London Fashion Week (LFW)- Fabulous at 25, Filled With Drama

As expected fashionista’s the 25^th London Fashion Week (LFW) Spring/Summer 2010 collections opened with a bang at its new venue Somerset House.  The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson opened the extravaganza with Chairman of the British Fashion Council  (BFC), Harold Tilman.

Following are the highlights of Days 1 & 2. Yes since I am in London I do have more to follow… so lets start with…

Day 1 did not fail to mesmerise the audience. But the outstanding designers of the day for me were the veterans Paul Costelloe and Caroline Charles.

The Dublin born designer Paul Costelloe’s feminine, elegant pieces with architecturally inspired elements, (as shown in the pictures below) had a hint of  the 60’s futuristic feel.  I felt although the garments had exaggerated shoulders, funnel necklines, pleat details and strong geometrical elements, that the pieces still accentuated the female form.

If you’re a women that likes to blend in, this collection is not for you .

We were introduced to Paul’s menswear collection also which I have to say complimented the women’s pieces extremely well. Which no doubt was his intention.  I managed to have a few words with him after the show and he definitely is a really nice guy. So it’s a HUGE thumbs up for the collection and the designer.

Caroline Charles tantalised us with a collection that was fresh, fun, vibrant and distinctly British, see below. Her Cruise line was predominantly red, black and white, solids, polka dots and exotic prints. I JUST LOVED the wedge heels and high leg flirty,frilly bikinis and one piece swimsuits.

The rest of her collection had incredibly feminine skirts, trousers and jacket combinations. The all white evening element of her collection contained large amounts of embellishment such as sequins, beading, embroidery and lace.

I really could not find anything to dislike about Caroline’s show, it was exquisite from start to end. Caroline and her team are truly creative people.

Day 2 at LFW continued as it started with far to many amazing collections for me to mention them all. Following are a few that were just outstanding.

Mark Fast’s show created so much drama on and off the runway. Why?  BECAUSE  he selected  size 12 and 14 models to participate in his show, his  stylist actually quit.  Well I say  GOOD RIDDANCE! Power to Mark and his team for sticking to there guns and allowing the curvy ladies on to the runway.

Its refreshing that such a talented designer  is creating hot and sexy pieces that ALL women can wear. The collection was vibrant, sexy and intricate. See below.

The detail such as the spider and lace-like treatments combined with fringing were delicious. His figure hugging pieces were both modern and sassy. However I do feel undergarments were required for some of these gorgeous creations.  Too many nipples and thongs were visible as a result of the construction of the garment.  I only posted the pieces with the most coverage.

The Central St Martins graduate Mary Katrantzou sponsored by Topshop presented her spring summer collection at the Topshop venue.

Her fabrics were scrumptious, inspired by glass blowing images and then combined with crystals. Loved them!

The technique of sculpting the fabric into fans and swirls predominantly in the bodice area created dynamic, sexy and elegant pieces. Great collection! She’s still very young so we need to keep an eye on this talented young lady. I’m expecting a lot more from her.

It was great to see the PPQ design team presenting a collection where the models were predominantly, women of colour.  The collection was youthful, fresh and edgy. Loved the adidas emblem pieces, the 1950’s Bridget Bardot inspired pieces, ruffles galore and MC Hammer styled trousers. Yes I did say MC Hammer.

I have to say I’m not surprised that so many young celeb’s were present at the show. The Geldof girls, Annie Lennox’s daughters and Paul Weller’s daughters to name a few. It would be amiss of me not to mention the over-sized fabulous bags and heels to die for.

Days 1 and 2 were thrilling for me fashionista’s. Whats your take on the styles? How do you feel about the larger models on the major catwalks? Do you agree its great to see so many black models on the runway? Looking forward to your comments

Lets talk soon

Shaz (missing home but enjoying London).

All pictures from www.londonfashionweek.co.uk

Tags: designers, fashion, London Fashion Week