The title of Alexander McQueen's show turned out to be something of a misnomer: although a tree loomed large over proceedings, these were by no means clothes for bough-scrambling tomboys. The show was divided into two distinct sections, opening with ostensible daywear and what equated by and large to the... [more]
'The Woman Who Lived In A Tree' collection has been inspired by Christo, the British Empire and 1950s English couture, apparently. Simon Kenny's wrapped tree set covers the title and the art reference for starters.
The deep, smoky eyes we saw backstage set the scene for Martine Sitbon's Rue de Mail collection, which was a dark but by no means sombre affair. Each outfit was silhouetted by light as it emerged onto the runway, the shadows emphasising the graphic qualities of solid A-line coats and... [more]
Sitbon has a cult following and it's measure of her standing that such a wide array of artists, art directors and editors turn out for her Rue du Mail show. It's the best looking crowd we've seen all week: no wonder they had 'The Sartorialist' seated close to Betony here.... [more]
Busying ourselves backstage, we managed to sneak a few pictures of 'the look' at Rue du Mail away from the drama of the runway. Martine Sitbon's longstanding collaborator, the art director Marc Ascoli, told us that she wanted every model to be 'a set of eyes, intense blue eyes, floating... [more]
Just a few moments before her A/W 2008 Rue du Mail show, Martine kindly allowed us to snap this quick portrait and generally make a nuisance of ourselves backstage.
Visiting Boudicca is always a wonderful experience, not only for the intellect of the clothes but also the intellect of the company. Zoe Broach, one half of Boudicca, was on hand to guide us through both the ready-to-wear and Boudicca's exquisite couture pieces. Inspired by the image within an image,... [more]
Two shows within 24 hours is a tough call for any designer: perhaps that is why Giambattista Valli chose to present his first Moncler Gamme Rouge collection as a series of artisan-inspired tableaux a way away from the maddening crowds of the Louvre in the 15 arondissement. The Moncler collection... [more]
Jean-Charles de Castelbajac's longevity has oft been dismissed as part of that particularly French affectation of revering as national icons that which pretty much the entire world has deemed irredeemably kitsch - in that respect he can perhaps be dubbed fashion's Johnny Halliday. Frankly, this is not without fair reason:... [more]
Tonight Yves Saint Laurent can be summed up in a single word: perfection. Absolute, utter, total perfection. It's actually difficult to articulate the high this show has left everyone on - we lapsed into hyperbole and accosted passers-by to solicit their opinion. And what triggered this? A concise, precise vision... [more]
The black dresses that opened and closed Sophia Kokosalaki's show at Palais de Tokyo tonight were by far and away its highlight.
Haider Ackermann's collection, shown in almost monastic silence, managed to make nothing new at all seem very exciting indeed. This was again his vision of a modern - even futuristic - nomadic woman, transcending boundaries of nationality, era and even gender with her clothing. The models had an odd... [more]
A lacquer-red backdrop set the scene for Giambattista Valli's A/W 2008 collection, seemingly inspired by the kind of hobble-skirted, bound footed Chinese courtesans found populating Coromandel screens and suspiciously East Anglian willow pattern plates. His models emerged dressed as Oriental princesses, swathed in fur, teetering atop slant-heeled platforms, and bound... [more]
It was a deal that happened very quickly, said Hussein Chalayan at a press conference with the Chairman and CEO of PUMA, Jochen Zeitz, this lunchtime to announce the designer's appointment as the first Creative Director of the 'sports lifestyle brand'. But the potential to turn what Chalayan deems 'prototypes'... [more]
These laced and leather-lashed Rosenquist confections were just some of the goods offered up by Pierre Hardy - I am loathe to use the phrase 'highlight' to describe them as Hardy's wares are so diverse (and beautifully designed and flawless, but now i'm falling into hyperbole) each piece stands perfectly... [more]
Two of the biggest stories this week have been fur and sex - naturally if Stella McCartney had to pitch her tent in any camp it would be the latter. Accordingly, this was a far more overtly sensual offering than we have seen from her in a number of years:... [more]
At 21:30 hours when the rest of the fashion pack were at dinner, the hard core members of the press that were waiting for Bernhard Willhelm's show to start were absolutely baying by the time the first models came out. They weren't disappointed, that is if garments influenced by various... [more]
The vast and ambitious topic of 'evolution' was the theme of Hussein Chalayan's A/W '08-09 collection. To an entertaining beatbox/accapella soundtrack performed by a group of singers to the right of stage, the looks mapped the history of the universe, from the big bang -depicted in mechanical dressses with moving... [more]
Paul and I attended the press launch of Helen Storey's Wonderland project at the London College of Fashion last night. After working with Helen these last few months it was really interesting to see fresh reactions to the work and the concepts behind it. We were also excited to see... [more]
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Jewellery PR and enthusiast has the most amazing array of wares on display at her Paris showroom. Here pictured is a divine gold and pearl collection by Anoush and also wonderful were the studded headbands by Jennifer Behr.
