CHRISTOPHER KANE

Christopher Kane AW 12

That Mr Kane has been watching some dark stuff in the run up to this show, namely the serial killer movie, Cruising. It was all a little sinister in reference with the purest blood red dresses that had the illusion of looking almost wet and watermarked silk pieces reminiscent of coffin linings. Dark? yes, even the placed florals were on black and in sinister shades, but it could in no way be described as gothic – it was strong, powerful and beautiful in Kane’s signature style.

Christopher Kane AW 12

BURBERRY PRORSUM

Town and Field was the name of the collection and that’s exactly what we got. Christopher Bailey worked country classics like flat caps, tweed and heritage tailoring with towny dressed-up references – lace, bow belts, peplums, ruffles and voluminous sleeves. The final curtain call came with the style and panache you would expect from a Burberry Prorsum show with the rain ‘turned on’ outside the clear tent and the models walking done the runway with umbrella’s that are surely going to the must-have accessory for Autumns showers.

Burberry Prorsum AW 12 (Picture from Burberry)

McQ

As the last show of a very long Monday it needed to be crowd pleaser – and of course it was. On entering the nondescript warehouse space in New Oxford Street we were transported into an enchanted forest (with a bar) and a crunchy floor of autumn leaves. This show took elements of mainline Alexander McQueen collections and made them accessible with a bit of an urban and military edge – the volume trend continued shooting from the hip here too, either tulip shape skirts or full on stand out pleats.

MARY KATRANTZOU

A fabulous start to Tuesday morning, and a riot of colour. ‘Colour is the fruit of life’ by Guillaume Apollinaire read the title of the show notes and this set the scene for the show.

Mary Katrantzou AW 12

A succession of colours came out, each colour associated in print by specific everyday objects. ‘I like to find the beauty in everyday things’ said Mary afterwards to the assembled crowd. Hence Crayola box colours of yellow, blue and green were accompanied with pencils, 70s telephones, lawns, watches and many more objects. This wasn’t the end of the story though ‘I wanted to challenge myself by really engineering the silhouette around the prints, which is very difficult to do’, and indeed these prints came to life with the amazing structure built out of the pieces, no two the same. She worked with Lesage, the atelier de broiderie owned by Chanel to work the sequins and embellishment onto the pieces too. ‘It literally took my breath away’ said Matches International Buyer Natalie Kingham after the show.

Mary Katrantzou AW 12

Mary Katrantzou AW 12

ANYA HINDMARCH

There had been a few questions asked as to how super-star bag designer Anya Hindmarch was going to pull off a ‘show’ of her own this fashion week rather than a presentation. She delivered. Seats were facing a still set built of conveyor belts, old furniture, piled boxes and a plywood ferris wheel. As two headscarf wearing 40′s housewives chatting accidentally released a handle the whole thing came to life. Robotic bags and shoes moved around the conveyor belt, a steam train lead pieces around a track, furniture opened, bags danced and gloved hands appeared to shake and play with Anya’s sparkly clutch bag, pumps and platforms. Towards the end curtains went back at the top of the set to show Anya peddling away on a bike ‘powering’ the whole thing. An explosion of ticker tape signalled the end. Fabulous!

ROKSANDA ILINCIC

Roksanda Ilincic AW 12

The queen of cocktail dressing decided to take a slightly different direction; leisure and weekend wear. ‘I wanted to dress up leisurewear, I wanted my woman to rebel a bit, take some androgynous pieces and menswear influences’ said the designer. Jersey fabrics, sweaters, cute monogrammed crisp white shirts and parkas somehow fitted in effortlessly with Roksanda’s jewel toned evening aesthetic to create a show that in no way seemed dressed down. A duffle bag and cropped puffa jacket with an evening dress? If it works why not.

Roksanda Ilincic AW 12

HOLLY FULTON

‘The starting point was Lady Chatterley’s lover and I imagined my woman as a glamourous lady just on her way back to her grand house from misbehaving in the green house with the gardener – she’s still immaculately turned out and accessorized but has dew in her hair’ said he Scottish designer backstage. Doesn’t she sound like fun?

Holly Fulton AW 12

This high-maintenance-woman collection stuck to just two colours – fuchsia pink and bright turquoise, scattered with small repeat patterns of the art deco prints that are Holly’s signature. Did we also spot some palm leaves and butterflies in there? ‘I was thinking about greenhouses and my Mum – she only ever wears blue and works in a botanical gardens’.

