London Fashion Week's The Daily Thursday 18th September 08

Roksanda Pulls It OffReport by Lauren Cochrane

Photography by Anna Bauer

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.This season, Albion Gallery was Roksanda Ilincic’s show venue. It felt like a symbolic move: trading the intimate salon presentations of the past for the modern white space of an exciting future.

The show didn’t disappoint. Having amped up her elegant eveningwear, this was super-polished red-carpet dressing, offset by just the right amount of whimsy that made it pure Roksanda. “I just followed my instincts and passions without really thinking,” said Ilincic after her show last night.

The unforgiving glare of the gallery space could have dwarfed a less talented designer’s vision. But this was not the case. “I’ve always loved a blank canvas. It was a big chance to take my collection to the next level.”

She did just that. Unlike past

shows, which sampled a specific source of inspiration, Ilincic’s s/s offering referenced a host of different elements. “I was looking at the Thirties, the Forties, Blade Runner and, of course, flowers.”

Outfit after exquisitely crafted outfit snaked down the runway. And just when you thought the last look couldn’t be topped, another sinuous satin number appeared: a raw-hemmed burgundy shift that ended in a shimmering lilac train; a one-shouldered, nude, satin-crepe gown wrapped in black tulle; and the finale outfit, a strapless floor-length confection constructed of four layers of iridescent, sugared-almond coloured organza.

“I wanted to surprise people – and surprise myself,” said the designer of her choice of colour palette, this also signalled a departure. Turning her back on her trademark hues (pumpkin, azure

LONDON, THURSDAY 18TH SepTembeR 2008 www.londonfashionweek.co.uk Issue • 5

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Doris is breaking front-row protocol by diving into the Maudezine goody bag. Maude, desperate to look sophisticated in her Erdem dress, slides an arm in to grab a freebie whilst maintaining her alluring pout. “Just don’t let anyone see you rummaging,” she hisses to Doris.

Maude & DorisA fashionable children’s tale for grown-ups. Created by David Longshaw, with Jenny Dyson. Photography by George Bamford

Report by Jo Craven

Somewhere Over the Rainbow

A technicolour era for s/s ’09 is upon us. Forget primary colours, “Neon Pastels” are undoubtedly the hot new hue.

Let’s start with Mark Eley and Wakako Kishimoto, of Eley Kishimoto, as they’re an obvious

case in point. They love nothing better than a bit of colour. And this season proved no exception. Cue cadmium-yellow poppy-print sun dresses, vivid poppy tights teamed with bright green dotty shoes and watermelon pink hats.

To this very end, the fanatically graphic design duo employ two qualified chemists, who conjure up eye-popping hues in their studio to ensure colour density is maintained – from the shoe leathers all the way through to their cottons, knits and silks. At Christopher Kane, models sashayed down the runway in sherbet-acid cocktail dresses and marigold orange shifts.

Over at Richard Nicoll, the palette was all about utterly psychedelic shades of delicious Baskin-Robbins icecream flavours.Nicoll’s use of crepe de Chine “creates a chalky colour that’s matt and saturated”, the designer said post-show. “I think it looks really expensive.” For Luella, cranking up the colour spectrum was a deliberate device to push the concept “beyond pretty”. “So bright you feel a bit sick,” she said. Like the best fairground ride, we are queuing up for the next go.

Today, Column’s inches have enlarged see page 7

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and cerise), Ilincic plumped instead for more muted shades, including caramels, smudged lilacs and persian blues. “It was a bit of a challenge,” she said, “as I usually use neutrals as a base. This time, I just made them stronger.” And how.

Donatella’s Fringe

Donatella Versace is in London today to chair the fifth year of Fashion Fringe Despite being days away from presenting her Versace s/s ’09 collection in Milan next week, Donatella Versace is putting her own fashion frenzy aside to jet into London today as chair of Fashion Fringe. And all because young designers are a subject close to her heart.

“London is one of the most exciting European cities, because it promotes personal expression,” she says. “Here, young designers are really encouraged and given the possibilitiy to be as creative as

Report by Jo Craven

they can be, which brings a breath of fresh air to the fashion world.”

Fashion Fringe is now in its fifth year. Previous winners include Basso & Brooke, Sinha-Stanic and Erdem. In addition to the £100,000 prize, fashion experts, retailers and magazine editors impart priceless support and advice.

As Donatella knows only too well, fashion is full of trial and error: “When I first took over as creative director of Versace, I was completely unprepared and overwhelmed,” she says. “My insecurity led me to try to fill Gianni’s shoes without following my own style and instinct. After many years I have found the confidence to create a Versace style of my own, that is not simply a photocopy of the past.” All of which makes her perfectly placed to chair this award scheme, which is under the creative direction of Colin McDowell MBE. (Fashion Fringe panellists include Lucinda Chambers, Nathalie Massenet, Roland Mouret, Anne Pitcher, Jonathan Akeroyd and Roy Peach.)

As Donatella says, “I find mixing with young designers truly inspiring. They are like young rock musicians: they want to change the world. They are truly the future of fashion.” And so say all of us.

Overheard“I’m going to the pub” Lara Stone on exiting Giles’s show

“Ooh, yay, Aggy! Now that’s a real model!” Henry Holland’s aunt on seeing Agyness Deyn open the House of Holland show

“Where can I buy a copy of The LFW Daily?”Raquel Zimmerman at Heathrow airport

“I love that necklace?” Front Row guest to a gold medal winner at Adidas by Stella McCartney

“Do I not need a bigger size?”Cameron Diaz’s boyfriend squeezing into a jacket at Fashion For Relief

“Hello auntie Naomi!”Jamelia’s children to Ms Campbell last night

http://www.londonfashionweek.co.uk

http://www.lfwdaily.com

LONDON, THURSDAY 18TH SepTembeR 2008 www.londonfashionweek.co.uk02 •

Design Nick Steel and Sofia Leverbeck

at HarrimanSteel and George Wu

Chief-sub/copy editor Vicky Willan

Printed on recycled paper

by Guardian Print Centre , Rick Roberts

Way, stratford, London, e15 2GN

Published for the BFC by RUBBISH

020 8965 7469

With thanks to Ocado

for feeding The LFW

Daily team


THe LFW DAILy CReDITSCreated by Jenny and the Cat Club

editor Jenny Dyson

Consultant editor Cat Callender

Advertising/managing editor

Jana Dowling

Distributions manager Briony Hoare

editorial assistant Jessica Hannan

Production assistant Aislinn Dowling

Reporters Jo Craven, Becky Davies,

Lauren Cochrane, Faran Krentcil,

Antonia Whyatt, Georgia Dehn

Photography Alistair Guy and Anna Bauer

Today’s schedule has been created exclusively

by illustrator ROB RYAN

For further information and important facts, please refer to the key below:

* BFC New Gen sponsored by Topshop

** BFC Fashion Forward supported by LDA

The BFC Tent: Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, SW7

TS: TOPSHOP venue, P3 University of Westminster, Luxborough St, NW1

On Schedule shows: www.londonfashionweek.co.uk

Off Schedule shows: www.blow.co.uk

On/Off: Royal Academy of Arts, 6 Burlington Gardens, W1: www.thedoll.org/onoff

Vauxhall Fashion Scout: Cnr Cromwell Road and Queen’s Gate, SW7

Schedule correct at time of printing – for updates, contact the Timeline, on 020 7942 3900

Fashion ForumChaired by erin O’Connor

What are your style tips during the Credit Crunch?

Erin O’Connor LFW ambassadorThe other day at work, someone split a blue-and-white plastic bag over my head and tied it under my chin. It was stylish and didn’t cost a penny (Dot Cotton is a heroine of mine). Seriously, having a great wardrobe is about buying things that will last, and recycling pre-existing clothes in your repertoire. You can never go wrong with

a Todd Lynn suit – you’ll be wearing it for the next 20 years – whereas you can with a pair of fluoro-snakeskin platforms.

