre Braganza show. His usual highly constructed and exaggerated silhouettes were a real Eighties love fest, with low slung waistlines, intricate detailing and zips.


The catwalk at Jean-Pierre Braganza

Next was Aminaka Wilmont and the digital print duo extraordinaire didn’t disappoint. I always prefer their Winter collections as their prints really come alive when enhanced with a bit of leather, or a bit of shearling here and there. Basically, when they toughen things up a bit. I particularly loved the wool mittens worn with the evening dress, a styling tip that I’ll definitely try out.


The catwalk at Aminaka Wilmont


The Sass&Bide collection was very colorful, with the models’ legs bare, the dresses very short, the whole thing was very…summery. As my friend Phil Oh from Streetpeepers gently informed me over a latte ‘But ya know it’s for Australian market…’ Doh! I guess I needed two lattes to properly wake up didn’t I! They did at least throw some shawls on though, just to remind us Londoners that Australians do have a Winter as well…ish. I went back to Somerset House where I shared a glass (ok two) of Prosecco with my good friend Tracy from Linda Farrow and checked out her new collection. We headed to the Jean-Pierre Braganza after-party at Jalouse where the amazing Ilia Darlin was performing. I felt it was time to go when I heard the bouncer saying to the PR ‘if they keep taking their glasses outside, I’ll kill you’. Fashion week doesn’t mess with health and safety I’ll have you know.


The catwalk at Sass & Bide


DAY 2

I started day 2 with the Charles Anastase show and I could not have been more excited! As I took my seat front row next to Alexa Chung, I didn’t realize how much exposure I’d get. Well, let’s just say that the left side of my face got photographed a lot… Then the magic began with the perfect soundtrack (Brigitte Fontaine), the perfect mood, the perfect dresses (Miss Chung snapped a few of those with her blackberry) and the perfect hair (loved the jewels pinned randomly on the back of the hair). I was totally enchanted by the silk satin charmeuse, the velvet dress, the peacoats and the thigh-high towering platforms (Charles, I know they don’t produce them in a size 3 but miracles do happen. Please please please! Make them happen!). I was mesmerized, happy that someone out there was making doll clothes for grown-ups and then, as soon as the show ended I saw a wave of flashes coming our way (well, Alexa’s way). I tried to get out the only way I could (by standing up, leaving and grabbing my goodie bag on the way); big mistake. An enormous lens attacked me. And as no one seemed to notice, I left wondering if I should use my invisibility either to fight crime or for evil. I’m still wondering.


The catwalk at Charles Anastase


JW Anderson was another happy moment as I watched him unveil his first women’s collection (though with one eye only). Youthful, androgynous, modern and fresh, this collection was waiting to be worn, anytime and anywhere. I particularly loved the half skirt-apron hybrid in liberty print.


The catwalk at JW Anderson


 Then I went back to the exhibition to admire the new Mawi collection, aka the coolest costume jewellery in town. However, their signature spikes make them the hardest accessories to travel with; ‘No sir, I’m not intending to kill anyone with my bracelet and no, I don’t have any other weapons in my bag’.


The new Mawi collection

Milliner Piers Atkinson was hosting an event celebrating the success of his eponymous brand so I headed down to Soho to congratulate the man. Glad to see that the now famous cherry hat is still going strong… I ended the night at the Groucho for the Central St Martins after-party with a very dirty Martini.


Piers Atkinson's Cherry Hat

Category : Fashion Week-Round up

DAY 6


Indigo in a rare moment of relaxation at The Norwood club

And I am left wondering how the hell I am still alive?
Okay so day 6 was great!
Michael Kors had his 30th anniversary in business and all the old-school A-listers were there, Bette Midler (yes!), Anjelica Huston, Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta-Jones. To celebrate the occasion, Kors sent out a ‘greatest-hits’ collection embodying  sporty decadence and pragmatic glamour. Models draped in long, lean lines that emphasised Kors’ signature ‘elegant athleticism’, stepped out to an up-beat post-doowop soundtrack. Juxtaposing sharp tailoring with languid Seventies-era draping, a polished yet easy silhouette emerged – a definitively Kors refined and simplified take on classic American luxury.

