Street Style: London Fashion Week

The shows may be in full swing in Milan but I'm still recovering from the mayhem that was London Fashion Week. I've finally gotten round to looking at some street style shots I took around Somerset House over the five days. To be honest, true style seemed a little thin on the ground, with many try-hard bloggers and "fashionistas" doing their best to grab photographers' attentions with weird and not-so-wonderful outfits. Alongside them were the less dramatic, yet unfortunately no-more-stylish followers of fashion who had clearly paid attention to the many guides online of how to get snapped by the street style paparazzi. There was a serious epidemic of girls in vertiginous heels stumbling over the venue's cobblestones, desperately grabbing at jackets "casually" hanging from their shoulders (because putting your arms through your sleeves is so last season don't you know?). It doesn't take much of a guess to link these looks with images of editors who wear similar outfits, yet their looks also include the logic that they have just hopped out of a car, with no chance of them walking too far between shows, coats hardly needed for the brief chill between their chauffeur and their front-row seats. There was also an obvious penchant for floral headpieces and tutus - a little more Halloween fairy than whatever (chicer I'm sure) woman who spawned this trend..

Don't get me wrong, I have no problem with flamboyance, nor "planned" outfits, nor an embrace of trends, however, you can tell when style is natural or forced. It's hard to explain, which is one of the essential elements of style - often referred to as that certain "je ne sais quoi", especially apt as the French are a nation that seem to be born with chic running through their veins. I can also understand why photographers choose to photograph extravagant, colourful, over-the-top outfits- because many chic outfits, especially the subtle ones, just don't have much effect in a photo. Although things went too far when I saw girls changing outfits while a photographer rolled about at various angles on the ground while his assistant tested the effects of a reflector - for what will eventually be portrayed as spontaneous shots.

My comment may sound harsh, as perhaps it is, but I never failed to be amazed during those few days at how people fail to grasp the concept of style. I was more amazed still by the looks photographers chose to shoot and my frustration grew and grew at the encouragement these people were receiving. I was unsurprised however, by the lack of London street style snaps by much-admired shutterbugs such as  The Sartorialist and Garance Dore - something that confirmed my own view. Nevertheless, the crowd kept me greatly entertained and certainly added to the enjoyment of people watching. Take a look below for some shots of outfits I admired over the week.

 

London Fashion Week - September 2012

Today was the last day of London Fashion Week. There was a distinct air of weariness and everyone's faces seemed a little duller, their shoulders a little heavier. But the ending was bittersweet, because, for me at least, it had been five days spent in a dreamworld of fashion shows, glamorous locations and beautiful people, with an atmosphere of apprehension and nervous excitement.

I had some surreal moments - like spotting Scott Schuman outside Somerset House, where with probably not enough hesitation, I went up and introduced myself, gushing and telling him I was a massive fan, my grin widening stupidly as he shook my hand, him telling me it was nice to meet me. He was lovely, perhaps finding my embarrassing display of enthuasiasm endearing, who knows? I met him again at his book signing the next day at Harrods, where Garance also made an surprise appearance. The nicest part of meeting them both was seeing their lack of pretension, their sincere smiles and hearing their genuine words. The world of fashion is all too often seemingly dominated by fake people, living up to the industry's reputations of back-stabbers and devils wearing Prada (although more often than not it's Zara).

I spotted a few other recognisable industry figure heads and people I admire over the five days- Caroline Issa of Tank magazine, Alexandra Shulman, Anna della Russo, Caroline Sieber, the list could go on forever. I was lucky enough to see the shows of designers like Paul Smith, Todd Lynn, JJS Lee, Eudon Choi, JW Anderson... I sometimes felt like I was floating, all the time waiting for that lurching, jolting feeling you get when you awaken suddenly from a dream.

I'll have posts on the shows and street style up soon but in the meantime, take a look below

 for some snapshots from the frontline.

This trio were dedicated posers for the week and the street style paparazzi proved to be just as dedicated.

1883 magazine's Ginger Clark takes it all in at Somerset House.

When you're too far back to shoot the runway, adapt.

 

The simple invite from Paul Smith that managed to whip me into a frenzy.

The Sartorialist doing an impromptu interview on the street for 1883 magazine.

Paul Smith took to the runway for the finale as I looked on in awe.

Disco balls galore at the W hotel for the Fyodar Golan after party. 

I half-expected Borat to appear as I watched a "model" change into over three outfits for "street style" photos as her photographer rolled about on the cobblestones. And when one camera snaps, you can count on a hoard of photographers to gather in a nanosecond. 

 And finally, a shot of myself with Scott Schuman and Garance Doré, all smiles.

NYFW S/S 2013

New York Fashion Week is back and in full swing. And with it comes the endless feed of party shots, street style snaps and of course, catwalk shows. I think New York is the fashion week I look forward to most- with Helmut Lang, Alexander Wang and Altuzurra being three shows I'm always excited to see. NYFW may not be over yet but my favourite shows are in so I thought I would share some of the looks that caught my attention...

Joseph Altuzarra's resort collection was an expertly-created combination of drape and masculine tailoring in an array of innovative fabrics- something that followed through to his Spring show. He got imaginative with tailoring, giving us the must-have piece of the season by putting vents in the sides of outerwear so that fully-fashion jackets could be worn as capes, no doubt inspired by the numerous shots of fashion folk hanging their blazers from their elegant shoulders. Drape slowly made its way into the sharply tailored looks through draped waistband sashes and softer peplums until down the runway came fully draped looks of sumptuous silks of cream and royal blue, golden trims, clusters of crystals, pailsey prints and scales of sequins. To accessorize the polished mish-mash of tailoring and drape, slick and playful, were some knee-high leather gladiator sandals courtesy of Gianvito Rossi.