Colin McDowellFashion commentator and The LFW Daily columnistIf you have any style at all, you can, and will, ignore the Credit Crunch. It is, after all, merely an attitude of mind invented by jaded

journalists. For God’s sake, unless you are a member of the WI, don’t start knitting or trying to alter old clothes rightly confined to the back of the wardrobe; not even vintage Yves Saint Laurent can survive having the hem let down by inexpert fingers. If all else fails, and you can’t bear to live without new clothes, go to bed for the winter. You will almost certainly not be missed and the money you save will be there for you when you wake up fresh and eager for a new wardrobe. I had a mad aunt much given to hybernation and she lived happily into her late nineties, when she fell out of a tree harvesting apples and

broke her neck. She was buried in Balenciaga.

Alexandra Shulman Editor of VogueBuy things you love, not need. You will wear them far more often.

Brix Smith-StartOwner of Start, womenswear buyer and GMTV presenterI say buy timeless, classic pieces and fantasise you are Grace Kelly. Do not buy cheap, that’s a waste of money. Instead go for value for money. I think David Szeto typifies that quiet power-dressing, but otherwise go for the Brit designers. For this

season, I have bought my wardrobe from Christopher Kane, Stella McCartney and Hannah Marshall, and a Pauric Sweeney bag. I think I’m getting very good value for the money I’ve spent.

Lulu Kennedy Director of Fashion EastI think the credit crunch is a load of crap. I know most of the young designers I work with are keeping an eye on price points, but it’s had no effect on me. I’m still buying exactly what I want. Sod it! I’m buying party dresses, evening dresses and high heels, and I’ve still not got a chauffeur.

Wish You Were Here

SwitchedOn/Off

My, how things change when you’ve spent a year out of fashion. Last time I looked at B&B, it was overloaded, over-the-top, almost hysterical – they didn’t know when to stop. But yesterday, a calm and focused maturity had penetrated the pair. Stripped of the flamboyance, their theme – the Heian era of Japan – took flight. It was basically a series of dresses, which might have felt repetitive had it not been for the fact that each one was more desirable than the last. All of them a canvas for their imaginative prints: rabbits, birds, f lowers, waves and calligraphy, illustrated in exquisite colour – from coral to celestial blue. A couple of things hadn’t changed, mind you, including the scrum to get in and an incredibly rude PR.

and makeup. Peter Lindbergh’s photography was the reference for hair stylist Sam Hillerby at Betty Jackson, “Think of Guinevere, Linda and Stella Tennant, I wanted it to feel like short, boyish, pared-down hair,” says Hillerby.

The big Nineties reference is in the eyebrow, which has become thick and full. At Aquascutum, Giles, Louise Goldin and Richard Nicoll, strong brows dominated the catwalk. “I wanted to make them angular, there’s a line going through the natural colour to square them off. I then pushed them up with eyebrow gel to

BeAuty SPot Brought to you by Weleda Skin FoodThe best kept beauty secret since 1926.

There’s something great going on backstage. Women are looking fierce and strong again and they’re loving it.

Queeny van der Zande, the buzzy model du jour, was raving

about it backstage at Betty Jackson, “I love the makeup, it’s a fresh take, it’s strong, not pretty and girly.”

This is thanks to the Nineties revival that’s going on in hair

Report by Antonia Whyatt

Mark Fast was among the Presents designers. He sent out eight looks, all to be available at online fashion store Oli.

“We are non-profit making, and it’s always a struggle to pull off – each season costs £180,000,” said Lee. “But it really is a great flagship for other events we are involved in, such as the Gucci trunk show and the upcoming Clothes Show Live.”

“The key thing that separates On/Off from the others is that they nurture designers,” said Caryn Franklin. “I sit in on the meetings, and a support network is just as important as creativity.”

American at Large

Five years ago when Lee Lapthorne was working as a show producer he had an epiphany. “All my designer friends were struggling financially to put on a show,” the founder of On/Off says. Fast forward 10 seasons, however, and that epiphany is now part of London Fashion Week’s well-worn but stylish furniture.

A few years ago I met a guy named Henry Holland. We were in Starbucks in New York City, talking about this line of T-shirts he wanted to sell in America. I thought they were crazy and charming, and told him to zoom straight to Barneys because they would pick them up. A few days later I saw a pixie girl reading Super

Thanks to On/Off, the likes of PPQ, Sinha Stanic, Emma Cook, Gareth Pugh and Karen Walker have all benefited from this showcase for fledgling talent.

PPQ was one of the first to launch under the umbrella of On/Off – which this week celebrated its 10-season anniversary with a bash at the Royal Academy. “Lee was one of the few people who seemed to understand sponsorship and the needs of a new label,” said Amy Molyneaux (who co-founded PPQ with Percy Parker) at Tuesday’s On/Off Presents show – now itself into its second season.

Super magazine on my stoop in downtown Manhattan. “I love that magazine!” I shrieked. She said her name was Agyness, she’d come to model, and did I know anyone with an apartment? I was like, “Sure, I’ll send out a MySpace bulletin.” A week later, both of them were famous, pretty much overnight. And seeing them in their native British habitat is both exhilarating and overwhelming.

Faran Krentcil Xo

PS Henry Holland, if you’re reading this, you so owe me a latte

Report by Becky Davies Report by Faran Krentci l


“It was modernist, architectural, sculptural, Bauhaus, but athletic…Sort of throw on... It was about shape,” said a breathless Markus Lupfer, wearing a neon cheetah-spot cardie that looked as if it had been pinched from Christopher Kane’s catwalk the day before. Funny coincidence, too, how both designers decided to riff on shape. In Lupfer’s case, it was a peplum waistcoat with balloon pants and towering wooden wedges. He also ticked off a few more trends percolating through London Fashion Week: transparency (again, those balloon pants sported with big sequin knickers), athleticism (a grey jersey bustier and plenty of denim) and great knitwear (how about a loose gold knit sweatshirt complete with knitted bullet belt?). This was a fine, focused collection that tapped the wearable end of conceptual taste. But will all those great-looking skirts and dresses that sprang out from the waist, hide or emphasise the hips I wonder?

Armand Basi One

BY REBECCA LOWTHORPE, FASHION FEATURES DIRECTOR AT ELLE

Basso & Brooke

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CatwalkHighlights

Confident, mature, inspiring and pretty. It’s not often one can use the word “pretty” in conjunction with London Fashion Week, but Richard Nicoll delivered just that – and without ever tipping into twee or banal. This is a designer who considers a woman’s form with the utmost care. “I wanted to wrap and frame the body,” he said, amid the well-wishers backstage. This translated as fluid pant suits and sinuous dresses, colour blocked in pink and tangerine, followed by natty suits and polite dresses in ice-blue Lurex brocade – a nod to the Fifties, minus the stiff formality of that era. Nicoll said this collection had been developed on the success of his pre-collection – his bestseller so far, having picked up Net-a-Porter. No wonder. All this, together with his finale parade of shirt dresses (he just launched Richard Nicoll Shirt), sets him apart from his contemporaries. This is not just a designer to watch, but a big brand in the making. It was spot on.

