Eudon Choi

Looking back to London Fashion Week, on Saturday 18th I was particularly fond of the Eudon Choi show.  

Winner of the Vauxhall Fashion Scout Merit Award, as well as receiving backing from the new British Fashion Council x Elle Launch Pad, Choi is obviously hot stuff right now.

Having worked for Twenty8Twelve, Choi is well-versed in the art of understated cool..

This season sees Choi re-working classic workwear - aprons and overalls are inherent in every piece.  Extremely wear-able, the collection also includes such showpieces as the LBD above with a rather revealing cut and multiple straps.

Skirts layered with belts/bumbags, trenches, duffle coats and all adorned with leather patches and superfluous straps - there's almost something futuristic and yet wholly vintage (thirties..?) about this collection.  It is beautiful in its simplistic practicality and yet the seemingly practical elements actually serve no purpose in many of the designs.

In the designer's own words, this season he is inspired by “the industrial revolution; vintage warehouse overalls; the universal and democratic appeal of cotton.”

Playing on the idea of practical features and making them decorative, Choi has created a collection which is an absolute joy and totally 'lust-have'.

This jacket (below) with its neutral tones and multiple deep pockets would look so fresh with floaty maxis or silk shorts come summer (think safari or military) but could easily make the cut for Autumn 2011 too (perhaps with velvet leggings and boots..).

I'm afraid the picture I took doesn't really do it justice, but the pink shirt (below) has extra sleeves on the breast and torso.  Silky and feminine yet with this military detail this shirt could easily be worn by women with a penchant for male tailoring or equally by those who favour the pretty.

To conclude this collection Choi sent out some beautiful asymmetrically draped and bound dresses in both dusty pink and olive green marble effect.

Stunning.

I am totally in love with this entire collection.  Someone please point me in the direction of a point of sale...

Welcome to Happy

New post on Twin about the artists Sarah and Briony, aka Welcome to Happy.

http://www.twinfactory.co.uk/blog/culture/happy-days

They are currently showing their work at TOANDFOR in Archway/Holloway.  There until 10th October.

http://www.toandfor.co.uk

Portman Village 'Summer Lounge' Street Party

I'm sure many of you agree, any excuse to party is a good one.

And if you've not had your fill of LFW parties or if you want your first taster of VIP Fashion Week treatment, this will be right up your street.

The Portman Village 'Summer Lounge' street party is tomorrow, Wednesday 22nd September, from 12 noon until 8pm.  

In the heart of London but with a village-feel, the street party is supposed to unite a local vibe with global flavours and international talent.  Guests are invited to indulge, eat, drink and relax in what promises to be a rather eclectic event.  

There will be wine tasting, live music, poetry readings, comedy performances and DJ's throughout the day, as well as special events in stores.  I'm going to be heading down to Greenhouse Hair salon for tips on how to put your hair up and blow-drying (much-needed tutorials in my case).

At the event you will be able to pick up a Portman Village Club loyalty card entitling you to discounts of 10-25% on products and services from the shops and restaurants in the area.

Most hotly anticipated, however, is bound to be Osman Yousefzada's sample sale at his studio.  I'll be elbowing everyone else out of the way for a chance to get my mitts on an Osman original at 75% off.  

Lastly, to conclude the day there will be a Designer Jumble Sale in association with ON/OFF.  The sale starts at 12 at the Church of Anunciation, off Old Quebec Street, and ends with a charity auction at 8pm.  All money raised will be going to the Pakistan Flood Relief.

Seymour Place & New Quebec Street, London W1

Check out http://www.portmanvillage.com/news-and-events for more info

Anti-Design Festival

The Anti-Design festival is on at the moment in the heart of Shoreditch, based on one of my favourite roads, Redchurch Street.  

Check out more info:

http://www.twinfactory.co.uk/blog/art/new-era

http://antidesignfestival.com

Ones to Watch

Apologies for not staying on top of my blogging... LFW is too hectic to keep up.

So, yesterday was Vauxhall Fashion Scout's One to Watch show.

First up, Lilee.

Using only white, brown and blue (although brown and blue were in moderation!) Lilee's collection was fresh and structural.  Ruffles were romantic yet architectural.  Subtle prints adorned floaty skirts and capes and a stunning white blazer, silkily hanging over the bare bones of the model showed its gold popper buttons.

