FROM EDITD: GEEK OUT ON LFW STATS

Posted by Fashion Junior at Large

Burberry was top designer for creating online buzz for their show

Editd came to our attention yesterday when FashEd discovered that she was among the Top 10 Fashion Week Tweeters according to their analysis of more than 300,000 tweets per day over the week. That led to some serious geeking out over fashion week details which we really wanted to share with you all.

Julia from EditD told us:

 'Based on the amount of online buzz generated, our interactive charts give an instant guide to who and what is hot. Our charts are built by connecting a specific fashion taxonomy with what people are talking about online before and during fashion week.

We love making this kind of data public, because it gives everyone an insight into the trends they can look forward to seeing in stores and they’re informative for industry insiders who use this kind of data (though in real-time) to ensure their buying and product decisions are right for the season and their customers'

EditD have also created full buzz reports from London and New York . Geek your hearts out fashion lovers!

LFW AW11: DONE! THANKS MERCEDES!

Posted by Fashion Junior at Large

So, that's over with for another season. Over the past five days, the Fashion Editor at Large and I have been to 40 different shows and presentations scattered all over London town, whilst also finding time to blog, network, and in the case of the Fash Ed, carry out a live Q&A session in Topshop with the brilliant David Koma.

None of this would have been possible (or at least, it would have been a darn sight more difficult!) if it wasn't for the wonderful people at Mercedes-Benz, who supplied our transport for the week, along with our lovely driver Nick (he rules!)

He got us to every show, and didn't offer a word of complaint as highly strung fashion girls piled in and out of the backseat, which steadily filled up with press releases, goody bags and hastily-eaten lunches!

Having this magical form of transportation allowed us to do so much more...

Here's the Fash Ed doing her thing:

Tweeting all the latest news on the move:

And even being interviewed in the back of our car:



So that's another fashion week officially in the bag: Mercedes, we couldn't have done it without you!

Images: Copyright FEAL

LFW TREND SPOT #1: WITCHCRAFT IS IN THE AIR!

 Posted by Fashion Junior at Large

 As the shows of London Fashion Week get well under way, I have noticed something decidedly spooky in the air. It seems that in their quest for inspiration, designers have thrown away their sketchbooks and turned to spellbooks instead!

The devil is definitely in the detail with this trend, as Maria Grachvogel sent models out in swathes of draped black silk, with decidely deathly makeup (black lipstick, pallid skin with an ethereal glow) and chunky, talisman-style silver jewellery. A ruff of jet back feathers appeared to have been plucked straight from a raven's back.

Maria Grachvogel AW11

This mysterious theme continued at Bora Aksu,where sheer black chiffon was gathered around heavy stitching which gave the impression of voodoo dolls, accompanied by bandages as hair accessories. This intriguing, severe look has distinct echoes of images of the Salem Witch Trials in Massachusetts, USA in 1692.

Bora Aksu AW11

 Detail of “Salem Witch Trial Courtroom Scene”
© Bettmann/CORBI

The Puritanical fashions of 1692 are obviously having an effect on designers in London today...

My suspicions were further confirmed at PPQ's brilliant show, closing day one of LFW. The Salem inspirations continued, with crisp puffed sleeves, fabric combinations of starched cotton and gothic black velvet, Quaker style high collars and gold buttons, not to mention the spooky cat hats (everyone knows a witch isn't worth her salt unless she has a black Familiar)

 PPQ AW11

It was impossible to miss the style icon that provided the reference for the hair in their show; none other than my childhood heroine, Mildred Hubble, of the Worst Witch books by Jil Murphy. I'd recognise those plaits anywhere.

Mildred Hubble, off for a day at Miss Cackle's Academy for Witches. What a style icon.

We had a feeling something witchy was going on ever since Meadham Kirchoff's show invite dropped through our letterbox. No doubt their Tuesday show will have more spookiness to add to the (cauldron) mix.

Meadham Kirchoff show invite

After day one of the shows, it is clear that this Autumn is going to be the Season of the Witch*.

*No relation to the utterly rubbish Nicolas Cage movie of the same name.

