London Fashion week final show, Simon Gao

As the fashionably fabulous disperse, returning to their stations to live anonymously until the next fashion week, I was grateful to catch the last show of what has been a great week. Although initially critical of the collections earlier in the week Simon Gao certainly ended fashion week with a bang. And of course he would. Arguably China's hottest designer right now, Simon Gao surely enriched London with his beautiful Fall winter 2014 collection.

       

Gao benefits from a wealth of cultural experience. Traditionally Asian silohettes were reinvented with am minimalist European touch. The attention to detail and quality of each piece was evident, as the expertly crafted fabrics glided down the runway.

What I loved about this ready to wear collection was that it was just that, so wearable. Wearable art, the collection was full of statement pieces that on their own would transform any wardrobe. Although working from a muted palette of black, grey, white and khaki, the collection was anything but understated.

Whist waiting for the show to start, I i-spied a few of China's elite, such as the Editor-in-Chief of Elle China as well as some home grown favourites... Tinie Tempah was there, looking impeccably smart as always, along with super couple Rochelle Wiseman and JLS's Marvin Humes- taking a page out of the Beckhams book, in complimenting outfits. Cute.

Video coming soon x

The IT List : Gold, Felder Felder, Chanel and the East

I have been coming across a number of things I simply must share , so I am starting a tradition.  The It List.a compilation of all the random things in the week I see & love.

The It
I.
GOLD

Vogue Italia highlighted the comeback of gold & just had to re-blog. Gold is back- so all you fools who sold yours for cash, you can cry now, pay later. I love gold- when it is done right. Gold compliments my skin tone, and since summer is coming soon (I was promised) , it will suit all the tans that will no doubt follow.

Vogue  Italia  Trend list

 It's no surprise that the Italians who have a heritage for opulent glamour are starting the campaign for the re election of gold. They have got my vote :)

 Something to keep you holding on till the sun shines: these gorgeous D&G sunglasses.

Jason Wu revives Saturday Night Fever for the 21 st Century whilst Balmain revives the regallity of east and west.

The It
II.
Felder Felder AW 13 at LFW

Sensational sisters Annette and Daniella Felder exploited what I love most about Autumn : the opportunity to experiment with textures, and colour whilst layering up against seasons changes. Inspired by the 70s, Felder Felder re-visited an era rich with texture, opulence, attitude and colour , and gave it a millennium makeover utilizing new fabrics to create  visually stunning combinations.

Velvet & Latex

The IT 

 III.

Chanel Lego Bag

Rumoured the 'IT bag' of 2013, Chanel's Lego Bag had to make it onto my it list. Now, I am not one to break the bank for a hand bag, but even I want this...so I guess I better bust out my old Lego set and get to work... :)

 

IT List 

 VI.

The STYLIST : Asia Edition

Asian Supermodel Miao Bin Si introduces herself to London with a stunning editorial for The Stylist. 

 I love to see Asian models in western media, in fact I love to see a healthy variety of multicultural  beauty represented in the fashion industry. With the dawn of the Chinese new year came a record amount of Asian models on the runway of LFW :This shoot celebrates progress for representing diversity in fashion.

Enjoy visual & cultural benefits by loving thy (global) neighbors...

And my own personal IT ... Classic inspired beauty- 

THE IT LIST 

by

 LAW

Lois Aymes Wilson

xxx

LFW He Said / She Said...

"London is the future, these youngsters are the future... I've seen people around recently, and sometimes I have no idea who they even are, but they are doing incredible things."

-Manlono Blahnik via Vogue UK...

Hmm this quote thing has me on a roll...check out these interesting looks from LFW and the designer quotes that go with them.

                                                 Vivienne Westwood

“I like to design clothes that would attract interesting people - if you attract interesting people, then your social life will be better for it,”- Vivienne Westwood to Vogue UK

Well I'll give her that, this collection is certainly made for an interesting individual. Once you get past the crazy makeup the pieces are subtly beautiful.

Mark Fast

“I’m developing all the time, but it’s the same yarn,”  Mark Fast, Via Vogue.

Said Mark Fast of he's noticeably sedated AW13 collection. Aw13 was a contrast from his urban inspired previous seasons, seen on Rihanna, Beyonce & Niki Minaj. This collection is more grown up yet still remains rooted in the vibrant, playful signature of Mark Fast. 