In the midst of Paris Fashion Week, we are naturally more-than-preoccupied with la mode, so what better time to premier this short film created by Nick Knight for SHOWstudio? On the request of Natalia V herself, Nick Knight shot a double-page spread for her guest-edited edition of Russian Vogue. But... [more]
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We've never before been granted KL tickets so I'm not sure if my assumption that 'strict tailoring in the image of the designer himself wasn't really my thing' was actually a case of sour grapes. Imagine my surprise then, dear reader, in finding these young women looking remarkably assured in... [more]
'Just what are those pieces of underwear where the straps separate the bare breasts called?' we asked ourselves as we departed our penultimate show of the day. You'd never have guessed we were at Comme des Garçons; that paragon of taste and intellectual femininity. The paradox was that was what... [more]
As kind as it may be on the PRs' part when tickets and especially seats are so in-demand in Paris, sometimes second or third row can be a mixed blessing. Yes, the rest of the industry sees how esteemed your company is or how friendly with the designer you are.... [more]
Sweet Gemma Hayward from The Independent came to our aid with this snap of the opening -delicate, lamé- section of Tao's show.
I'm only sorry my pictures of the glorious Tao shows are far less than the 'Glittering Fantasy' on which Tao Kurihara's collection was themed. Happily, there were lots of elements from previous Tao collections: the distressed, frilly wool bed jackets, the adorable knitted shorts, the pink fluro, the wrapped blanket... [more]
'Geometric Sculpture' were the watchwords issued by Watanabe to decode the very elegant and romantic show he just put on at the Beaux Arts. The collection was a showcase for the designer's assured cutting and extraordinary skills in draping cloth -even of substantial volume. A first section of extraordinarily flattering... [more]
Four years into his tenure at YSL, I've often wondered why Stefano Pilati hasn't yet taken a crow bar to the black wenge wood with which Tom Ford lined every YSL store worldwide back in the day. Tonight, however, Pilati unveiled the prototype for his global reupholstery plan: the... [more]
Watch out for the fabulously draped black dresses: what you can't see is that they're split to the pantyline to reveal spike heeled boots with zips up the back to reach the buttock. The most sexually explicit Margiela collection to date.
There were more cones at Margiela -are we witnessing a trend?!- but instead of extending from the models' heads as at Undercover, they began at the narrow hip and kept working their way upward and outward. One unwelcome component of this silhouette -at least for me- were the large padded... [more]
I've just worked out why the turntable took so long to revolve: you try turning a spartan Colorama into a rose bower in 40 seconds!
'Unrealrealclothes' was Jun Takahashi's promise on the invite to his A/W '08 show this evening. There was literally everything in this collection, from Puritanical, shrunken wool suits and fantastic 'sweat wear' (as I overheard it called -isn't fashion grreat?!) to these monastic satin capes. All with these 'Conehead' stretched... [more]
Further to Helen’s Q&A last Tuesday at LCF, tomorrow both Helen and her colleague Professor Tony Ryan will be on hand to field any niggling queries you may have about Wonderland, or indeed about the whole relationship between fashion and science. The hour-long debate kicks off at 12.30hrs sharp, so... [more]
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Further to our earlier anticipatory update, we finally got our grubby mits on a copy of the new Yves Saint Laurent Manifesto this morning - handed out by one of YSL’s charming representatives over Brick Lane way - and really felt it was worth a blog. Over-A4 sized, subtly glossy... [more]
Just as Saint Laurent himself created haute couture inspired the 1968 French student riots, YSL creative director Stefano Pilati seems determined to unleash some anarchic chic of his own. Accordingly, YSL have produced their second Manifesto, featuring Kate Moss and the equally lovely YSL Spring 2008 collection. The above video... [more]
I went down to the Design Museum this morning to check up on our Replenishing Body installation. Some inquisitive youngsters have been playing around with the settings on the camera but apart from that it's working well and apparently quite popular. It's on till April 27th if you fancy a... [more]
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Between 17:00-18:00hrs this afternoon, Professor Helen Storey will be available for an open question and answer session in the Fashion Space Gallery of the John Princes St. campus of the London College of Fashion. So if you’ve a burning question relating to Helen’s Wonderland project – or indeed about anything... [more]
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To toast Alex Fury's first season blogging from London Fashion Week, we met up with former Editorial Assistant Laura Bradley when the shows finished last night for a few ales. Here's to The Fury: a man who clearly knows his trapunto stitching from his poke bonnets!
