LFW AW15 Day 2 Pt.2

I wore: House of Holland SS15 total catwalk look
Image by Holly McGlynn

One of these days I’ll learn how to write concisely and no longer ramble on for so long that I have to split one day of shows into two posts despite not actually having attended that many. But that day sure as hell hasn’t arrived yet and so I continue to inflict the habit that drove every teacher I ever had totally crazy, sorry my loves. Hopefully you enjoy the extended rambling but at least when you do start to get bored AF there are lots of pictures of gorgeous clothes to feast your eyes on instead! And there was certainly some serious skill to be seen as night began to fall on the second day of LFW AW15…

After a much needed couple of hours catching up on emails, mainlining caffeine, berocca and pain killers (see here for explanation) and generally making myself fit to be seen in public. Then it was time to put on an outfit you’ve seen before on here and will be seeing more of before long because I’m utterly obsessed with it, and head out to my dear friend Charlie May‘s presentation.

Charlie May AW15

Having taken one short course in fashion design before starting at Central Saint Martins – and being told, in no uncertain terms, never to attempt it again – I cannot even begin to imagine how challenging it is being a designer. From conceptualising a collection; the aesthetic, the references, the colour palette, what fabrics to use and whether they’re capable of creating the effect you’re aiming to achieve; to making the industry take notice of your work, appealing to consumers, funding fashion week shows or presentations, standing out from the million other would be Christopher Kane’s out there and then the rigmarole of sales and production. It makes me exhausted, humbled and frankly, pretty stressed out just thinking about it. So I’m always rather in awe of what, in barely four short years, Charlie May has achieved. Obviously, she’s incredibly talented. The global legion fans, friends and customers devoted to her flawlessly precise and utterly unique take on contemporary minimalism prove that, as do the clothes themselves. But also incredibly impressive is how team Charlie May have carefully and savvily established and grown the brand through collaborative projects with fittingly cool labels all over the world, subtly and successfully (everything about the Charlie May brand is subtle) courted key press and harnessed the power of a wide range of digital platforms, from those of international mega bloggers and e-tail platforms to Charlie’s own.

Charlie May AW15

Charlie May’s collections have shown an impressive degree of sophistication – especially considering she’s basically the same age as me… FML – since the word go but this season really took things to the next level. Raw hemmed, killer knitwear in contrasting textures and effortless oatmeal shades stood alongside oversized culottes (said it before, I’ll say it again, only trews to be seen in come autumn), elegantly androgyne outerwear, fuss free tailoring and boyfriend biker leathers. For me, the stars of the show were the denim pieces. Spanning sculpted, cropped jackets to funnel neck top n’ jean combos by way of voluminous culottes; it was an indigo hued example of how haute this fabric can be, given the right handling. Incorporating new luxury fabrics and building on the understated aesthetic Charlie May has made her own, I couldn’t help but feel the AW15 collection marked a pivotal moment for the rapidly growing label and I can’t wait to see what the coming year holds.

Charlie May AW15

Naomi and I headed out of The Beaumont – new Mayfair spot, dontcha know – where Charlie’s presentation had been held and whizzed across town to a very different show. As you may have gathered from my outfit, it was House of Holland, and I was seriously excited.

The House of Holland show always boasts one of the most ‘sleb studded FROWs on the London schedule so by the time we arrived, there was a jostling crowd of paparazzi outside the venue. Given that I was dressed in a head-to-toe catwalk look from SS15 and getting out of a Rolls Royce Phantom I think they may have mistaken me for someone rather more famous and I found myself blinded by flashbulbs and slightly disorientated by the time I got inside. At least it stopped me from noticing how fricking freezing I was, wearing a crop top and no coat in February, pretentious idiot that I am.

House of Holland AW15

As always, an air of naughtiness pervaded the show space, with beer drinking and lap sitting on the FROW where Alexa, Daisy, Pixie et al had virtually vacuum packed themselves in, determined not to have to sit anywhere else. I fell head of (shiny, lace up) heels for Henry’s SS15 collection, just as I had with AW14 before it and, let’s be honest, every one of his collections I’ve seen. It would have been disappointing to say the least if I didn’t love his latest array of colourful delights but thankfully I did. House of Holland’s AW15 girls were dubbed “uptown urchins”, a theme referenced through dizzying houndstooth checks, plaid print satins and opulent, drawing room hues married with neckerchiefs, deliberately visible stitching and stomping, clomping boots.

House of Holland AW15

Spliced layered tartans, quilted midnight satins paired with acid infused emerald green lace, asymmetric stripes, bumblebee yellows and high shine motorbike leathers added to the glorious, joyful, mash up. It was a so-wrong-but-right collection that called to mind an image of posh girls with hangover. Oversized, multi colour striped alpaca coats and neon, spray paint effect leathers added to the so-wrong-but-right effect of the collection. Unsurprisingly, I wanted all of it.

House of Holland AW15

And remember, if you want to play digital dress up with this collection right now then you can find out how here.

Love Ella X