Richard NicollFashion East

LONDON, THURSDAY 18TH SepTembeR 2008www.londonfashionweek.co.uk • 03

You’ve got to hand it to Lulu Kennedy. She certainly knows how to pick them. This season, the three-horse race consisted of two mini shows and a film. So who was going to cross the finish line first? Natascha Stolle showed first. Her woman, said the programme notes, wished she’d “been a slut in high school”. In actual fact, she wore some very polite-looking frills – everywhere: on shoes, bags, the hems of dresses… – then came the chains and a chic silver-glazed linen suit. So far, so cool. Next up, David David’s film. At first it seemed that these clothes belonged in a music video. Until the designer and his gang took their bows. Then you could see how the naïve, kaleidoscopic felt-tip-pen prints worked, wearing them as they were with jeans and attitude. They looked quite brilliant. Finally, Louise Grey’s interesting take on tailoring: she sliced a fluid electric-blue suit, open to reveal the ribs and toughened up little toga dresses with gladiator chainmail. The winner? Each had their charm; they’re all worthy of another look.

make them a bit scruffy,” said a heavily pregnant Sam Bryant.

This strong look certainly doesn’t mean an end to femininity, but is an assertion of it in a different way. It’s the Linda, Helena, Amber Supermodel feeling, where women are powerful and confident.

Betty Jackson’s woman combined the look with brick red lips, “It’s like she’s slept in her makeup from the night before, rolled out of bed, stuck a finger in her favourite pot of red and piled it on messily,” said Sam.

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Live Barometer

Love birdsat Anya. Continuing the avian

theme and cute to boot

Good manners

The helpful concierge at The May Fair

Rediscovering our goodie bags from Day One and plundering forgotten treats

Front Row etiquette

No more chatting on your mobile phone, please

Catwalk lighting

Stop blinding us with your high-wattage bulbs

MiceSpotted under a

catwalk yesterday

A dress tailored to your destination? How fabulous. Summer 2009 might be far away in terms of time (if not fashion), but designers are already thinking about your holiday spots.

Ape motifs on pared-down denim dresses, at Christopher Kane, suggested the central plains of Africa as a top holiday destination for next summer. Emma Cook referred to that continent, too, with cheetah and lion prints decorating slouchy T-shirts and delicate flapper dresses. Safari anyone? Elsewhere, Antoni & Alison echoed Lanvin’s Resort 2009 collection, which channelled Carmen Miranda.

On Wednesday, the launch of label LP.BG (designed by Lily Parker and model Ben Grimes) had a jet-set destination in mind. “We based each dress around a friend of ours,” said Grimes, pointing out a blue strappy number with chiffon bib-front. “This one’s for our PR, Alice Deen, because she’s always going on holiday to St Tropez.”

Report by Lauren Cochrane




Design Nick Steel and Sofia Leverbeck

at HarrimanSteel and George Wu

Chief-sub/copy editor Vicky Willan

Printed on recycled paper

by Guardian Print Centre , Rick Roberts

Way, stratford, London, e15 2GN

Published for the BFC by RUBBISH

020 8965 7469

With thanks to Ocado

for feeding The LFW

Daily team


THe LFW DAILy CReDITSCreated by Jenny and the Cat Club

editor Jenny Dyson

Consultant editor Cat Callender

Advertising/managing editor

Jana Dowling

Distributions manager Briony Hoare

editorial assistant Jessica Hannan

Production assistant Aislinn Dowling

Reporters Jo Craven, Becky Davies,

Lauren Cochrane, Faran Krentcil,

Antonia Whyatt, Georgia Dehn

Photography Alistair Guy and Anna Bauer

Today’s schedule has been created exclusively

by illustrator ROB RYAN

For further information and important facts, please refer to the key below:

* BFC New Gen sponsored by Topshop

** BFC Fashion Forward supported by LDA

The BFC Tent: Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, SW7

TS: TOPSHOP venue, P3 University of Westminster, Luxborough St, NW1

On Schedule shows: www.londonfashionweek.co.uk

Off Schedule shows: www.blow.co.uk

On/Off: Royal Academy of Arts, 6 Burlington Gardens, W1: www.thedoll.org/onoff

Vauxhall Fashion Scout: Cnr Cromwell Road and Queen’s Gate, SW7

Schedule correct at time of printing – for updates, contact the Timeline, on 020 7942 3900

Fashion ForumChaired by erin O’Connor

What are your style tips during the Credit Crunch?

Erin O’Connor LFW ambassadorThe other day at work, someone split a blue-and-white plastic bag over my head and tied it under my chin. It was stylish and didn’t cost a penny (Dot Cotton is a heroine of mine). Seriously, having a great wardrobe is about buying things that will last, and recycling pre-existing clothes in your repertoire. You can never go wrong with

a Todd Lynn suit – you’ll be wearing it for the next 20 years – whereas you can with a pair of fluoro-snakeskin platforms.

Colin McDowellFashion commentator and The LFW Daily columnistIf you have any style at all, you can, and will, ignore the Credit Crunch. It is, after all, merely an attitude of mind invented by jaded

journalists. For God’s sake, unless you are a member of the WI, don’t start knitting or trying to alter old clothes rightly confined to the back of the wardrobe; not even vintage Yves Saint Laurent can survive having the hem let down by inexpert fingers. If all else fails, and you can’t bear to live without new clothes, go to bed for the winter. You will almost certainly not be missed and the money you save will be there for you when you wake up fresh and eager for a new wardrobe. I had a mad aunt much given to hybernation and she lived happily into her late nineties, when she fell out of a tree harvesting apples and

broke her neck. She was buried in Balenciaga.

Alexandra Shulman Editor of VogueBuy things you love, not need. You will wear them far more often.

Brix Smith-StartOwner of Start, womenswear buyer and GMTV presenterI say buy timeless, classic pieces and fantasise you are Grace Kelly. Do not buy cheap, that’s a waste of money. Instead go for value for money. I think David Szeto typifies that quiet power-dressing, but otherwise go for the Brit designers. For this

season, I have bought my wardrobe from Christopher Kane, Stella McCartney and Hannah Marshall, and a Pauric Sweeney bag. I think I’m getting very good value for the money I’ve spent.

Lulu Kennedy Director of Fashion EastI think the credit crunch is a load of crap. I know most of the young designers I work with are keeping an eye on price points, but it’s had no effect on me. I’m still buying exactly what I want. Sod it! I’m buying party dresses, evening dresses and high heels, and I’ve still not got a chauffeur.

Wish You Were Here

SwitchedOn/Off

My, how things change when you’ve spent a year out of fashion. Last time I looked at B&B, it was overloaded, over-the-top, almost hysterical – they didn’t know when to stop. But yesterday, a calm and focused maturity had penetrated the pair. Stripped of the flamboyance, their theme – the Heian era of Japan – took flight. It was basically a series of dresses, which might have felt repetitive had it not been for the fact that each one was more desirable than the last. All of them a canvas for their imaginative prints: rabbits, birds, f lowers, waves and calligraphy, illustrated in exquisite colour – from coral to celestial blue. A couple of things hadn’t changed, mind you, including the scrum to get in and an incredibly rude PR.

and makeup. Peter Lindbergh’s photography was the reference for hair stylist Sam Hillerby at Betty Jackson, “Think of Guinevere, Linda and Stella Tennant, I wanted it to feel like short, boyish, pared-down hair,” says Hillerby.

The big Nineties reference is in the eyebrow, which has become thick and full. At Aquascutum, Giles, Louise Goldin and Richard Nicoll, strong brows dominated the catwalk. “I wanted to make them angular, there’s a line going through the natural colour to square them off. I then pushed them up with eyebrow gel to

BeAuty SPot Brought to you by Weleda Skin FoodThe best kept beauty secret since 1926.

There’s something great going on backstage. Women are looking fierce and strong again and they’re loving it.

Queeny van der Zande, the buzzy model du jour, was raving

about it backstage at Betty Jackson, “I love the makeup, it’s a fresh take, it’s strong, not pretty and girly.”

This is thanks to the Nineties revival that’s going on in hair

Report by Antonia Whyatt

Mark Fast was among the Presents designers. He sent out eight looks, all to be available at online fashion store Oli.

