London Fashion Week: Part II

London Fashion Week:
Spring/Summer 2013 - Part II

You read Part I of my LFW review, so here is Part II for your reading pleasures. One thing which became apparent when writing up this review, is just how insane and colourful London is when it comes to fashion. We all knew that having such powerful influences (think Vivienne Westwood's SEX shop days, The Spice Girls, Kate Moss, Austin Powers and the likes) surrounding us would no doubt result in collections such as those which appear each season at LFW; and to see that we make such a bold statement and stand out from the rest of the fashion capitals in the world certainly does invoke a little patriotism and pride - even if the collections are completely Lady Gaga and a little bonkers. Well, prim and proper does tend to get a little boring after a  while doesn't it? Us Brits just like to keep things interesting.

Philip Treacy

Like I mentioned above, Lady Gaga did indeed open the Philip Treacy show decked head to top in Arabian pink chic - complete with platform boots that really do resemble stilts. The head gear was the main feature of the show however, with some contraptions that verged on absolute madness - a bell shaped light-feature hat which encased the entire body and that smiley face which had me taking a second glance at to make sure that no-one had just edited it onto the model in any way using photoshop. It made for a very interesting and comical collection however, even if it did take all of the attention away from the clothes: an eclectic collection of pinstripe suits, leather trousers, Michael Jackson jackets and a dozen studded belt details and straps. It didn't really make a whole lot of sense, but it didn't matter because it's right up Lady Gaga's street and the designer is bound to make a buck or two from the popstar next season. 

Moschino Cheap & Chic

I'm going to be honest here and say that I didn't quite enjoy the Moschino Cheap & Chic SS'13 collection as much as I did AW'12. I did however, have an appreciation for a few key separates such as: those leather sports trousers with neon green paneling down the side and a few geometric print skirts thrown in for good measure. This particular collection took inspiration from our European neighbours in the sense that it paired sheer shirts, dressy skirts and dresses with brightly coloured sneakers and creepers (I'm a poet and I didn't know it!) - creepers obviously being a trend which Moschino felt had to be brought into the new year from 2012. The collection as a whole felt very 60's with a sporty twist and has given the era a vibrant revival. I will certainly be indulging in the sporty trend for Spring 2013 anyway!

 Christopher Kane

Christopher Kane took inspiration from the one and only Frankenstein for his SS'13 collection and I have to say, I absolutely loved it! The opening few looks were crisp white with padded oversized sleeves, cropped to the waist with some very lovely buckle detailing to finish off. Then came the colour in the form of pink blush, merging into purple, grey and black. Weaved skirts and jackets and connected 'jelly' bows all followed to give a fun and girly feel to quite a horror subject. My two favourite looks from the collection would have to be the printed Frankenstein head t-shirt with transparent pencil skirt and the sheer pink blush skirt and jacket with white top and what looked like a tape-stitching detail across each separate. Christopher Kane is one of those designers at London Fashion Week who will consistently give us collections which make us want to take a closer look and understand his thought process at the design stage. He has something very unique and I love how well his SS'13 collection showcases that fact. 

 Burberry Prorsum

In Part I of my LFW review, you will have probably noticed how often the space-age trend popped up for SS'13. Well, if you were to pick out one designer who took this trend and went to town with it, it would be Burberry Prorsum without a shadow of a doubt. Metallic trenches in shades of pink, blue, green and everything in between were accompanied with over-sized satin finish jackets which cocooned the body and fastened at the neck to allow a peek-a-boo of what lay underneath. Cropped capes which finished midway down the bicep and foil t-shirts, skirts and dresses showcased a very appealing way to dive into the space age trend for Spring 2013. I particularly loved the menswear with colourful bombers, metallic shine shirts and some very cool sunglasses which kind of had a Terminator feel to them. The purple bomber shown above would actually look great on blogger Jordan Porteous of My Style Ramblings: as soon as I saw it, I immediately thought it would be right up his street. If you haven't heard of his blog until now, I definitely recommend checking it out.

Giles Deacon

Ahh Giles Deacon. This collection would make anyone want to risk the seven years bad luck and smash a mirror. "A good smashed window can be quite beatiful in the right part of town" - Giles Deacon backstage at his SS'13 show. That it most certainly can. Especially when you throw in some nature prints and a winged horse or Pegasus if you will. Who knew that a full skirted dress would look absolutely fabulous with a huge horse printed on the front? The colours and uniqueness of the collection were what initially caught my eye and ultimately secured it's place on this review. It is different from anything else at both NY or LDN fashion week this month and I just can't stop inspecting each little section of detail on those smashed window garments. 

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