The Central Saint Martins MA seems a fitting close to a week in which its alumni form so many of the leading lights. Marios Schwab, Christopher Kane, Peter Jensen and Ann-Sofie Back are just some of the success stories, while other graduates form the backbone of brands as diverse as... [more]
An embarassed adolescent sporting a Winehouse-style ginger beehive? It could only be MAN, a partnership between Topman and Fashion East now in its sixth season and the only purely menswear showing in the frankly oestrogen-drenched London Fashion Week schedule. First up was Kesh, already with an established following including Dizzie... [more]
It's a little over two weeks before our Political Fashion film season gets underway. In the meantime get a taste of things to come in the Political Fashion Viewers Gallery which has been building up a good head of steam. With twenty thought-provoking submissions at the last count you may... [more]
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As you will have seen in Hywel's report from Copenhagen Fashion Week, Mike Leigh's classic 1976 TV play 'Nuts in May' was Peter Jensen's inspiration for his A/W '08 mens and womens collections. And today, we focused on actress Alison Steadman's character, Candice-Marie. How, then, to clothe a child-like woman... [more]
I asked Lisa Armstrong for a sound byte - she gave me an intelligent, considered, concise review of Westwood and her return to London worthy of, well, The Times.
Master Milliner Philip Treacy (and his friend Marlene) offer their views on Westwood's return to London after her Red Label show yesterday evening.
Yes, I'll admit it - I willingly vaulted a chair in the buyer's stand without a second thought to get a halfway-decent shot of Vivienne's post-show triumphal march (please note Paul Hetherington subtley peeking out of the corner). And that was pretty much what this show was about - the... [more]
While the macabre spectacle and drama of Gareth Pugh’s A/W 2008 collection unfolded before our eyes, our very own intrepid film team were hanging from the rafters and crouched in the veritable scrum of photographers documenting the event for SHOWstudio prosperity. Barely 24-hours after the show was first unveiled, our... [more]
Besides showcasing his talents at the Marios Schwab show on Tuesday - the silvered ponytails and articulated, attenuated sheaths across fingers were his painstaking work - Husam El Odeh also displays his jewellery pieces at the London Fashion Week exhibition tent. Unconventional is always the term for his work, which... [more]
Due to the frenetic schedule of this years London Fashion Week, I didn't have time to upload these sneakily snapped pictures backstage from Marios Schwab's sensational winter collection until today. By sheer coincidence both me and Penny papped the same blue jersey dress, savagely clawed open to reveal Schwab's Morris-inspired... [more]
New kid on the block Matt Irwin launched his eagerly anticipated film and photography exhibition ‘Appetite for Construction' on Monday night at Shoreditch’s Printspace. The collection of prints from his magazine and reportage work consists of strong and simple images capturing the true essence of the London fashion scene now.... [more]
Usually a scene of cameraderie and good cheer, the crowds outside the Rochelle School to see the very, very late Giles show broke into a bit of a scuffle. Not to worry- his A/W collection based on superheroes (shrewdly anticipating the May 'superheroes' costume ball at the Met) put everyone... [more]
You'll have to be content with a fetching snap of my deranged fash mag slag scribblings in lieu of footage of the Roksanda Ilincic show as, alas, the finale circumvented my seat and by the time I fought my way through the photographers' scrum there was barely a slither of... [more]
The hype was almost as frenzied as the scrum for the door at Henry Holland's first runway show away from Fashion East, and in typical Holland style it was riotous over-the-top fun. A blast of bagpipes opened a collection dedicated to Bonnie Scotland - and I'm sure Holland's vision... [more]
The biggest surprise in Gareth Pugh's show was that there was none. Where many were expecting a more muted and commercial offering, the designer sent out characteristic 'Pugh' looks -the pincer man, the clown head with the bobble on top, the wide shouldered cape, wafting crinolines or skinny leggings. But... [more]
Some of the pieces are nearing completion now, and we are taking them off the mannequins and starting to design the dissolvable internal structures. When they next appear In Sheffield in June/ July this year they need to look like they have dissolvable female form without any bulk – we... [more]
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Apart from working out how to keep the shoulder pads inflated ( dissolvable polymer doesn’t behave as other plastics), and attaching the dive bombing buttons, these two are finished. The buttons are programmed to dissolve last, and dive to the bottom of the tank as they are weighted and... [more]
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Past incubator for now stellar talents such as Marios Schwab, Gareth Pugh and Jonathan Saunders, Lulu Kennedy's Fashion East show has become know as a hot-bed of futues stars - much like that other London fashion institution, Central Saint Martins. Only one graduate showed tonight - Louise Grey, whose block-coloured... [more]
Whereas you might associate Richard Nicoll with fresh, summery daywear -maybe it's the shirts and those floaty trenches- for A/W he presented luxurious eveningwear. Building on those same translucent layers and Amish references from Spring/Summer, he introduced rich materials -wool, velvet, duchesse satin- and the purity and crispness of last... [more]
The final part of a trilogy of collections he calls 'Interior' Jens Laugesen's A/W 2008 collection managed to tread a tricky line between historicism and modernity, integrating elements of Victorian costume into beyond-contemporary tailoring. Working with his usual, highly-restricted palette - black in a multitude of finishes and two shades... [more]
...especially when it's edible, as with this great addition to the fabled goodie-bag at the Jens Laugesen show.