Holly Fulton AW 12

PICTURES BY OWEN REYNOLDS

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Jonathan Saunders A/W 12

Colour, texture and print collided with gorgeous rose print silk up against a stiff metallic tailoring and dresses – all buttoned up to the neck with a cravate, it made for a well-dressed, polished woman. ‘We started with equestrian colours and some Japanese images which I loved but we were unsure which of these directions to take it in – thankfully they came together’ said Jonathan post show.

Jonathan Saunders AW 12

To top off a fab show it had even been timed so the sun set across the London skyline as the show finished – well worth the wait for the lift.

MATTHEW WILLIAMSON
The Royal Opera House was lit up a treat and Matthew Williamson was in a buoyant mood as he started celebrations for the 15th year of his label. ‘I wanted this to be a celebration of the DNA of the brand – a fusion of ornamentation and decoration done in a pared back way’ said Matthew.

Matthew Williamson AW 12

Matthew Williamson backstage AW 12

Decadence was not in short supply as luxurious brocade fabrics, heavy embellishment in chains, swarovski crystal and sequins and glossy wet look finishes graced pieces for all occasions. As Matthew himself said ‘who doesn’t love a pair of gold brocade pants with a cuban heel – might even get a pair myself!’ Us too.

ACNE
The last show on Sunday evening saw us sipping Campari cocktails in the concrete surroundings of The Old Sorting Office for the Acne show. The collection woke us up after a long day with its clashing textures, sculpting silhouettes and flashes of unexpected, eye-popping colour.

Acne AW 12

Acne AW 12

Jonny Johansson, Acne’s creative director, drew inspiration from the body in art, the subject of the next issue of Acne Paper, that looks at the body through the eyes of an artist. And the end result? Structure and definition through super-wide waist belts, wave like volume in quilted puffa jackets and fleshy pinks and dusty hues with a flash of fluro.

ANTONIO BERARDI
‘I tend to take lots of different inspirations, chew them up and spit them out’ said Antonio backstage ‘but the end result was something based on Roccoco era and the Boston Tea Party’.

Antonio Berardi AW 12

A pallette of grey, nude and white peppered with red and turquoise paraded out in stiff voluminous tailored pieces, all sloping shoulders and snaking folds of fabric from the waist.

Antonio Berardi AW 12

The end evening looks were fluid and body skimming dresses and gowns with heavy and luxurious embellishment, it had us asking, how weighty are those pieces to wear? ‘Not heavy at all – I love the idea that the embellishment looks so grand but the material is actually a light weight plastic’ he replied with a smile.

SOPHIE HULME
Every season Sophie picks a charm which is given with each item bought, in the past there have been whistles and animals but this season it was a dinosaur. Far from a frivolous gimmick, the dinosaur, or specifically toy dinosaurs influenced the collection – sounds silly but it’s not.

Sophie Hulme AW 12

Sophie’s point is that us humans have no idea what colour dinosaurs actually are and hence toy dinosaurs are always bright colours, this led Sophie to shots of pink throughout the collection, dinosaur prints and lace cut-outs – you never know, a dinosaur could have been coated in lace. If it sounds overly cutesy, it really wasn’t, it was just gorgeous wearable pieces we want to wear now.

ERDEM
Oh this lady was a bit of a vamp – in a totally non threatening way though. Lace, lace on lace, lace print, appliqued florals, print florals, it was all there and executed to perfection as we have come to expect.

Erdem AW 12

Only there was something a little harder to this collection, maybe the rubberised finishes or acidy yellow, lime and pink colours running through – ‘our lady this season is stronger and I like taking something perfect and making it not’ said Erdem backstage, all seemed perfect to us.

Erdem AW 12

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PICTURES BY OWEN REYNOLDS AND YASMIN COKE
ADDITIONAL WORDS BY YASMIN COKE

Issa AW 12

Head-to-toe prints, elegant evening wear, fur hats and flowing maxi shapes made up the collection that was inspired by the journey from Moscow to Beijing. ‘The collection is very Russian-inspired and then there is Mongolian fur and Chinese influences that lead to art deco’, said Daniella Helayel post show of the collection. Happily, it still managed radiated her signatures (and best sellers) through silk jersey dress and floor-length lace gowns.

JW Anderson
Hot new talent to the London Fashion Week schedule, JW Anderson made the most of Central Saint Martin’s relocation to a new part of town and showed in the drafty old building the college once occupied.