ORLA KIELY ATTRACTS A FLOCK OF BIRDS TO FASHION WEEK!

Posted by Fashion Junior at Large

If you go down to Somerset House today, you are in for a big surprise...the very lovely Orla Kiely, along with her friends at Relative MO, have set up a breathtaking installation in the Portico Rooms. In the midst of the hustle and bustle of the Exhibition and street-style photographers snapping everyone, they have created an adorable woodland setting, complete with garden sheds and a host of feathery friends hidden in the branches of the trees. The purpose of this oasis of calm? To present Orla Kiely's AW11 collection, which was inspired by The Birds, perhaps Alfred Hitchcock's most iconic film.

If you venture in to one of the sheds, there are vintage benches and stools for you to 'perch' upon while you watch a short film shot by Mercedes Helnwein, an incredible fine artist and director who is a close friend of the designer. The film features sweet 60's chicks dancing and playing in a room, wearing the collection, set against a backdrop of Kiely's prints and accompanied by an original soundtrack composed by the director's brother, Ali Helnwein. The sudden closeups and choppy editing all add to the Hitchcock-inspired spooky atmosphere.

I managed to find the designer herself between the trees, so we had a chat about the collection. Apparently she has always adored The Birds, although as a child, found it pretty terrifying! She wanted the AW11 looks to capture the essence of the movie; the girlish silhouettes of the early 60s and the elegance of Tippi Hendren.

All of the prints she designed for this collection either feature birds or were inspired by them, such as a peacock shape that evolves into a more graphic wave shape. The little suits and high waisted skirts are all entirely covetable, and the magic touch of Leith Clark, who styled the collection, is clear to see.

The triple collar blouses and bird printed bodices were particularly pretty details, along with a colour palette of cream, green, navy and orange. My tip for LFW: take a moment today to take a break from the madness and relax in the Orla Kiely woodland, as well as admiring the gorgeous photos of the AW collection. It's worth it, if only to giggle at the seagull perched atop one of the sheds; not quite your usual fashionable 'bird'!

Images: FJAL

LFW 'ONES TO WATCH'

Posted by Fashion Junior at Large

The Ones To Watch show held by the Vauxhall fashion Scout supports and nurtures young talent, and helps get them ready for the official schedule. Designers who have passed through to success include
Dean Quinn, Hermione de Paula and Eudon Choi. I headed down to check out the possible next big things and to chat to them backstage...

CHARLOTTE TAYLOR

 

The cute playful shapes of Charlotte's first ever catwalk show were complimented by the muted primary colour scheme and 'vintage robot' print motif, which she says was inspired by a robot pencil sharpener she bought for her boyfriend! Strips of applique velvet and denim were a recurring theme, as were the industrial T necklaces with large eyelet holes, based on the sails of boats in her Isle of Wight hometown. As a designer she is unconcerned with trends and prefers to design simply with a 'young, sporty, girl' in mind.

 

  Charlotte Taylor walks with her final designs

GEORGIA HARDINGE

Or should I say, 'Queen of the Ruffles'. Georgia's angelic, raw-edged, ruffle creations were inspired by Jean Cocteau, La Belle et La Bete, and French Baroque craftmanship. Others featured collaged photo prints based on sculptural stone forms, and there were some statement caged pieces reminiscent of bustles. The ultra feminine collection is very wearable and it doesn't suprise me that she is meeting with Harrods later this week (as well as working with Charlotte Stockdale to create four bespoke pieces for Victoria's Secret!)

 

 Georgia Hardinge amd her models

LILEE

Lilee's work was extremely elegant, a pure white collection with touches of deepest navy blue. Many of the pieces were hand-pleated, and all featured her signature clean lines. She is obsessed with 'luxurious, high energy, energetic women' who play ladylike sports and walk their dogs while wearing immaculately pressed clothes. I had spotted an interesting print on two items from the collection, which upon closer inspection, turned out to be Lilee's geometric interpretation of a dog! Very sweet indeed - it's no wonder ASOS have snapped her up for a collaboration based on her MA collection, available from October.

 

Lilee showing off her handiwork backstage!

 Photos: Fashion Junior at Large