Each piece was stunningly tailored: crisp yet soft, strong yet delicate.

Next to the runway was Charlotte Taylor.

I'm super excited about this collection.  Crayon-colours and a relaxed silhouette make for an easy summer uniform.  Green velvet, yellow robot print, culottes and playsuits equalled an aesthetic that was fun without being too pushy about it.  The subtle reference to a kind of 1970's childrenswear evokes hassle-free dressing with a twist: the grey/beige hues underlining the collection were highlighted with stripes, layers and other small details that ensured wearing one of these designs is not only extremely possible for us mere mortals, but also a treat.

A.Hallucination, a menswear brand with a super-tight aesthetic came next.

Here there was also a modern 70's feel but in whole different way.  The palette of browns and blues made for a understated cool (way better than black, obviously).  Conventional shapes were mixed: duffle coats and macs formed a hybrid, toggles found their way onto a blazer and these new jacket styles were then layered: duffle jackets over blazers.

If my boyf will let me, I'm definitely dressing him in a few pieces from this collection.  Pure yum.

Lastly, Georgia Hardinge.

Ruffle heaven!  Silky layers, extreme ruffles, sheer floaty fabrics and fab trompe l'oil dresses made a rather romantic statement at Georgia Hardinge.  However, seemingly in two parts, the collection became stronger and more structured with boxy skirts exaggerating womanly hips into something more dangerous.

The juxtaposition between the white and yellow sheer soft designs and the harsh black really worked though.  Don't be afraid to work black during the summer.  And look forward to channelling easter chic(k)!

Prophetik...Pathetic?

The first Vauxhall Fashion Scout show on my schedule today was Prophetik.

Vauxhall Fashion Scout is normally one of the highlights of my schedule - they showcase up-and-coming designers, the crowd are always friendly and there's usually some goodies to boot.

Today I turned up to sample the free wine and see what this brand had to offer...

Designed by Jeff Garner, the eco-collection was entitled Midnight Garden.

A cloaked damsel began the show by walking onto a pedestal near the orchestra, the London Talalium Orchestra to be precise.  So far so kooky.

And then the show began..

White gowns with medieval sleeves and Maid Marion hair was the order of the day.  The gents appeared in waistcoats and had scarves round their necks.  A banjo-playing band accompanied the orchestra.  It all seemed a bit House on the Prarie gone awry.

I couldn't work out whether there was a sense of irony to be felt in the collection.  The catwalk had a grass carpet, the models had asymmetrical plaits..

No, definitley no irony.  And sadly irony was probably the only thing that could have saved this show from the realm of fancy dress.

Unfortunately Prophetik served up what can only be described as the kind of look that is stereotypically associated with eco-fashion: if you wear these clothes, your friends will think you've joined a hippie cult.

The only redeeming features were the fishtail plaits (the more successful among the plaits), the music and the fact that everyone enjoyed the designer's jig at the end with the hillbilly band.  I'm sure, however, he'd much rather we enjoyed his collection.

P.S. Sorry no pictures on this one, the internet connection in the press lounge is rather hit and miss....

Maria Grachvogel, LFW

So I'm at London Fashion Week and my busy schedule has kicked off this morning with Maria Grachvogel.  

Utilising a palette of pared-down nudes - greige, grey, grey-blue - and with accents of yellow the collection started off on a sombre note.  However those mocca notes intensified with the beat of the jungle-inspired birdsong music into something stronger. 

Remember playing marbles?  A sense of geology in action was translated onto the graphic tie-dye effect dresses.  Fiery notes merged with oceanic blues and whites reminiscent of the waves crashing.

The tailoring was simple and elegant in that simplicity.  Highlights included a nude silk blazer (the entire collection seemed to be almost exclusively silk) with a exaggeratedly draped back - giving it a wing-like look.

Yellow shorts had oversized draped pockets and a white maxi skirt floated down the runway.  Maria included her signature seam-free trousers in wool challis and crepe and the fishtail gowns seemed wholly appropriate for the red carpet as for a summer's day - just throw on a crepe blazer and you're good to go.

So, with white, yellow and maxi skirts still on the agenda for Maria Grachvogel for SS2010/11 I wonder what other trends are going to make the leap from our Autumn Winter wardrobes...