LCF MA13 Grads explosive start to LFW

I love to discover the next generation of talented designers & so I was thrilled to attend the London College of Fashion MA graduate designer catwalk show  this morning. I can just imagine late nights, tears and tantrums that must have gone into creating these incredible collections- the craftsmanship alone testament to the labour of love. Pre finals drama aside, these selected designers had made it to the in the tranquil setting of the Royal Opera house. The spectacular venue was the perfect back for introducing the industry to the brightest stars to fall onto the fashion scene...I am telling you, catch these names and put them in your pocket... They aren't fading any time soon.
To see the show for yourself click here

Shooting Star number 1. 

Na Di

My pet favourite from this mornings show comes in the form of menswear designer Na Di. Born in Beijing, Na Di's collection was inspired by the art of Shan Wen Kai of the ancient Tang dynasty- well I say, it doesn't get more 'retro revived' than this.  

The inspiration may be a throw back, but the collection couldn't be more relevant to the trends within urban hip hop culture, which has always been a sucker for bold prints and strong busts of colour. In keeping with another hip- hop tradition, Na Di collaborates with an artistic friend to create the illustrations used to for her original fabric. 

Beautifully achieving the objective to examine the product of the intermingling of Ancient Asian traditions with Western fashion, the LCF grad has managed to create a truly unique collection. She ultimately wants to set up her own line - the day she succeeds I'm warning you, despite it being menswear, I will be first in line to rock one of those stunning jackets, now thats what I call a conversation starter piece.

Na Di, Menswear, MA London College of Fashion AW13 Collection

Shooting star number two :

Maddalena Mangialavori ( mouthful but worth it)

Well well,  I love the seductive feel of this collection, in which the fabric did the talking, and that is not without intent. Italian born Maddalena was inspired by the rich heritage of glamour from her homeland and intrigued ever present power struggle of the sexes. The London College of Fashion MA Grad collection was rooted in the concept of women being property, and the fabric chosen represents the women as furniture objects in the home. Genious.

Studying the correlations between fashion and anthropology is not new to this boffin, who believes that society and history are integral to the study of fashion. Well I certainly love the turn out of this theological debate. 

Keep an eye out for Maddalena Mangialavori (and learn how to say her name- as I promise this wont be the last time you see her).

Maddalena Mangialavori   London College of Fashion MA grad AW13 Collection.

Shooting Star No 3

Yan Yu 'Octo' Cheung

It was the futuristic steam punk glasses that first caught my attention.  Next was the unique and delicate knitwear. The love kept on flowing, as each look within this innovative collection offered a new element of intrigue. Enrapturing the onlooker down a rabbit hole of discovery, which was the intent of Octo Yan Yu.  The collection's inspiration was routed in the alchemy , an ancient practise and study, within lies the famous philosophers stone (rumoured to have the power to transform common metals into precious gold & silver -  no wonder Yan Yu was intrigued). All that aside, I just want to get my hands on the beautiful knitwear.

Shooting star number 4.

Yi Xie

Blazing hot and taking no prisoners is our final shooting star, Yi Xie. perhaps my favourite of the day , this vibrant collection was a kaleidoscope of colour, contrasting and contouring. The texture is thoughtfully threaded resulting in visual illusions of depth. All in all, this collection is what I imagine it would feel like to dive into a Miami beach house pool, filled with swirling colours of paint, to end up swimming into outer-space, to have Heidi Klum offer you a lemonade. Yes honey, for me it is all that and more. But enough about my strange fantasies, and more about this brilliant designer... Yi Xie is from Beijing and studied  her MA at London College of Fashion. This collection is a compilation of prior research involving the study of Hans Bellmer's graphic work to create these visually stunning, engaging pieces. Using contemporary techniques such as digital print and 3D technology, she creates innovative textiles that flatter the female form.  Her plans after her MA is to expand upon this collection. I can definitely see her line taking the music industry by storm. You heard it here first!

for a behind the scenes look into the creative process of creating these looks, click here 

I am not sure I have ever been happier to be a part of University of the Arts London ( UAL) family.    Keep an eye out for these talented bright designers and spread the word!

What a brilliant start to fashion week :)

Keep posted for more designer profiles in my coverage of  the best of LFW