Fashion Week Forecast

With my flight to the big apple mere days away, my biannual pre fashion week over excitement has reached critical mass. Like, seriously people. Between the anticipation, the rocketing stress levels and the vast quantities of caffeine I’ve already started imbibing (yep, even more than usual, sacre bleu!) it’s a marvel I’ve managed to sit still long enough to write this post. During the run up to fashion month people inevitably start asking which shows I’m most looking forward to or which city I can’t wait to hit the streets of. And do you know what? It’s a damn near impossible question to answer. Regardless of the sleepless nights, early starts, aching feet and hideous hangovers, I completely and utterly adore fashion week and enjoy pretty much every second of it. Yep, even the organisation element, so partial am I to an excel spreadsheet. The buzz of new york, innovation of London, glamour of Milan, all out dreaminess of Paris and the designers who unveil the fruits of their labour in each all deserve more than a mention. But of course, that would take an astronomically long post and you guys will have enough essay length fashion week diaries to contend with over the next few weeks. So, difficult though it is to even begin to play favourites, here are a few of the shows I’m particularly itching to see…

The Young Ones

From left: Shrimps, Isa Arfen & Giulietta SS15

What would the fashion industry be without the influx of talented newcomers determined to put in the hardest of graft, push the boundaries of taste and turn their teenage dreams into burgeoning sartorial empires? It would be dull AF, that’s what. Luckily however, there seems to be no risk of that. This season I’m particularly excited to see what Isa Arfen, Shrimps and Giulietta have to offer. Isa Arfen is the insiders label on the brink of going mainstream while, it appears, losing none of the unique, playful aesthetic that have made founder, Serafina Sama’s designs such a hit with the likes of Kate Foley, Paula Goldstein and Yasmin Sewell. You’ve definitely already heard of Shrimps. Over the past 12 months Hannah Weiland’s colour popping faux furs have dominated Instagram feeds (including my own), magazines and street style blogs. Having recently teamed up with Poplin on a pyjama collection, I look forward to seeing what further diversification the label has in store. Giulietta you may remember from a recent introducing post on this very blog. I’m hoping for more of the deliciously girlish, unashamedly pretty gorgeousness that captured my heart for SS15.

The Favourites

From left: 3.1 Phillip Lim, House of Holland & Matthew Williamson SS15

These are, of course, not all my favourite brands. That would be one long list indeed! No, these are just a selection of the labels I truly love and feel confident saying that I’ll undoubtedly love their forthcoming show even before I’ve seen it. Here’s hoping that 3.1 Phillip Lim, House of Holland and Matthew Williamson don’t prove that statement false this season.

The Big Ones

From left: Burberry, Chanel & Valentino SS15

The big ones; the brands guaranteed to put on the most memorable of shows, merging time tested craftsmanship, peerless design skill, big budgets and a flair for the dramatic. Who else could I name but Burberry, Chanel and Valentino? Arguably the latter doesn’t put on a performance in the same way as the others but the exquisite craftsmanship and sheer glory of Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pierpaolo Piccoli’s creations are a visual spectacle in their own right.

The Surprises

Marissa Webb presenting her debut collection for Banana Republic Summer 2015

Every fashion week brings its own surprises and the jury’s still out on what these three brands will have in store for us this season. Banana Republic recently appointed super cool NY designer, Marissa Webb as their Creative Director and AW15 will be both her first full season collection for the label, and its first on schedule NYFW presentation. Sass and Bide will be returning to London Fashion Week, having swapped Blighty for the Big Apple in 2013, but this will be the Aussie brand’s first show since its founders departed last July. Will new Design Director, Antony Cuthbertson take things in a new direction? We’ll have to wait and see. Last but not least is Carven, a name that should really be topping my “favourites” list. Since Guillaume Henry revived the French maison in 2009, the brand has gone from strength to strength will an array of unfailingly excellent collections that have made me (and basically everyone else) go weak at the knees. Since Henry left his post to join Nina Ricci in January, Carven has been running without a Creative Director. Here’s hoping his team will achieve the same level of chic.

The Presentations

kate spade ny SS15 presentation

Sophia Webster SS15 presentation

Once upon a time I couldn’t imagine how a presentation could ever be as exhilarating, compelling and magical as a catwalk show. I was a fool. For some brands, a presentation can be both more appropriate and 1000 times more mind blowing than a traditional runway situation. Kate Spade NY, Sophia Webster and Anya Hindmarch are absolute favourites for me. From life sized taxis and indoor gardens to noughties teen bedrooms, neon rave jungles, spinning teacups and animatronic domino sets, these labels know how to create presentations less ordinary.

Happy fashion week one and all! Let’s do this…

Love Ella. X