It was difficult to tell exactly what Marcus Lupfer was trying to say in his show for Armand Basi. There was a touch of psychedelia to the garishly coloured purple, satsuma and green prints, the crystal-encrusted heels had shades of Louis Quatorze and Trapeze line dresses (yes more of those)... [more]
We are ahead of schedule so the experimenting goes on. Waiting for more fabric to arrive we have begun to attack the curtains & have discovered that using the wider heat sealer we can create a denim effect, so we are now making dissolvable jeans. The old fashion designer in... [more]
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While Alex blogged on into the night, the rest of the team swung by The Design Museum to catch the opening of their awards for best designs of 2007 last night. There is SHOWstudio material in two categories: FASHION, where Nick and Simon's cover for Arena Homme Plus is up... [more]
Frankly, a show based on 'Tudor princesses at the court of a 21st century Samurai' could only fill my very soul with dread, but Nathan Jenden's collection made me eat my words. The late hour, poor lighting and dank, mildewed venue somewhere under London Bridge station were equally portenteous of... [more]
Todd Lynn has always had a predilection for the darker side of life and his latest collection for winter was no exception. His pasty, whey-faced boys and girls - often so skinny as to make the difference in cut negligible - were dressed in a predominantly dark palette of black,... [more]
For Todd Lynn, Christian Louboutin created these sensational platforms in suede, lizard and pony - the ponytails attached to some are, one assumes, optional.
'Subdued' is rarely a word that leaps to mind with Basso and Brooke, but with their Winter 2008 collection the perennial jokers seem to have grown up somewhat. Programme notes referenced contemporary urban landmarks as well as the architecture of Gehry and Gaudi - the former evident perhaps in the... [more]
"I'm not sure how long London can keep him: that looked ready for Paris" were the redoubtable Diane Pernet's pearls of wisdom as we made our way across the crowded venue that housed this afternoon's Christopher Kane show. Whether or not Paris should be the natural destination for young designers... [more]
Appropriately enough, a cavalcade of 22 coats opened the Aquascutum show - after all, that is what the house does best. 'Couture' topped the list of inspirations, and in dividing their collection so emphatically into raincoated day and taffeta-ed night and showing in a venue where the audience could hear... [more]
The second part of the BFC double-act, Edward Meadham and Benjamin Kirchhoff also focussed on structured tailoring and a modern aggressive and even predatory femininity. The pieces that best summed this up - coincidentally the best pieces in their collection - were brief tailored jackets in firm double-face wool jersey,... [more]
To avoid the almost inevitable delays commuting between shows, Krystof Strozyna and Meadham Kirchhoff showed back-to-back in the BFC tents. Fresh from his MA at Central Saint Martins last year, Strozyna was up first, showing an architecturally astute collection of heavy structured cotton in white, black and eye-popping fuschia. Decorated... [more]
Building on his 'journey inside the body' last season, Marios Schwab's showstopping A/W '08 collection refined his 'peel away' layering into an artform. Focused on a longer, even leaner silhouette, Schwab's tissue-fine sheaths were intricately cut to reveal flashes of print or flesh beneath. The two were interconnected: artist... [more]
'The Replenishing body' has been shortlisted for the Design Museum Designs of the year in the Interactive category. There is an exhibition running until April and I have been down there over the past few days setting it up. It has a different look to what we showed in Newburgh... [more]
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Duro Olowu's aesthetic is perhap best described as West Coast meets Upper East Side, mixing up classic, even conservative shapes with the acidic colour and clashing pattern found in the costumes of Nigeria, his birthplace. This reason was no exception: despite a sea of subdued colour on other runways, his... [more]
Sir Paul has evidently been swotting up at the V&A - his showing this evening at Claridge's Ballroom reeked oh-so-elegantly of the august institution's Golden Age Of Couture exhibition. There was a distinct post-war air to proceedings: strict high-waisted pinstripes evoked Landgirls out for a good time as dressed by... [more]