Colour was also on the agenda at Helmut Lang, a brand known for cultivating a downtown cool its original creator would be proud of. Their resort collection, like Altuzarra's, gave us a hint at what to expect- the looser, boxier shapes reappearing again in place of the svelte body conscious silhouette and flattering draped shapes the label had perfected. That's not to say the show had lost its cool as the opening look proved- with its suitably slouchy, slightly Asian-inspired trousers paired with a relaxed, yet lean blazer in shades of pale apricot, clean white and subtle stone. The clean, almost minimalist vibe saw sportswear influences here and there, notably in the modern techno sandals, racy shorts and electric shots of colour which were actually inspired by creatures of the sea, as were the contemporary prints and jacquards, as well as the wet look fabrics. Leather and jacquard bikers, pleated shorts and sleek fabrics ensure that Helmut Lang won't lose its loyal fans despite their change in direction, but here's hoping they don't test their loyalty too far next time.

Once I saw The Sartorialist's shot of the Alexander Wang finale (below), I knew it was going to be an interesting collection. New York's cool kid Wang surprised everyone with glow-in-the-dark fabrics- certainly a way of making sure the show is remembered. Shapes started boxy like at many shows, with my favourite looks being those of the more fitted variety. But even the toned models couldn't look sexy in shapeless forms of the black and white that dominated the colour palette, only for some silver here and there. Lines were right-angled or nearly so, emphasised by the lines of almost invisible panels of fish wire embroidery that the Wang team created. Like at Helmut Lang, there were sportswear shapes aplenty which was a trend I didn't expect to outlast the Olympics. It was an innovative and experimental collection that was interesting to look at yet didn't quite evoke the sense of cool many fell in love with Wang for. Perhaps he knows it too- including Liberty Ross post-cheating-husband may have been a desperate attempt to get people's attention, albeit for the wrong reasons.

Lanvin Autumn/Winter 2012 campaign video

Lanvin's Fall 2011 campaign video featuring Karen Elson, Raquel Zimmermann and even designer Alber Elbaz dancing to Pitbull's I Know You Want Me was a viral hit. So, understandably, this year's Fall campaign had a lot to live up to.  Shot again by Steven Meisel, this time it features 'real' and unique people - from 82-year-old Apollo Theatre dancer Jacquie 'Tajah' Murdock, to a cool kid discussing 'phone-misplace-ia', to a man with an odd obsession with frozen blueberries... all combined by the wonderful Alber Elbaz's delightful sense of humour.

So many amusing characters, so many beautiful pieces from Lanvin, another killer campaign.

 Check it out below.

Words of Wisdom

Wise words. Via Nick Wooster.

Elusive Style

As much as I enjoy seeing photos of fun, frivolous fashion, nothing captures my attention more than those mysterious creatures who manage to stun us time and time again with outfits untouched by trends.

I used to be one for trends. Back when I was fifteen years old, I felt I needed one piece from each trend page in Elle or Vogue. These days, you can find me hunting for the perfect white t-shirt (it's an elusive creature), a fail-safe pair of jeans (Topshop or Zara), an every-day black leather bag (it has escaped my grasp for 22 years).... To add to the basics, there are some chic women whom inspire me- Solange Knowles and her pink lipstick, Clemence Poesy and her penchant for trilbies and fedoras, the Olsens and their massive array of jewellery (I love how they wear a ring on almost every finger). I couldn't possibly list every stylish woman and then there are the ones I see in street style photographs, whose names I don't know- their mystery adds to their appeal. And to my frustration. Because we all know that the key to chic isn't in the cream blouse they're wearing, or the bangle they chose to leave off their wrist that morning. Proportions are key, quality essential and I don't think a sense of humour and fun goes astray either. I sometimes wonder if their seeming disregard of trends, in a world obsessed by them, is another element that subconsciously adds to my fascination.

No matter how out of my grasp, I'll never tire of admiring these rare beauties from afar. Here are just a recent few of my favourite shots.

                                 

Killing Them Softly

Palme D'Or-nominated Killing Them Softly comes from director Andrew Dominik, once again pairing up with Brad Pitt, who played the lead of his 2007 movie, The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford. Based on the George V. Higgins novel, Cogan's Tale, it tells the story of Jackie Cogan (Pitt) who is investigating a heist that took place during a mob-protected poker game. One hopes Ray Liotta returns to his best form, having never really living up to the hype since Goodfellas, having  starred in the likes of Miley Cyrus' Hannah Montana in recent years. The Sopranos' James Gandolfini plays the part of 'New York Mickey' alongside a cast of lesser-known faces. The trailer alone provides many scenes of beating and bloody violence- in contrast to the line that gives the movie its name; 'I like to kill them softly, from a distance.' Pale blue, murky green and steel tones give the movie an eerie sort of atmosphere, enhanced with shots of coroners' tags on grubby big toes and slow-moving glimpses of sawn-off shotguns. The film is not without a couple of twisted gags too though- jump to one minute into the trailer to see what I mean.

Cinematography comes courtesy of Greig Fraser (Snow White and The Huntsman), while previous Dominick collaborator John Paul Horstmann takes care of editing and the formidable Francine Maisler heads up casting. Brad Pitt's slick shades and the rest of the wardrobe come from Scarface costume and production designer Patricia Norris who also, amusingly, worked on TV show The Waltons. With Johnny Cash forebodingly singing 'There's a man going round taking names..', it seems we have a pretty cool and apt soundtrack to look forward to too. Perhaps this will be the Drive of 2012? A lot to live up to, but the bar has been set. Take a look at the trailer below and judge for yourselves... Release is set for October 19th.