Then was Jeremy Scott which was so much fun! And we got Longchamp bags! Only thing is, the bag featured an all-over print of prescription pills - kind of funny but kind of not. What WAS funny was the soundtrack throughout the Jeremy Scott show - a woman having a massively orgasmic experience over the top of techno-house beats. Basically, you’re always in for a rowdy rock’n’roll good time at a Jeremy Scott show. There’s such authenticity of spirit inherent in his designs and the way he presents them that you’re won over each season – and whether you are actually a fan of his brilliantly cocky and subversive wares has little to do with it. The fact that he’s a designer that lives the lifestyle he projects through his clothing – and has his cool, punky friends both modeling in, and lining the front row of his shows each season – is a major part of the appeal. Seeing countless shows all week and barely finding time to sleep, I can’t stress enough how invigorating it is to be part of a fun, crazy, positive experience like this – and the entire audience seemed to feel the same way… From the first look out there were literally cheers and catcalls – Jeremy Scott’s take on fashion (that it should be FUN) is one we need more of.



The pill-patterned goodie bag at the Jeremy Scott show, and the designer himself

This season, Scott’s collection was a Seventies dark-side-of-disco and Nineties raver hybrid. Models were fitted out with fluoro pig-tail extensions, donning extreme ensembles that included a stand-out clear PVC mini-trench with a pink furry bikini beneath, silver leather form-fitting dresses, mini overalls, A-line skirts and cropped motor-bike jackets, multi-colour pastel biker jackets, and mini, full-skirted dress and skeleton-pattern sweaters. Following on from last season, the opening looks featured graphic logos – this time with reference to Coca Cola, ‘Enjoy GOD’ – emblazoned on tanks, dresses and loose shirts. The final look was a blast, and summed up the super show – a floor-length sequined dress playing on the Superman costume, complete with extended flowing red cape.


The catwalk at Jeremy Scott

Anna Sui was very fun - Autumn/Winter 11 saw a blaze of black and white mod-driven knit and print ensembles, with four models taking to the catwalk at once for the first dozen looks. Apple-green with navy followed, and then exploded into a luminous palette of cobalt, gold, raspberry and ivory, along with excessively detailed print. Polka-dots, florals and geometric patterns covered the exceptionally cute baby-doll looks in chiffon, crepe de chine, striking metallic jacquard and velvet – a pretty deft rendering of Sixties styles (though with a peculiar aesthetic spin) in authentic textiles.


The catwalk at Anna Sui

The Sixties rock’n’roll soundtrack that played throughout afforded the trademark super-sweet shifts, drop-waisted and flattering A-line numbers on show a little edge – as did the introduction of boyish boxy shrunken blazers paired with knee-length shorts, and early Seventies denim, patchwork, crochet and slouchy knit cardigans.


More from the catwalk at Anna Sui

And - wowowow! Proenza! The highlight of my week... Proenza Schouler’s design duo, Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez were inspired by native and early American arts and crafts. They told me backstage they'd gone on a fab road-trip through New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming, and really got into in Native American culture – its art, textiles and handicrafts. The collection, made up of graphic combinations of saturated colour against black, began with an elegant black blazer over a yellow waxed-leather top, paired with wool jacquard Native American patterned trousers – and from there, grew rapidly in detail and intensity.


The catwalk at Proenza Schouler

Models in minimal sandals wore elaborate two-tone macramé skirts with flapper-like fringing and lavish velvet hand-painted geometric print confections fit for the red-carpet. Embroidered multi-colour jacquard dresses, separates and bold cutaway all-over Navaho-inspired patterned dresses were highlights.


Proenza Schouler's Jack McCollough hiding backstage, and more from their catwalk

Now I am going to sleep - for about 4 hours - and then just two more sho's and the nightmare's over! Well, as far as nightmare's go - I guess a fashion one isn't so bad!

Category : Fashion Week-Round up

Models outside Rodarte

DAY 5

Day FIVE and barely alive... It's 5am and I'm just finishing up, this week's been a killer.
Thank goodness for inspiring shows today!! I'll just go into the best moments... RODARTE! Yes! I loved every minute of the show. This season, the Mulleavy sisters took a trip out to the country, David Hamilton fresh-faced prairie style, by way of Seventies Laura Ashley – and it was a nostalgic journey well-worth taking.


The catwalk at Rodarte


Warm, pure, sunlit hues took to the catwalk – yellow, soft ochre, washed-out peach, bone and cornflower blue made up the optimistic palette, at times broken up by graphic black and white print. The soundtrack – a genuine twanging ‘country’ guitar with equally twanging male vocals, really took the nouveau-prairie ensembles into an imagined rural context where fields of daisies and straw-bales, blue skies and fluffy white clouds came immediately to mind. Dainty without being stuffy, dresses and full skirts in antique-feel crochet, cotton and chiffon fell to mid-calf, and the textures throughout were earthy, featuring cosy, hand-crafted details including geometric paneling, and grandpa knits added to the overall lived-in attitude.