“We are non-profit making, and it’s always a struggle to pull off – each season costs £180,000,” said Lee. “But it really is a great flagship for other events we are involved in, such as the Gucci trunk show and the upcoming Clothes Show Live.”

“The key thing that separates On/Off from the others is that they nurture designers,” said Caryn Franklin. “I sit in on the meetings, and a support network is just as important as creativity.”

American at Large

Five years ago when Lee Lapthorne was working as a show producer he had an epiphany. “All my designer friends were struggling financially to put on a show,” the founder of On/Off says. Fast forward 10 seasons, however, and that epiphany is now part of London Fashion Week’s well-worn but stylish furniture.

A few years ago I met a guy named Henry Holland. We were in Starbucks in New York City, talking about this line of T-shirts he wanted to sell in America. I thought they were crazy and charming, and told him to zoom straight to Barneys because they would pick them up. A few days later I saw a pixie girl reading Super

Thanks to On/Off, the likes of PPQ, Sinha Stanic, Emma Cook, Gareth Pugh and Karen Walker have all benefited from this showcase for fledgling talent.

PPQ was one of the first to launch under the umbrella of On/Off – which this week celebrated its 10-season anniversary with a bash at the Royal Academy. “Lee was one of the few people who seemed to understand sponsorship and the needs of a new label,” said Amy Molyneaux (who co-founded PPQ with Percy Parker) at Tuesday’s On/Off Presents show – now itself into its second season.

Super magazine on my stoop in downtown Manhattan. “I love that magazine!” I shrieked. She said her name was Agyness, she’d come to model, and did I know anyone with an apartment? I was like, “Sure, I’ll send out a MySpace bulletin.” A week later, both of them were famous, pretty much overnight. And seeing them in their native British habitat is both exhilarating and overwhelming.

Faran Krentcil Xo

PS Henry Holland, if you’re reading this, you so owe me a latte

Report by Becky Davies Report by Faran Krentci l


“It was modernist, architectural, sculptural, Bauhaus, but athletic…Sort of throw on... It was about shape,” said a breathless Markus Lupfer, wearing a neon cheetah-spot cardie that looked as if it had been pinched from Christopher Kane’s catwalk the day before. Funny coincidence, too, how both designers decided to riff on shape. In Lupfer’s case, it was a peplum waistcoat with balloon pants and towering wooden wedges. He also ticked off a few more trends percolating through London Fashion Week: transparency (again, those balloon pants sported with big sequin knickers), athleticism (a grey jersey bustier and plenty of denim) and great knitwear (how about a loose gold knit sweatshirt complete with knitted bullet belt?). This was a fine, focused collection that tapped the wearable end of conceptual taste. But will all those great-looking skirts and dresses that sprang out from the waist, hide or emphasise the hips I wonder?

Armand Basi One

BY REBECCA LOWTHORPE, FASHION FEATURES DIRECTOR AT ELLE

Basso & Brooke

Pho

tog

rap

hy b

y C

atw

alki

ng.c

om

CatwalkHighlights

Confident, mature, inspiring and pretty. It’s not often one can use the word “pretty” in conjunction with London Fashion Week, but Richard Nicoll delivered just that – and without ever tipping into twee or banal. This is a designer who considers a woman’s form with the utmost care. “I wanted to wrap and frame the body,” he said, amid the well-wishers backstage. This translated as fluid pant suits and sinuous dresses, colour blocked in pink and tangerine, followed by natty suits and polite dresses in ice-blue Lurex brocade – a nod to the Fifties, minus the stiff formality of that era. Nicoll said this collection had been developed on the success of his pre-collection – his bestseller so far, having picked up Net-a-Porter. No wonder. All this, together with his finale parade of shirt dresses (he just launched Richard Nicoll Shirt), sets him apart from his contemporaries. This is not just a designer to watch, but a big brand in the making. It was spot on.

Richard NicollFashion East


You’ve got to hand it to Lulu Kennedy. She certainly knows how to pick them. This season, the three-horse race consisted of two mini shows and a film. So who was going to cross the finish line first? Natascha Stolle showed first. Her woman, said the programme notes, wished she’d “been a slut in high school”. In actual fact, she wore some very polite-looking frills – everywhere: on shoes, bags, the hems of dresses… – then came the chains and a chic silver-glazed linen suit. So far, so cool. Next up, David David’s film. At first it seemed that these clothes belonged in a music video. Until the designer and his gang took their bows. Then you could see how the naïve, kaleidoscopic felt-tip-pen prints worked, wearing them as they were with jeans and attitude. They looked quite brilliant. Finally, Louise Grey’s interesting take on tailoring: she sliced a fluid electric-blue suit, open to reveal the ribs and toughened up little toga dresses with gladiator chainmail. The winner? Each had their charm; they’re all worthy of another look.

make them a bit scruffy,” said a heavily pregnant Sam Bryant.

This strong look certainly doesn’t mean an end to femininity, but is an assertion of it in a different way. It’s the Linda, Helena, Amber Supermodel feeling, where women are powerful and confident.

Betty Jackson’s woman combined the look with brick red lips, “It’s like she’s slept in her makeup from the night before, rolled out of bed, stuck a finger in her favourite pot of red and piled it on messily,” said Sam.

www.weleda.co.uk Pho

tog

rap

hy b

y A

nna

Bau

er

Live Barometer

Love birdsat Anya. Continuing the avian

theme and cute to boot

Good manners

The helpful concierge at The May Fair

Rediscovering our goodie bags from Day One and plundering forgotten treats

Front Row etiquette

No more chatting on your mobile phone, please

Catwalk lighting

Stop blinding us with your high-wattage bulbs

MiceSpotted under a

catwalk yesterday

A dress tailored to your destination? How fabulous. Summer 2009 might be far away in terms of time (if not fashion), but designers are already thinking about your holiday spots.

Ape motifs on pared-down denim dresses, at Christopher Kane, suggested the central plains of Africa as a top holiday destination for next summer. Emma Cook referred to that continent, too, with cheetah and lion prints decorating slouchy T-shirts and delicate flapper dresses. Safari anyone? Elsewhere, Antoni & Alison echoed Lanvin’s Resort 2009 collection, which channelled Carmen Miranda.

On Wednesday, the launch of label LP.BG (designed by Lily Parker and model Ben Grimes) had a jet-set destination in mind. “We based each dress around a friend of ours,” said Grimes, pointing out a blue strappy number with chiffon bib-front. “This one’s for our PR, Alice Deen, because she’s always going on holiday to St Tropez.”

Report by Lauren Cochrane





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V&A 30 Days Party

BFC International Party

Et bien, fashion trends come and go, but family moments are eternelle – particularly where siblings are concerned. And there are some great ones: Alice and Charlotte, Savannah and Sienna... Last night, Stella McCartney was at the Natural History Museum to congratulate her sister, Mary McCartney, on her photography auction – 30 Days of Fashion and Beauty – hosted by the eternally elegant Elle Macpherson and National Magazines.

Six of Mary’s portraits were sold in aid of Macmillan Cancer Support, raising £42,500. Miss Oui was more than un petit tempted to drop in a sneaky bid herself! The food was très bien, avec vegetarian canapés inspired by Linda McCartney – quel guilt-free gastronomic delight!

Later moi trotted off to the International Party at The May Fair – the official headquarters of LFW. Mon Dieu! Quelle constellation célèbre. Sandi Thom, Lady Victoria Hervey, Sarah Harding and Nicola Roberts from Girls Aloud were there. New Gen was represented, too, with Hannah Marshall, the Felder Felder sisters and Emilio de la Morena. But best of all were Erin O’Connor in a divine white gown and Hilary Alexander, sporting fantastique orange sunglasses.