'Futuristic Eskimos' were the somewhat unlikely inspiration for Louise Goldin's winter collection - and winter, indeed, was most definitely upon us. Despite the unseasonal and un-London balmy weather of the day, Goldin's models emerged dressed for the chicest of tundras in geodesic sweater dresses, full skater skirts and quilted and... [more]
At precisely the above point in Emma Cook's wonderful latex-n-lace rendering of Even Cowgirls Get The Blues the trusty SHOWstudio phone decided to die on us (temporarily), thus our conspicuous silence in the latter half of the afternoon. But fear not, all will be erratically blogged, starting with a closer... [more]
Fresh from presenting a BAFTA last night, Cuba Gooding Jr was the star turn at tonight's Swarovski concept store launch on Great Marlborough Street. But even he, in a dapper, Baker Boys-style cap couldn't upstage the splendid chandelier by French product designer Eve Pehar, hanging in the shop's spectacular mirrored... [more]
If you've ever wondered exactly who it is that actually made the mini-golf putting course for the Stella/Adidas do, or who constructed the magnificent Pepper's Ghost for the so-called Kate Moss 'hologram', then here he is. Simon Kenny, we at SHOWstudio believe, can do absolutely anything. Any-thing.
The London Fashion Week exhibition gives ample opportunity for you to sample the wares of designers not showing on the catwalk. Here is master milliner Stephen Jones' interpretation of the opera hat, a staple in any woman's wardrobe. Well, I wish.
You couldn't help wondering whether this was the collection that Avsh Alom Gur was desperate just to be over, such was the political pressure for this show to live up to the myth of the titular British designer. Inevitably, Gur paid reverent respect to the archive, as in this draped... [more]
In the plush deco surroundings of the Ciné Lumiere Saville Row stalwart Edward Sexton showed his winter collection for men and women. Tailor to Bianca Jagger, Twiggy et al in the swinging sixties, Sexton is an acknowleged master of feminising masculine tailoring (Stella Mccartney's first suiting for Chloe was made... [more]
Ann-Sofie Back always has an unusual slant on the more usual themes of fashion: her idea of 'lingerie-detailing' consisted of the kind of thong flashing much favoured by every D-list celebrity - although Ann-Sofie worked them in as ironic detailing on a hem, shoulder, or here into a whole garment.... [more]
Back's shredded satin gowns were a homage to Miss Moss' swift reworking of her torn gown at last year's Golden Age of Couture gala. Although i have no excuse for the Chris de Burgh lyrics.
Back's trademark 'finale' opening this season was all high octane glamour - albeit in Back's typically lo-fi style: to the dulcit tones of The Human League's 'Obsession' models poured out in silver screen bias cut satins with diamante piercings, wide raw hem trousers and ledge-shoulder grey jackets all referencing Garbo,... [more]
A bang, a blag and a blog mark the start of London Fashion Week for Winter 2008, and SHOWstudio, of course, are with it every step of the way! Our first show in the enclaves of Topshop's space is Ann-Sofie Back, this season apparently inspired by modern celebrity-obsessed pop culture,... [more]
Northern (mainland) Europe's largest fashion event Copenhagen Fashion Week is wrapping up this weekend. Over 1000 labels established a presence at the 5 day event including Matinique, Ann Hagen, Bruuns Bazaar and local menswear design icon Henrik Vibskov. London-based Preen showed their diffusion range Preen Line for the first time... [more]
We have been experimenting with a new powder which behaves like alkaseltzer. Trapped in buttons, as the striped fabric dissolves, the powder releases an energy which causes the buttons to spin and bleed colour. The spining bleeding dress next ?
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It may not yet be London Fashion Week, but the non-stop events are upon us! Here's Hywel Davies and Aitor Throup at the launch of Hywel's new book 'Modern Menswear' at Paul Smith HQ in Floral St.
Tonight Sølve Sundsbø opened his first solo show; 12 portrait images drawn from his 9 year career are installed in the brand new Spring Projects space in London's Kentish Town until 20th March. The Curator Andree Cooke explained that each image was consciously selected to be discrete and definitive: they... [more]
We've had a tip-off that BBC2's Newsnight will be featuring Helen's Wonderland project tonight. UK-based viewers should tune in from 10:30 UK time to see all and for those overseas, there's always the 'Past Programmes' dropdown on their website tomorrow!