JW Anderson AW 12

This brave collection of voluminous fleece-backed quilted pieces and super-shiny PVC tunic and trousers in matching sombre colour combos, had some sinister inspiration. Named the Chamber of Isolation, ‘the collection was inspired by a psychotic woman in surburbia who becomes neurotic’, said Anderson backstage, ‘the quilting is like a life jacket – it gives an awkwardness’. Creepy but cool.

JW Anderson AW 12

Vivienne Westwood
As always the flashbulbs were going crazy for supermodels (Jacquetta Wheeler, Janice Dickinson), actresses and strangely celebrity chefs (Heston Blumenthal – nope we don’t know why either). Cue Westwood favourites on the catwalk from tailoring in ticking stripes and tweed check, jersey cowl blouses and dresses and some corseted red carpet numbers in a jacquard and velvet – well Meryl Streep was wearing Vivienne to collect her BAFTA so maybe the A-list will see Westwood as a lucky charm for the Oscars later this month.

Vivienne Westwood Red Label AW 12

PICTURES BY OWEN REYNOLDS AND YASMIN COKE

ADDITIONAL WORDS BY YASMIN COKE

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Alexandra Jefford AW 12

The exhibitions newest addition this season was the Rock Vault. If bling is your thing you’d be very happy in this space on the Embankment Terrace, where designers including Matches favourites Alexandra Jefford and Fernando Jorge showcased their latest fine jewellery designs.

Alexandra Jefford AW 12

Jefford’s latest pieces focused on gold, ‘well it is our new found commodity’ she explained. ‘I take a lot of indirect inspiration from the sculptor Chillida, just the way he uses space and heavy metal but manages to achieve a lightness to his work’. Irregular shaped necklaces and statement rings with large engraved plate details really took our eye.

Fernando Jorge AW 12

Stunning green calcite was the first thing we noticed when approaching Fernando Jorge’s stand. ‘I wanted to build upon the fluid collection and I’m calling this the ‘green series” Ferndando started. ‘I like to take historical jewellery pieces, striping them back and just working with the feminine and fluid shapes I’m left with’.

Jane Carr AW 12

Back in the main exhibition rooms it’s always hard to miss Jane Carr’s stand – a riot of colouful scarves lighting up a room. ‘This is season we’ve called the collection Wilderness with a signature snow leopard print’, said Jane. Still vivid, the colours have progressed to icier shades than last seasons hot brights.

Camilla Skovgaard AW 12

Camilla Skovgaard AW 12

What could possibly make our heart skip more than diamonds and silk scarves? That would be shoes. Camilla Skovgaard’s knock out heels for AW 12 didn’t disappoint. Knockout details included laser-cut details based on medieval prints and a new platform shape taken from locomotive and steam trains – this could encourage us to to take up train spotting.

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PICTURES OWEN REYNOLDS AND YASMIN COKE

ADDITIONAL WORDS YASMIN COKE

Preen AW 12

The resulting beautifully-drawn butterfly and floral prints were used in panels on backdrops of white, forest green and rust. ‘This season we really focused on blouses, skirts and dresses as they did so well for us last season’ Justin said of feminine silhouettes with trademark sporty edge.  The collection certainly made beautiful viewing up close with a fabulous flat fabric they were dubbing ‘scuba wool’ and couture like details of ribbon lace sleeves, crystal encrusted cuffs and fine chain embellishment.

Preen AW 12

Preen AW 12

The second presentation was that of a less established designer to the LFW schedule Emilia Wickstead, but her relative newness hasn’t stopped her making a splash. Her designs have landed on the back of Samantha Cameron among others which meant the very small front row was packed with influential names. Speaking before the show Emilia said her inspiration came from ‘horse riding, Windsor Castle and being entertained in the English countryside’ – a very English state of mind from the native New Zealander. This translated into opening looks in printed organza with a gorgeous smokey black-on-nude equestrian print.

Emilia Wickstead AW 12

Emilia Wickstead AW 12

The mid-section worked block colour with deep reds and nudey pink on dresses, skirts and jumpsuits in wool crepe . The show-stopping final exits were big skirted full-length gowns in black embellished jacquard with Victorian square necklines. Pleating is something of a signature for Emilia, and they came in all forms, fanning from nipped-in waists and necklines to create her ladylike and sophisticated silhouette.

Emilia Wickstead backstage at her AW 12 show

PICTURES BY OWEN REYNOLDS

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