Last, but certainly not least, was the Giles Swarovski do at the old sorting office on New Oxford Street. What a jolie interieur; hanging lights partout and sauce-aux-pommes cocktails – which were sipped by almost every fashion editor, from i-D to Hello, and almost everyone in between, except perhaps Take A Break. Tiens, zut, bof alors!

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Always one for a bit of indulgence, Miss Oui couldn’t keep her eyes (or, for that matter, her hands) off these delectable little fairy cakes and delicious chocolate-dipped strawberries. They were created by The May Fair Bar – surely you’ve spotted the detailing? Well, as you must have gathered by now, Miss Oui loves her food labels! LH

Will Wade, 19, is hotly tipped by the British Fashion Council-girls to be the next in-house hunk. Move over Marits Roberts, this is fashion and you’re now Tuesday’s news! Master Wade is already enrolled at Sandhurst and with high hopes of joining the army, could this Hampshire lad rack up any more Man Points? “I really want to drive the tanks.” Swoon! LH

It’s not always about frocks. Sometimes it’s about trousers, too. And today it’s about shorts – the knee-length ones at Richard Nicoll to be precise. Sexy grey pearls wound round the legs. Taking two weeks to make in Swarovski land, they look the business. Sitting down might feel like perching on one of those wooden-ball car seats, but it could be fun, too. JC

Canapé of the Day

Hot Dish of the Day

Frock of the Day


Giles Deacon Party

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Designer Moodboard – Charles Anastase

Family Affair“Do you like my garden?” joked everybody’s best friend, Henry Holland, pointing nonchalantly at his hydrangea-decorated catwalk. “It cost a fortune.” And not just the backdrop was blossoming at yesterday’s House of Holland show – the backstage atmosphere and floral-heavy collection was blooming marvellous, too. Aggy opened the show, to cheers, wearing a polka-dot body and sweet-pea printed silk-organza trousers. “The show reflects Henry’s personality,” she said backstage, “floral, vibrant and happy – I love him so much and couldn’t ask for a better best friend.” Aggy also closed the show, to more cheers, wearing a wired, bubble-skirted dress. “I nearly cried,” said Thomas Giddings, Henry’s dashing boyfriend, “I can’t wait to nick some of the menswear.” Alexa Chung thought the show was “excellent” and her favourite dress was the see-through cheeky one: “I liked the girl who was wearing no knickers and had patches over her tits and arse.” She also complimented Henry on the long-sleeved purple suede dress. You (yes, that is his name), the creative director of Levi’s communication, was thrilled with his first House of Holland collaboration. “We provide the canvas and Henry does the magic,” he said. Needless to say, Henry’s all-time biggest fan is his mother: “I think it is really interesting how Henry has developed,” she said after the show. “He started his T-shirts with £400 which I lent him. Now I’d like it back,” she chuckled. Given that House of Holland sales have doubled in the last six months, that shouldn’t be a problem.

Report by Becky Davies

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It’s a wrap. The LFW Daily caught up with the fabulous Katie Hillier backstage at Armand Basi One to talk arm candy and paper folding. “The whole thing was based on Origami – we folded denim like paper. It was a really cool new way of doing a clutch, and I thought we took a very common material and made it look new and expensive.”

Report by Faran Krentci l

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V&A 30 Days Party


Et bien, fashion trends come and go, but family moments are eternelle – particularly where siblings are concerned. And there are some great ones: Alice and Charlotte, Savannah and Sienna... Last night, Stella McCartney was at the Natural History Museum to congratulate her sister, Mary McCartney, on her photography auction – 30 Days of Fashion and Beauty – hosted by the eternally elegant Elle Macpherson and National Magazines.

Six of Mary’s portraits were sold in aid of Macmillan Cancer Support, raising £42,500. Miss Oui was more than un petit tempted to drop in a sneaky bid herself! The food was très bien, avec vegetarian canapés inspired by Linda McCartney – quel guilt-free gastronomic delight!

Later moi trotted off to the International Party at The May Fair – the official headquarters of LFW. Mon Dieu! Quelle constellation célèbre. Sandi Thom, Lady Victoria Hervey, Sarah Harding and Nicola Roberts from Girls Aloud were there. New Gen was represented, too, with Hannah Marshall, the Felder Felder sisters and Emilio de la Morena. But best of all were Erin O’Connor in a divine white gown and Hilary Alexander, sporting fantastique orange sunglasses.

Last, but certainly not least, was the Giles Swarovski do at the old sorting office on New Oxford Street. What a jolie interieur; hanging lights partout and sauce-aux-pommes cocktails – which were sipped by almost every fashion editor, from i-D to Hello, and almost everyone in between, except perhaps Take A Break. Tiens, zut, bof alors!

Pho

tog

rap

hy b

y D

iam

ond

Ro

dg

ers

Pho

tog

rap

hy b

y Jo

n Fu

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s

Pho

tog

rap

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Always one for a bit of indulgence, Miss Oui couldn’t keep her eyes (or, for that matter, her hands) off these delectable little fairy cakes and delicious chocolate-dipped strawberries. They were created by The May Fair Bar – surely you’ve spotted the detailing? Well, as you must have gathered by now, Miss Oui loves her food labels! LH

Will Wade, 19, is hotly tipped by the British Fashion Council-girls to be the next in-house hunk. Move over Marits Roberts, this is fashion and you’re now Tuesday’s news! Master Wade is already enrolled at Sandhurst and with high hopes of joining the army, could this Hampshire lad rack up any more Man Points? “I really want to drive the tanks.” Swoon! LH

It’s not always about frocks. Sometimes it’s about trousers, too. And today it’s about shorts – the knee-length ones at Richard Nicoll to be precise. Sexy grey pearls wound round the legs. Taking two weeks to make in Swarovski land, they look the business. Sitting down might feel like perching on one of those wooden-ball car seats, but it could be fun, too. JC

Canapé of the Day

Hot Dish of the Day

Frock of the Day


Giles Deacon Party

1

Mis

s E

ngla

nd,

Ray

mo

ndo

, M

iss

No

ttin

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Designer Moodboard – Charles Anastase

Family Affair“Do you like my garden?” joked everybody’s best friend, Henry Holland, pointing nonchalantly at his hydrangea-decorated catwalk. “It cost a fortune.” And not just the backdrop was blossoming at yesterday’s House of Holland show – the backstage atmosphere and floral-heavy collection was blooming marvellous, too. Aggy opened the show, to cheers, wearing a polka-dot body and sweet-pea printed silk-organza trousers. “The show reflects Henry’s personality,” she said backstage, “floral, vibrant and happy – I love him so much and couldn’t ask for a better best friend.” Aggy also closed the show, to more cheers, wearing a wired, bubble-skirted dress. “I nearly cried,” said Thomas Giddings, Henry’s dashing boyfriend, “I can’t wait to nick some of the menswear.” Alexa Chung thought the show was “excellent” and her favourite dress was the see-through cheeky one: “I liked the girl who was wearing no knickers and had patches over her tits and arse.” She also complimented Henry on the long-sleeved purple suede dress. You (yes, that is his name), the creative director of Levi’s communication, was thrilled with his first House of Holland collaboration. “We provide the canvas and Henry does the magic,” he said. Needless to say, Henry’s all-time biggest fan is his mother: “I think it is really interesting how Henry has developed,” she said after the show. “He started his T-shirts with £400 which I lent him. Now I’d like it back,” she chuckled. Given that House of Holland sales have doubled in the last six months, that shouldn’t be a problem.

Report by Becky Davies

Pho

tog

rap

hy b

y A

nna

Bau

er a

nd A

lista

ir G

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Kim

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gy

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ks o

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ith

Hen

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Bag Lady

It’s a wrap. The LFW Daily caught up with the fabulous Katie Hillier backstage at Armand Basi One to talk arm candy and paper folding. “The whole thing was based on Origami – we folded denim like paper. It was a really cool new way of doing a clutch, and I thought we took a very common material and made it look new and expensive.”