More from the catwalk at Rodarte


Then came Marc by Marc Jacobs and of course, I loved that too - it was firmly footed in the sexy, sultry Seventies. The first look on the catwalk said it all – a blazing copper-gold leather blazer atop a rusty metallic satin blouse, paired with herringbone trousers and lace-up oxfords. Wow. And the easy-breezy blown-out hair on the fresh-faced models wearing the luscious disco-by-day ensembles exuded an earthy-glam vision of perfection that you couldn't help but want to be a part of. There was also an early Eighties edge throughout, that brought to mind punk-rock heroine Blondie – and suggested a potential return to a more strict Eighties New York style for spring.


The catwalk at Marc by Marc Jacobs


Following that amazingness, I hotfooted it over to Charlotte Dellal's shoe launch at Bergdorf Goodman's to hang out with her and one of my dearest friends, her PR wonder-girl, Sara Byworth (née Forage). I had one little cocktail and then had to decline the lovely offer of dinner with them both, and Charlotte's gorgeous mother Andrea, at their penthouse to get into bed Nanna-style and write my reviews. Oh the life of a fashion journalist - not actually that sexy!


Charlotte Dellal's shoe launch at Bergdorf Goodman

Okay, now time to hit the hay, I'll let you know how day 6 treats me!

Category : Fashion Week-Round up

The catwalk at Ohne Titel

DAY 3
Day 3 was a blast – I didn’t even care that I’d had practically no sleep after running around like mad to the shows the day before. I was super-excited for Preen, DKNY and Thakoon – and they were all amazing. I’d met up with the always-lovely London couple behind Preen; Justin Thornton and Thea Bregazzi a couple days before their show, and they gave me a little preview at the Soho Grand Hotel – the collection took inspiration from the San Franciso craft movement of the Seventies, and style icon Diana Vreeland. The overall look was great – a fusion of knits and crafty embellishments alongside their signature ultra-modern vision.


Indigo and stylist friend Vanessa Packer backstage at Ohne Titel


DKNY was IT! I loved it all – I mean pop-punchy red-hot fluoro hues in stripes, super-short minis , Sixties mod-rocking looks non-stop – it had my name written all over it (If only I could afford to buy any of it!)


The DKNY show


Then there was Thakoon – which was a total highlight. The show took place inside the baroque ballroom of New York’s iconic Plaza Hotel – it was a sublime space. Thakoon’s bold looks for A/W11 mashed up tribal prints with checks and tartans; and streety designs with couture-like voluminous draping and ruffles – it was an incredible combination of colour, form, cross-cultural references and print, and just what we’ve come to expect from one of New York’s most exciting young designers. When he came out to take his bow he looked so happy and adorable too!


The catwalk at Monique Lhuillier

DAY 4
VALENTINES DAY! And oh, I’m spending it with my date – New York Fashion Week… I guess it could be worse, right?! Well, I decided I had to get festive even if I am schlepping around to shows all day/night – so I am wearing my favourite ASHISH pink and black hounds-tooth sequined dress that he gave me a couple years ago, calling it the ‘indi goes to the ball dress’. Oh Ashish – and London designers – I love and miss you! I’ll have to get back to London soon for a visit, LFW is such an exciting week and I really miss being part of that incredible energy and vitality, seeing emerging talent shine… Anyway, today I went to Jenni Packham – a London lady known and loved over here by the older, wealthier, uptown set, for her intricate, beaded, bias-cut floor-length gowns, then I went to another high-end show – Carolina Herrera, which was beautiful even if it’s not what I would wear myself. Herrera had a lot of lovely Fifties silhouettes on show, and rich textures and colours.
Then Olivier Theyskens for THEORY – just beautiful! Sculptural, earth-toned and autumnal print dresses and sheer skirts, it was grunge-meets-Victoriana. The Belgian designer brought refinement and poetry to THEORY, which has always been  great for simple tailoring but previously had no particularly fashionable edge.


The catwalk at Olivier Theyskens for THEORY

 Betsey Johnson was a blast – rock’n’roll, punk-spirited and silly fun… It was Valentine’s day themed, with a huge illuminated “he loves me not” illustration at the catwalk entrance, and the show finishing with Betsey doing a cartwheel and gallivanting around with models wearing frou-frou red bloomers and carrying gigantic roses – complete with spiders.


The Betsey Johnson show

Marc Jacobs finished and yes! Woop! Loved it, as usual. He really knows how to put on a great show and make you feel like you’re witnessing fashion in all its glory. This time around, Jacobs ditched the Seventies theme of last season and went all Victoriana-slash-sci-fi –to a Marilyn Manson soundtrack. Looking forward to Rodarte and much more tomorrow!


The catwalk at Marc Jacobs

Category : Fashion Week-Round up