Fashion
The Best of London Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2013/2014
14:56This season, London Fashion Week was very disappointing. I think most designers were designing with their eyes close or were trying to be too creative. Sometimes we just want fashion to be simple and something we can wear every single day, after all these are ready-to-wear collections.
Surprisingly I was able to sift through all the collections and find a few that were worthy of being on my blog. I do appreciate the artistic efforts of all designers but sometimes you need to remember that you have to design clothes that women want to wear. There were a lot of okay collections, few great collections and too many terrible ones.
Hopefully all designers learn from their mistakes this season and blow our minds away next season.
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| Photo: Gianni Pucci/Indigitalimages.com |
Photos by InDigital
The Preen Spring '14 Collection was based on Miami and had Art Deco influences. As per usual florals made their way into another spring collection but like various successful New York Fashion Week collections, the florals were not the usual spring florals we are used to.
I am excited to see white on the runway once again. Last year's spring collections were made up mostly of black and deep blue and green tones. The white makes a great canvas for the art deco inspired graphics.
Spring '13 collections were made up of graphic prints last year at London Fashion Week and it is nice to see the trend being repeated but in a slightly different way.
I absolutely love the use of subtle asymmetry in the skirts and most were mirrored with asymmetry in the print.
As much as I wish spring collections could move away from print and floral, I can't deny that it is the staple of spring every single year. At least Preem has deconstructed florals and prints and at the same time rejuvenated it.
London Fashion Week is always the more artsy of the fashion weeks and Preen has been the best illustration of that element.
Photos by InDigital
Alice Temperley's clothing line is quickly becoming a favourite of mine. Last year Temperley London showed a very strong collection which I have seen being reinterpreted on runways this year and the same will most probably happen with this collection.
Unlike last year, this collection was very strong in colour and boasted an array of bolder prints.
The woman Alice designs for is one who does not care for the latest trends, she is the trendsetter. This is evident in the number of collections that are similar to the Spring '13 collection as mentioned before.
With the amount of pink and variety of fabrics, this collection is very romantic and delicate. However the inclusion of a hint of leopard print makes it a bit more fierce. Leopard print has been abused in retail stores so it is always nice to see a fashion house take on the print.
I absolutely love how leopard print and florals have been used together. It is something we have seen before but not like this.
The darker items in the collection obviously makes the collection a lot heavier but it is a reminder that one can wear darker colours in spring.
This collection is not for juvenile style junkies, it is for a woman who is aware of her style and aware of fashion.
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| Photo: Gianni Pucci/Indigitalimages.com |
Photos by
Fashion week has been dominated by the '90s trend and we all know that menswear was a big part of the 1990s. We also know that Paul Smith is one of the only designers who is able to adapt menswear into womenswear, which is why Paul Smith is the perfect design house to wear this spring if you are looking to embrace the '90s trend.
The lovely thing about the Paul Smith collection is that it takes on the '90s trend but has adapted it for 2013.
Paul Smith made use of what I like to call organic geometry. There are no straight lines in nature and even though one of the jumpsuits is made of straight lines, the silhouette of the jumpsuit makes it look organic.
As '90s as the collection may look from a far, it has various hints of the 1970s as well. The wide leg pants, Panama hats and dresses all pay homage to the '70s.
Once again we see florals in another spring collection but Smith has made the print a minor part of the collection.
It was a very strong collection that will no doubt be emulated in various retail stores all over South Africa and the world.
Photos by InDigital
I am quite sure that in an alternate universe, Burberry is the synonym for beautiful. Once again Christopher Bailey put on a spectacular show that matched a speculator collection.
The collection begun with pastel skirts, coats and cardigans. The lace skirts and matching shirts were a favourite of mine and I would love to own both pieces some day if not today. I can safely say that those two pieces might just be the best garments to walk the runway at London Fashion week.
The trench coats were absolutely divine. South Africa's spring and summer is not cold enough to wear those coats but I would definitely wear one in winter. The trench coats look best in the pastel mint green.
Mint green was the colour of choice a couple of seasons ago and if it makes it's return in the form of Burberry, I am all up for it.
The grey cashmere cardigans are ideal for a South African spring and can be worn with anything. I love that they have have collars and are made to look like shirts.
Model of the moment, Cara Delevigne ended off the show in a lace skirt and top which was paired with a beautiful transparent jacket that was embellished with jewels.
As expected, this was definitely one of the best shows at London fashion Week.
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