Report by Faran Krentci l

Pho

tog

rap

hy b

y C

atw

alki

ng.c

om



Buyers BureauMeet the buyers who make the LFW world go round

Spot the DifferenceReport by Jack Dyson

Frox Pops Menswear SpecialOh, the dilemmas of dressing appropriately as a male visitor to London Fashion Week. Go butch or not, or instead go off-piste? That is the question. The former offers a route of out-there masculinity in a world where, let’s face it, you are bound to stand out like a sore thumb; and that’s surely the point. The latter is, in a sense, the path

Report by Jessica Hannan

It’s My PartyReport by Jessica Hannan

Room 315 at the Connaught Hotel was buzzing with buyers yesterday morning. The reason? They were checking out model-about-town Ben Grimes and ex-Richard-Nicoll-pattern-cutter-pal Lily Parker’s debut collection LP.BG.

The lightweight silk party dresses, cobalt-blue shorts suits and gold-lamé jackets are just the kind of thing you might find the

it all started and where videos were shot.All-time favourite moment? Anything Gareth Pugh. Who are you championing? I’m watching Marios Schwab, Louise Goldin and Christopher Kane. I’m already buying Gareth Pugh, House of Holland, Jean Pierre Braganza, Nicholas Kirkwood, Cassette Playa, Peter Pilotto, David David, Ground-Zero, Katharine Hamnett, KTZ, Passarella Death Squad, Preen and the tee collection of Stunners International.Fave things about London? Brits are very nice and polite for the most part. Preen took me to dinner at Bistrotheque and it was excellent. I don’t eat out much as I prefer room service – The InterContinental has excellent spaghetti bolognese! My favourite shops are b store, twosee and Dover Street Market. All-time fave London designers? Hussein Chalayan, he is always pushing the envelope. And Preen is super sensual; if I were a woman, I’d live in Preen!LFW’s USP? The energy level is so inspiring. I think that designers need to get their prices down

and/or make the garments a bit more market-friendly. The pound is very expensive to us Americans, and so it’s hard to import and sell British goods. Some, like KTZ, are smart and do their production in Indonesia to bring the prices down. The quality is still there and the pieces become much more affordable to Americans.

NATALiE VAN ROOyENBuyer for Villa Moda, Kuwait City

First LFW? Last February, which was also my first visit to London. I was awestruck by the people. The scene is so different in terms of creativity.All-time favourite moment? The return of the Ossie Clark label. Christopher Kane was pretty special. I also loved Erdem and Jonathan Saunders. Shoe designers Charlotte Olympia, Nicholas Kirkwood and Jonathan Kelsey – beautiful shoes are my weakness.Who are you watching? The collection by Lily Parker and Ben Grimes called LP.BG. London-

based designer Ronald Abdala. Who are you championing? Christopher Kane, Erdem and Ossie Clark capture the exclusivity our market requires. All-time fave London designers? I am a big fan of Vivienne Westwood, I feel so alive in her pieces. Personally, I wear Aquascutum – I have my eye on the fuchsia coat from the a/w ’08 collection.

CARLA SOzzANi Buyer and owner of

10 Corso Como, Italy

First LFW? The early Eighties, it was a wonderful time in fashion. John Galliano was showing his peg-leg first collections, and I remember going to Ozbek’s apartment and being shown a beautiful, African-style dress made from Fortuny fabric. Everything had such a special energy. Who are you watching? Christopher Kane, his design integrity should be encouraged.LFW’s USP? London is always moving and changing. I first lived here in the Seventies and thought everything was so incredible; Biba was my first inspiration for 10 Corso Como. Every time I return, it reminds me of that time in my life.

JOSEPh QUARTANA Buyer for Seven, New York

First LFW? A/w ’07, but I’ve been following London since I first opened the store in 1999. On first impression London reminded me very much of New York, only the people were far more stylish – and the parties blew me away! I grew up listening to New Wave music, so it was interesting to see where

Report by Jo Craven

Young designers recognise a Zeitgeist when they see one, and this season it is all about Alice Dellal. Yesterday it was the styling at Natascha Stolle’s Fashion East show that referenced the youngster’s distinctive asymmetrical hairstyle and red pout. In New York, Proenza Schouler (her friends) paid homage to her hair (again) and grunge style (although she couldn’t see the show, as she was

A-musing busy being guest of honour at Alexander Wang).

Seated front row at Temperley London (because sister Charlotte had designed the shoes), her zippers-and-stud style seemed like a totally new style direction for the glam party look of the label. It hit the spot: “I hadn’t seen much of the Temperley London clothes before really,” Alice said, “but I loved all that leather and the minis.”

If that’s not enough evidence of the muse status of Ms Dellal, she also models David David’s kaleidoscopic prints in his s/s ’09 catalogue. Oh, Alice.

of least resistance – and glorious elegance if you have the cojones to get it right.

Spotted today were two men in stark contrast. Yorgo Tloupas, publisher of soignée mag Intersection, sports shorts from March to October. The band around his head used to be his Mum’s bra strap, replaced recently by a regular black shoelace. The jacket is torn, in a reassuringly macho kind of way.

Meanwhile, for fashion journalist Yu Masui, the solution lies in a woman’s European size 40 Balenciaga floral confection teamed with aqua-green denims and Prada slides. Go figure.

Report by Lauren Hassey

When a Voguette grabs two pairs of shoes for a shoot halfway through a presentation, it’s a pretty fair assumption that the shoes in question are moving in the right direction.

Such was the frenzy of excitement over Charlotte Olympia’s presentation at the Trafalgar Hotel yesterday.

Good Charlotte

“My back is killing me,” the designer confessed, while tucking into a scrumptious cream tea. “I’m due to give birth in three weeks, so I shouldn’t really be wearing heels at all.” But, of course, Charlotte Dellal sported a pair of her own sky-high creations, working a particularly sexy mamma look down to a tee.

And so it was that platforms with stacked wedges, featuring solid blocks of gold-and-patent-black; violet-coloured five-and-a-half-inch stilettos; and saucy peep-toes with a steeply inclined killer heel were all dished up. Truly delicious.

Go NinetyReport by Lauren Cochrane


Continuing this week’s Eighties versus Nineties theme, Richard Nicoll’s collection (seen backstage, left) drew on Nineties looks – with a rich colour-palette of tangerine and bubblegum, as well as streamlined gowns and slick, pearl-embellished body-hugging pieces.

“I was looking at colour blocking,” said the designer, backstage after the show. “Helmut Lang and, particularly, Calvin Klein were big references.”

The Nineties trip continued with the hair and makeup, which, says Nicoll, were inspired by a Herb Ritts image: “It was of Helena Christensen emerging from water, looking really sexy.”

Cue braided wet-look up-dos and dewy skin. Hair stylist Sam Hillerby worked on Nicoll’s show. According to her, it’s a theme she’s seencropping up in many of the collections. “This season is about the era running from Bananarama to Helmut Lang,” she said. It looks like the Nineties is winning in the war of the decades. Watch this space for updates.

party-loving design duo sporting themselves on a girls’ night out.

“We wanted to make clothes like the very first dresses, tops and skirts we drooled over in Topshop when we were 12,” Ben Grimes explained. Each item has been directly inspired by one of the duo’s bessie mates, such as the Phoebe, a cobalt-blue peg-leg jumpsuit named after “popette” Phoebe Arnold, who also styled the lookbook for the label. Cute.

Continues tomorrow


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BreakFASHIOnABLe FUn AnD gAmeS BROUgHT TO yOU By POP-UP PUBLICATIOn RUBBISH mAgAzIne. WWW.RUBBISHmAg.COm

IT’S WHAT eveRyBODy’S TALKIng!Take a

The May Fair Hotel, the Official Hotel of London Fashion Week

Being without battery at London Fashion Week would be like being without Louboutins at one of the after parties.

