LFW SS15: Day 2

I wore: Tory Burch jacket & shirt, American Apparel skirt, Pollini boots, Alice + Olivia bag & Monica Vinader jewellery
Image by The Nyanzi Report

Sadly I had to miss LFW Day 1 this season. Having stayed in New York for the Ralph Lauren show and my Ted Baker shoot, I landed back in London at 8am that morning. The day that followed was possibly the most frantic of my life. Getting home with three vast suitcases of filthy clothes to be greeted by a stack of unopened tickets up to my knees before making worlds quickest turnaround to go and shoot my projects with H&M, Forever 21 and De Beers, it was intense. But with a fair bit of help and a whole lot of coffee, we made it happen and despite having to get up at 5am to work the next morning I set out with (almost) a spring in my high heeled step…

Barbara Casasola SS15

Up first was Barbara Casasola, the beautiful Brazillian designer adored by the likes of Caroline Issa, Daisy Lowe and Vanessa Paradi. Drawing on the temperate climbs of her homeland, Barbara offered up an interplay between second skin silhouettes and slinky sheer fabrics with cut outs that nodded to the swimwear Brazil is best known for. Dusky nudes were interspersed with sunset shades and punchy hot house hues, mapping the transition from sunset to sunrise while smartly catering to both her more extroverted and understated customer. Barbara’s SS15 collection certainly wasn’t all bodycon. Her technical prowess shone through the micro plissé, double wave, knife and sunray pleats which added a kick to fluid slip dresses, often layered under loosely tailored outerwear and long line blazers. Simple matching sandals and barefaced beauty looks added an air of ease while a final line up of racer back, figure clinging ribbed dresses in molten metallic shades balanced allure with cool as if it were a piece of cake. Barbara honed her elegant brand of sensuality with a collection that will no doubt be a hit with fashion insiders and women looking for beautifully made pieces that make them feel fantastic worldwide, definitely worth corralling my jet lagged onto the tube for.

Show number two on my LFW SS15 agenda was one of my absolute favourites, Emilia Wickstead. I’m more than mildly obsessed with Emilia’s incredible eveningwear and when she mixed things up with python and lace last season I was so wowed I totally lost any remaining semblance of nonchalance, as if I had any to begin with. After an hour in Starbucks catching up on the 5 million things I needed to do and hadn’t, I headed to the city venue prepared to be wowed once more. I arrived at the beautiful city venue, bang next door to Laduree and immediately bumped into Naomi. Sad though I was to leave New York, it’s always so nice to come home and be around so many familiar faces all the time. More mingling ensued once inside with Olivia Palermo and Alexa Chung on the FROW giving me girl crush overload, then it was time for the show to begin.

Emilia Wickstead SS15

The show opened with a cinched waist, thigh skimming yellow duchesse satin, a strong start and the models wafting (carefully) down staircase only added to that grandeur. The collection that followed was in some ways more modern than Emilia’s usual with fabric innovation such as x, more experimental silhouettes, higher hemlines and lower necklines. But this sense of innovation was wonderfully tempered by subtle elements of classicism as rounded back gown were almost a nod to the pet en l’air dresses of the 18th century while also being feeling wholly fashion forward. Indeed, the whole show struck a perfect balance between the old and the new, between softness and structure. The demureness of Wickstead’s trademark svelte, collared dress was offset by it’s shimmering semi sheer fabric while structured minidresses and bodies came in a delicate palette of creams, orange, yellow and blush pinks. If SS15 was hyper girly and AW14 a little vampy, then this was Emilia offering something more contemporary but still inimitably of her style. My expectations for Emilia Wicksted were high and I was not disappointed. Each look boasted couture worthy construction; utterly feminine and totally desirable.

ANTIPODIUM SS15

After a brief itsu pitstop (I seriously missed that while in NY) I was off to Covent Garden for the ANTIPODIUM presentation. As always, it was a little bit “off”, in the best kind of way way. Gingham, pastels and stripes reworked and styled with mussed hair, blue eyeshadow, deliberately ugly sandals and leather collars for an air of subversion. A hint of kink came by way of PVC trousers with black pants peeping beneath. Lip and running mascara eye print cotton with tear drop jewels, shimmering blue leopard print and ruched bandeau’s may have hinted at girlishness but the attitude was strictly tomboy and devil may care.

Having opted out of post presentation cocktail hour (it was 1pm after all) I trotted across town for the Markus Lupfer presentation. One of the things I adore about Markus is his sense of humour. I couldn’t help but suspect that the location of his presentation, which resulted in a lot of confused looking fashion people tottering around a council estate, must have made him chuckle. Eventually I managed to find the place and I certainly didn’t regret slogging around King’s Cross in my knee high leather boots which by this point in the unseasonable hot afternoon, had begun sticking to my legs in an unpleasant sort of way. This season was all about the beach and Markus had constructed a surf shack for his models to lounge in complete with an old school RV and tiki bar. As for the collection, I was head over heels in love with it all down to the sparkly, studded jelly shoes. Think silk jacquards in reef like print and high shine, brightly coloured metallics. All I could think was I WANT ALL OF IT and unsurprisingly several people pointed out how “me” it was. Markus Lupfer may be best known for his novelty knits but his ready to wear deserves a lot of attention. Playful, wearable and always a conversation starter, Markus you’ve done it again my friend.

Next on my agenda was Hunter Originals and after last season’s show, I knew we were in for a spectacle. The swimming hat invitation and fact that the venue was a public pool in Marylebone gave the district impression of aquatic involvement. Rita Ora, Mary Charteris, Chelsea Leyland and Stella and Paul McCartney were on the FROW causing a photographer flurry but just as I thought I might pass out (heat, flu know even knows) they were herded out for the show to begin.

Hunter Originals SS15

It opened with a film produced in collaboration with visual artist Mat Maitland that saw bubbles rising up a central tower and a hunter branded submarine bob past the models before moving into striped lighthouses and psychedelic shape shifting and all manner of cartoonish motifs. As for the clothes themselves, they were good, really good. Based on “dazzle” a revolutionary form of camouflage that makes it all the more visible, Alisdhair Willis combined optical illusion with his riff on the Hunter Boot’s traditional 28 part make up, the basis for the design language of his debut ready to wear collection. This translated into crinkled khakis, day glo weather wear, layered neon pastel (yes that exists) knitwear, patchworked tech fabrics and belted trench/parka hybrids. I adored the styling, striped socks paired with Hunter esque khaki and black wedges. An opaque overcoat worn over a graphic swimwear caused an Instagram frenzy. All in all it was a great show; cracking soundtrack and pieces that could protect you from the elements but also work for city life too and it worked perfectly with the film which was complement the looks flawlessly.

I’ve just realised that my word count is dangerously teetering towards essay length so I’m going to leave the rest of LFW SS15 day 2 for next time, hope you’ve enjoyed it so far!

Love Ella. X