ethi-cool

Estethica, the sustainable Fashion Exhibition at Somerset House during London Fashion week has just enjoyed its 5th season, and the show this year proved that buying pieces that are the result of an ethically-sound supply chain needn't involve compromising taste.

As Katy Bell, from Lost Property of London explained, 'We don't really sell ourselves on the fact that we source the material in a sustainable way. We just think things should be done like that anyway; the focus is the product itself.'

The Mulberry-esque holdalls constructed from ex-Barbour jacket material are a good example of how style and design come first, whilst the thoughtfully sourced materials are just part of the parcel:

Katy's achievements are inspiring. She studied at Central St Martins and then started Lost Property of London after finding some coffee sacks dumped on a London street. She now sells in Liberty and has a team in the UK producing the pieces rather than exporting production overseas - 'People seem to like that everything is produced here.'

I particularly liked this clutch that apparently Livia Firth purchased when she visited Katy's stand at Estethica during Fashion Week:

Considerate consumption just got chic.

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what i wore to london fashion week

Thanks to Style Kaleidoscope for the pic

Predictably head to toe in black, wearing My New Winter Coat from H&M (a dead ringer for the Stella McCartney wool coat with vinyl sleeves that I spotted at the Harvey Nichols fashion show), this was pretty much my uniform for LFW.

Missing from the embarrasing poser picture is my trusty Zara bag, which was ideal for carrying around my antiquated and weighty laptop and camera all day:

Zara Plaited Shopper

I reported on the shows at Fashion Week this season for myfashionlife.com and I will now be contributing to the website on a more regular basis, so keep an eye out for my posts!

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J JS Lee

One of the shows that I particularly enjoyed at London Fashion Week this season was the presentation by J JS Lee.

It seemed apt that the set in the beautiful Portico Rooms where Jackie Lee showed in Somerset House was left bare and white, as the minimalist theme seems to be becoming a J JS Lee trademark. White, the purist designer's hue of choice, dazzled on drop-waisted dresses, boxy jackets, and on the laser cut sandals and wedges that every model wore.

Jackie Lee likes an elongated silhouette, and this season the clean lines were created by stitched box pleats on Twenties-style dropped waists in a mainly monochrome palette, with the odd flash of peach sorbet and cobalt blue.

Discs of shiny film that featured on some of the dresses, apparently inspired by candyfloss, added interest to the strong tone of simplicity that the collection carried.

The intrigue really did lie in the detail: tied string tucked underneath the rear signed off the dresses sweetly:

Etched peter pan collars gave a modern update to flapper dresses, and carved-out bare backs added a sensual note.

Susie Lau of Style Bubble took a front row seat at the show too, confirming that Jackie and her creations are definitely ones to watch for the future.

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fashion fringe

Fashion Fringe was fashionably late. A full hour, in fact.

But once Claudia Schiffer and Roland Mouret took to the front row, the three finalists from this year’s competition were able to show their entries for the coveted award, which has previously been won by designers including Erdem.

Winners Fyodor Golan, whose collection resembled a gothic fairytale, definitely showed the most intricate collection. Inspired by the Baudelaire poem, ‘Fleur du Mal’, Van Gogh and Frida Kahlo, the looks were indeed layered and troubled art, with gloomy black and charged yellow dresses featuring embellishment that seemed to grow like nettles up the models bodies, enhanced further by a necklace that literally choked their hair.

Heidi Leung followed, offering a starkly different tone with caramel sporty trenches and bright layers. Chiffon was expertly panelled with odd fluffy slippers completing the look:

The third finalist, Nabil Nayal, delivered a dramatic Elizabethan-inspired set, where ruffles and flared jackets were given a modern edge with sexy sheer fabrics. This was my favourite collection:

Following the show, Claudia and Roland gathered to present the award to Fyodor Golan. The duo of designers, one sporting an Iron Maiden T-shirt, looked understandably very pleased with themselves. I was similarly pleased when I got to meet Roland at the end of the presentation.




Me, with a bad fringe, at Fashion Fringe. Hi, Roland Mouret!



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london fashion week

This season, I was reporting from London Fashion Week for My Fashion Life.

The highlight shows for me were Fashion Fringe, Peter Jensen, Spijkers en Spijkers and J JS Lee and you can read my reports over on My Fashion Life by clicking on those links.

I love Somerset House. To me, nowhere says London louder: it's location overlooking the Thames just east of Waterloo, a stone's throw from the Savoy and busy, touristy Holborn, and its mixture of Neo-classical and Victorian architecture.

The BFC look after press and bloggers so well, too. Inside Somerset House, there were Blog Bars with complimentary laptops in stunning surroundings, along with the partner perks of Vitamin Water, Toni and Guy Blow Dry Bar and MAC make up counters.

All press and bloggers receive an Exhibition Pass, where you can tour the floors of Somerset House to see the designer pieces up close and even meet the designers who are often standing to meet people who visit their section (I met David Longshaw and Alison Clemency-Buddenhagen - both lovely.)

Here are some of my favourite bits from the Exhibition:



Spikes at Felder Felder



Ornamental Mary Katrantzou

Accompanying Katrantzou Boots



Clemency London's Mood Board

The Simeon Farrar Shed



Fannie Schiavoni



The Headonism Exhibition

I'll be posting more about the above and the other collections that I saw over the next few days, weeks and probably months; so much to write about!

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getting ready for the new season

Warming us up for both the new season and London Fashion Week, the show season started in Manchester last Wednesday night.

I heart Manchester was the message plastered on the riot-scratched buildings, and walking through the city en route to the Harvey Nichols Manchester A/W11 Fashion Show, it was clear that there is a lot to love.

Past the proudly elevated Manchester Art Gallery, round the corner to the evocative Victorian era, Neo-gothic Town Hall where the show was held, Manchester glowed.

Inside the Town Hall, a classical harp echoed through the ornate ceilings whilst we enjoyed a pre-show beverage and admired a girl wearing that Stella dress.

More fashion envy followed in the show. The Joseph leather and rotund fluffy coats, everything Acne, and, unsurprisingly, quite a bit of the bag action.

The fluffy Joseph

 

The Marant Boots



The Acne shift dress, and another beautiful bag...





Bag admiration teamed with copious amounts of complimentary fizz obviously had an affect on my sensibilities as I nearly bought the tiniest and most affordable Mulberry bag in a moment of fashion-induced headiness at the post-show store party.

However, I know the Mulberry Bag Saving Fund still has a long way to go, so instead I skipped back to Piccadilly Station, happy to have enjoyed another Manchester high-fashion fix and ready for the new season ahead. I heart Harvey Nics.

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