Here are some power-saving tips, so you don’t miss that all-important phone call, or calendar appointment.

1. Turn off the Wi-Fi if not in use.2. Turn off the Bluetooth if not in use.3. Turn off GPS when not in use.4. Let your phone battery fully discharge every once-in- a-while.

RuBBiSH AdveRToRiAL

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ColumnMcDowell

GeeKSQuAd.co.uk. official iT team for LFW.

Tune in throughout the week for your top geek tips.

Everyone’s good friends at London Fashion Week. Almost. We all love each other, either on or off the catwalks. To our faces, at least. Even so… Column has received exciting news that, in among all the loving and caring with which LFW is so laden, you may have missed a thing or two. Several of the revelations below were fleeting, to say the least.

Rumour has it that Suzy briefly abandoned her trademark world-weary sigh and, in an unguarded moment, smiled.

That Alex (editor of Vogue, stupid) was seen at a show with an expression that could perhaps be taken as a flicker of interest – or near enough.

That Colin was distinctly heard assuring a PR, “Don’t worry about me, love. I’ll be happy to have a seat in row three if you’ve got one.”

That Harold (chairman of the BFC, dumbo) actually managed to get through a day without doing even one of his trademark changes of wardrobe, instead of the usual three.

That Hilary (no, the other one) was caught laughing happily, as if she didn’t have a care in the world.

But, as the Bard wrote, rumour is a lying froide, and I don’t believe a word of it.

Sticking with happy families. LFW isn’t all champagne, canapés and the chance to totter around in a few pairs of shoes fit to frighten the horses. No, darlings, it’s serious hard work. Five parties a night. It would test the stamina of a paratrooper. And then you get home. Grumpy spouse. “Had a good time? The cat’s been sick again. The baby’s cried all night and the sitter didn’t show.” Just the welcome you need after lugging all those goody bags from the bus stop – it isn’t all limousines at the fashion front, I can tell you. “You’re late.” This isn’t the first stirring of jealousy – would that it were. Looking in the mirror at your ravaged, exhausted features, you realise it would be a miracle if it were. No, it’s that baby-boy petulance that always hits abandoned husbands, who, like dogs, cannot be left alone for more than five hours without a reaction. And, like a dog, he’s whining. And resolutely refusing to see it from any point of view but his own. Do they care about fashion – and that it enables the kids to go to a good school and for you all to go skiing? Not a bit. Just as well. It would be unbearable if they did actually empathise with you for being force-fed luxury and fake bonhomie every night.

Dads may have problems with Fashion Week, but at least they don’t face the dangers we do. Crammed into unsuitable venues, I often wonder how Health and Safety rate the buildings we are dragged to for shows. In many of them a child of 10 could work out that, in the event of an emergency, the hopes of evacuating some of the most hysterical people you could ever bring together in a room – over half of them in heels – are exactly nil. Next time you are waiting for a show to start, look around you. Are these really the people you would like to spend your last seconds with? And on that cheery note, do the decent thing, slip off your Manolo’s and give that creature glowering in the front of the TV a stiff drink. And pour a stiffer one for yourself. Tomorrow is another day.

The fashion industry has been thrown into turmoil following a string of bonkers equations. On/Off is 10 – but is it? Fashion Fringe just turned five – or did it? And next season LFW celebrates reaching its impressive 25-year milestone. But according to official documentation it dates back to 1958, so that’s not the case either! Just having come to terms with the additional pre-collection, cruise-collection and resort additions to our original two seasons (that does make five doesn’t it?), a load of wonky anniversaries has been causing a string of fashion headaches. So, courtesy of The LFW Daily, here’s how it goes: take the age and double it. Mathematically, that makes me 60. And I’m not sure what I think about that! Anyway, I’m off to On/Off, er sorry, Blow Off, no, I mean On, oh sorry, its BFC Fashion Forward, I mean Fashion Fringe, no, it’s Fashion East – or is it? BALLS.

Report by Becky Davies. Or is it?

Confused.com/headache



Buyers BureauMeet the buyers who make the LFW world go round

Spot the DifferenceReport by Jack Dyson

Frox Pops Menswear SpecialOh, the dilemmas of dressing appropriately as a male visitor to London Fashion Week. Go butch or not, or instead go off-piste? That is the question. The former offers a route of out-there masculinity in a world where, let’s face it, you are bound to stand out like a sore thumb; and that’s surely the point. The latter is, in a sense, the path

Report by Jessica Hannan

It’s My PartyReport by Jessica Hannan

Room 315 at the Connaught Hotel was buzzing with buyers yesterday morning. The reason? They were checking out model-about-town Ben Grimes and ex-Richard-Nicoll-pattern-cutter-pal Lily Parker’s debut collection LP.BG.

The lightweight silk party dresses, cobalt-blue shorts suits and gold-lamé jackets are just the kind of thing you might find the

it all started and where videos were shot.All-time favourite moment? Anything Gareth Pugh. Who are you championing? I’m watching Marios Schwab, Louise Goldin and Christopher Kane. I’m already buying Gareth Pugh, House of Holland, Jean Pierre Braganza, Nicholas Kirkwood, Cassette Playa, Peter Pilotto, David David, Ground-Zero, Katharine Hamnett, KTZ, Passarella Death Squad, Preen and the tee collection of Stunners International.Fave things about London? Brits are very nice and polite for the most part. Preen took me to dinner at Bistrotheque and it was excellent. I don’t eat out much as I prefer room service – The InterContinental has excellent spaghetti bolognese! My favourite shops are b store, twosee and Dover Street Market. All-time fave London designers? Hussein Chalayan, he is always pushing the envelope. And Preen is super sensual; if I were a woman, I’d live in Preen!LFW’s USP? The energy level is so inspiring. I think that designers need to get their prices down

and/or make the garments a bit more market-friendly. The pound is very expensive to us Americans, and so it’s hard to import and sell British goods. Some, like KTZ, are smart and do their production in Indonesia to bring the prices down. The quality is still there and the pieces become much more affordable to Americans.

NATALiE VAN ROOyENBuyer for Villa Moda, Kuwait City

First LFW? Last February, which was also my first visit to London. I was awestruck by the people. The scene is so different in terms of creativity.All-time favourite moment? The return of the Ossie Clark label. Christopher Kane was pretty special. I also loved Erdem and Jonathan Saunders. Shoe designers Charlotte Olympia, Nicholas Kirkwood and Jonathan Kelsey – beautiful shoes are my weakness.Who are you watching? The collection by Lily Parker and Ben Grimes called LP.BG. London-

based designer Ronald Abdala. Who are you championing? Christopher Kane, Erdem and Ossie Clark capture the exclusivity our market requires. All-time fave London designers? I am a big fan of Vivienne Westwood, I feel so alive in her pieces. Personally, I wear Aquascutum – I have my eye on the fuchsia coat from the a/w ’08 collection.

CARLA SOzzANi Buyer and owner of

10 Corso Como, Italy

First LFW? The early Eighties, it was a wonderful time in fashion. John Galliano was showing his peg-leg first collections, and I remember going to Ozbek’s apartment and being shown a beautiful, African-style dress made from Fortuny fabric. Everything had such a special energy. Who are you watching? Christopher Kane, his design integrity should be encouraged.LFW’s USP? London is always moving and changing. I first lived here in the Seventies and thought everything was so incredible; Biba was my first inspiration for 10 Corso Como. Every time I return, it reminds me of that time in my life.

