London Fashion Week has commenced, this year celebrating its 40th anniversary with a tight schedule counting 43 live, on-time shows.
The lineup includes London’s big flagship labels including Simone Rocha, Burberry, and JW Anderson along with a host of the emerging brands that the city is known for encouraging, from Dilara Fındıkoğlu to Conner Ives.
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Paul Costelloe: Downtown
On Friday, Paul Costelloe started the official schedule with a New York portrayal with smoke machines and blaring car horns. The Irish designer’s concept was ‘where limerick meets downtown New York’, and his show at Lindley Hall, opened with seven, cream wool outfits complete with rose appliqué trims and leg warmers.
The best designs of this season were in dark tweeds and navy wools, cut into dramatic trench coats with dark chocolate collars, or fishtail peplum skirts which crafted strong silhouettes when paired with Aran knit turtlenecks. On a more Uptown note, ball gowns came in merlot, velvets that were floral-printed complete with puffy sleeves — reminiscent of Emma Stone in Poor Things. Costelloe remarked that it was a privilege to be still among the lineup of LFW. The designer was not present for the final bow, which was done by his son William Costelloe and members of the design team.
Harris Reed: Shadow Dance
Harris Reed’s Thursday night show in the Tate Britain Museum was a spectacular collection. The 27-year-old kickstarted fashion week off with his typically queer flair. Reed has made a name for himself in the last seven seasons, as a go-to red-carpet designer but this time it was the clients who chose his pieces for life’s milestones to be his muse.
For inspiration, Reed returned to his royal references, which came together by looking at Queen Victoria’s paper dolls. Reed’s artistry has long placed a detailed focus on silhouette and this collection proved to be no different. Shadow Puppets was a perfect way to play around with light and explore these incredible shapes and find innovative ways of looking at his classic circle hats, against things that were a bit more conventional. The result was peplum waists with slim column skirts that accentuated the curves of the model. Pushing his design insight, Reed delved into print for the first time lifting floral prints to reapply across his gowns and corsetry.
Reed has charmed the A-list, with a starry turnout as always. This season, his first-row guests were Charithra Chandran, Golda Rosheuvel, Kaya Scodelario, Zawe Ashton and Tsunaina who sat together.
Preen by Thorton Bregazzi
The husband-and-wife duo Justin Thornton and Thea Bregazzi of Preen by Thornton Bregazzi have thankfully brought their sexy witch-y vision back to the catwalk.
They also gloriously delivered the first sunshine of spring as well, presenting their crisp collection on the rocking quayside by Waterloo bridge as the sun shone radiantly with the Houses of Parliament twinkling behind. A marvellous London moment, one that makes you wonder how the riverside is such an excellent and underutilised show venue.
Authentic to form, the duo washed gothic references via with their 23 looks. Their trademark Nineties grunge and sportswear touches featured – bomber jackets fashioned with blazers, giant trapper hats spliced with swathes of a quilted wrap house skirt from a quilted eiderdown – an indication to their homeware collection, which would soon be expanding to include wallpaper and furnishing fabrics.
While this upcoming season ushers in LFW’s 40th anniversary celebrations, fashion-lovers can expect even more fanfare in September, which is just before the event’s birthday in October. It’s an amazing opportunity to tell the stories of the fantastic talents that have been part of fashion week, truly encapsulating what a complex, intricate, radical and provocative place London is, and what other cities can learn from its scrappy ways of safeguarding its creativity.
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