JOSEPh QUARTANA Buyer for Seven, New York

First LFW? A/w ’07, but I’ve been following London since I first opened the store in 1999. On first impression London reminded me very much of New York, only the people were far more stylish – and the parties blew me away! I grew up listening to New Wave music, so it was interesting to see where

Report by Jo Craven

Young designers recognise a Zeitgeist when they see one, and this season it is all about Alice Dellal. Yesterday it was the styling at Natascha Stolle’s Fashion East show that referenced the youngster’s distinctive asymmetrical hairstyle and red pout. In New York, Proenza Schouler (her friends) paid homage to her hair (again) and grunge style (although she couldn’t see the show, as she was

A-musing busy being guest of honour at Alexander Wang).

Seated front row at Temperley London (because sister Charlotte had designed the shoes), her zippers-and-stud style seemed like a totally new style direction for the glam party look of the label. It hit the spot: “I hadn’t seen much of the Temperley London clothes before really,” Alice said, “but I loved all that leather and the minis.”

If that’s not enough evidence of the muse status of Ms Dellal, she also models David David’s kaleidoscopic prints in his s/s ’09 catalogue. Oh, Alice.

of least resistance – and glorious elegance if you have the cojones to get it right.

Spotted today were two men in stark contrast. Yorgo Tloupas, publisher of soignée mag Intersection, sports shorts from March to October. The band around his head used to be his Mum’s bra strap, replaced recently by a regular black shoelace. The jacket is torn, in a reassuringly macho kind of way.

Meanwhile, for fashion journalist Yu Masui, the solution lies in a woman’s European size 40 Balenciaga floral confection teamed with aqua-green denims and Prada slides. Go figure.

Report by Lauren Hassey

When a Voguette grabs two pairs of shoes for a shoot halfway through a presentation, it’s a pretty fair assumption that the shoes in question are moving in the right direction.

Such was the frenzy of excitement over Charlotte Olympia’s presentation at the Trafalgar Hotel yesterday.

Good Charlotte

“My back is killing me,” the designer confessed, while tucking into a scrumptious cream tea. “I’m due to give birth in three weeks, so I shouldn’t really be wearing heels at all.” But, of course, Charlotte Dellal sported a pair of her own sky-high creations, working a particularly sexy mamma look down to a tee.

And so it was that platforms with stacked wedges, featuring solid blocks of gold-and-patent-black; violet-coloured five-and-a-half-inch stilettos; and saucy peep-toes with a steeply inclined killer heel were all dished up. Truly delicious.

Go NinetyReport by Lauren Cochrane


Continuing this week’s Eighties versus Nineties theme, Richard Nicoll’s collection (seen backstage, left) drew on Nineties looks – with a rich colour-palette of tangerine and bubblegum, as well as streamlined gowns and slick, pearl-embellished body-hugging pieces.

“I was looking at colour blocking,” said the designer, backstage after the show. “Helmut Lang and, particularly, Calvin Klein were big references.”

The Nineties trip continued with the hair and makeup, which, says Nicoll, were inspired by a Herb Ritts image: “It was of Helena Christensen emerging from water, looking really sexy.”

Cue braided wet-look up-dos and dewy skin. Hair stylist Sam Hillerby worked on Nicoll’s show. According to her, it’s a theme she’s seencropping up in many of the collections. “This season is about the era running from Bananarama to Helmut Lang,” she said. It looks like the Nineties is winning in the war of the decades. Watch this space for updates.

party-loving design duo sporting themselves on a girls’ night out.

“We wanted to make clothes like the very first dresses, tops and skirts we drooled over in Topshop when we were 12,” Ben Grimes explained. Each item has been directly inspired by one of the duo’s bessie mates, such as the Phoebe, a cobalt-blue peg-leg jumpsuit named after “popette” Phoebe Arnold, who also styled the lookbook for the label. Cute.

Continues tomorrow


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IT’S WHAT eveRyBODy’S TALKIng!Take a

The May Fair Hotel, the Official Hotel of London Fashion Week

Being without battery at London Fashion Week would be like being without Louboutins at one of the after parties.

Here are some power-saving tips, so you don’t miss that all-important phone call, or calendar appointment.

1. Turn off the Wi-Fi if not in use.2. Turn off the Bluetooth if not in use.3. Turn off GPS when not in use.4. Let your phone battery fully discharge every once-in- a-while.

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GeeKSQuAd.co.uk. official iT team for LFW.

Tune in throughout the week for your top geek tips.

Everyone’s good friends at London Fashion Week. Almost. We all love each other, either on or off the catwalks. To our faces, at least. Even so… Column has received exciting news that, in among all the loving and caring with which LFW is so laden, you may have missed a thing or two. Several of the revelations below were fleeting, to say the least.

Rumour has it that Suzy briefly abandoned her trademark world-weary sigh and, in an unguarded moment, smiled.

That Alex (editor of Vogue, stupid) was seen at a show with an expression that could perhaps be taken as a flicker of interest – or near enough.

That Colin was distinctly heard assuring a PR, “Don’t worry about me, love. I’ll be happy to have a seat in row three if you’ve got one.”

That Harold (chairman of the BFC, dumbo) actually managed to get through a day without doing even one of his trademark changes of wardrobe, instead of the usual three.

That Hilary (no, the other one) was caught laughing happily, as if she didn’t have a care in the world.

But, as the Bard wrote, rumour is a lying froide, and I don’t believe a word of it.

Sticking with happy families. LFW isn’t all champagne, canapés and the chance to totter around in a few pairs of shoes fit to frighten the horses. No, darlings, it’s serious hard work. Five parties a night. It would test the stamina of a paratrooper. And then you get home. Grumpy spouse. “Had a good time? The cat’s been sick again. The baby’s cried all night and the sitter didn’t show.” Just the welcome you need after lugging all those goody bags from the bus stop – it isn’t all limousines at the fashion front, I can tell you. “You’re late.” This isn’t the first stirring of jealousy – would that it were. Looking in the mirror at your ravaged, exhausted features, you realise it would be a miracle if it were. No, it’s that baby-boy petulance that always hits abandoned husbands, who, like dogs, cannot be left alone for more than five hours without a reaction. And, like a dog, he’s whining. And resolutely refusing to see it from any point of view but his own. Do they care about fashion – and that it enables the kids to go to a good school and for you all to go skiing? Not a bit. Just as well. It would be unbearable if they did actually empathise with you for being force-fed luxury and fake bonhomie every night.

Dads may have problems with Fashion Week, but at least they don’t face the dangers we do. Crammed into unsuitable venues, I often wonder how Health and Safety rate the buildings we are dragged to for shows. In many of them a child of 10 could work out that, in the event of an emergency, the hopes of evacuating some of the most hysterical people you could ever bring together in a room – over half of them in heels – are exactly nil. Next time you are waiting for a show to start, look around you. Are these really the people you would like to spend your last seconds with? And on that cheery note, do the decent thing, slip off your Manolo’s and give that creature glowering in the front of the TV a stiff drink. And pour a stiffer one for yourself. Tomorrow is another day.

The fashion industry has been thrown into turmoil following a string of bonkers equations. On/Off is 10 – but is it? Fashion Fringe just turned five – or did it? And next season LFW celebrates reaching its impressive 25-year milestone. But according to official documentation it dates back to 1958, so that’s not the case either! Just having come to terms with the additional pre-collection, cruise-collection and resort additions to our original two seasons (that does make five doesn’t it?), a load of wonky anniversaries has been causing a string of fashion headaches. So, courtesy of The LFW Daily, here’s how it goes: take the age and double it. Mathematically, that makes me 60. And I’m not sure what I think about that! Anyway, I’m off to On/Off, er sorry, Blow Off, no, I mean On, oh sorry, its BFC Fashion Forward, I mean Fashion Fringe, no, it’s Fashion East – or is it? BALLS.

Report by Becky Davies. Or is it?

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London Fashion Week's The Daily Thursday 18th September 08