Trends to Watch: LFW/NYFW September 2014

Originally written for Liberty Belle (September 2014), read it here.

Another September, another round of fashion weeks.

Each season we are bombarded with dozens of catwalk shows to fawn over but there are so many outfits it can be difficult to spot the stand-out looks. Never fear, Liberty Belle is giving you the run down of the most interesting Spring Summer trends that emerged from New York and London fashion weeks.

Unusually for this bright season, dark colours are everywhere. At Marc Jacobs, clothes inspired by military and nursing uniforms appeared in shades of grey, navy blue and camouflage green. Alongside this dark colour palette, large buttons and over-sized tailoring meant that the collection had a masculine/androgynous feel – something which Jacobs deliberately drew attention to with the bright pink Barbie dreamhouse set. The look here is extremely casual and far from girly, think Chrissie Hynde hair and minimal detailing in seatbelt-style belts and plain studs.

Black clothes also dominated the runway at Tom Ford in a sea of leather, shiny and sheer fabrics. Definitely a show for the summer goths, this presentation was full of edgy outfit ideas with capes, see-through shirts and awkward cut outs flashing the flesh of almost every heavily-eyelinered model.

Erdem showed dark clothes too, but this time in billowing chiffon and co-ordinated with panels of jewel-toned feathers. The cliché spring florals have also had an overhaul with blown up motifs based on greenhouse exteriors and gardening labels at Erdem and Burberry Prorsum.

Texture-mixing is a strong, emerging trend that will be very easy to replicate. Both Rodarte and Mary Katrantzou paired boxy, heavy jackets with asymmetric skirts in floaty, sheer fabrics. Taking inspiration for their collections from the unusual concepts of the deep sea and the evolution of the earth, these designers also showed heavy embroidery on delicate dresses covered in plenty of sparkles. Again, the darker colour palette of muddy blues and greens shone through.

Burberry Prorsum revealed a collection full of pastels with pieces in pleated net, denim and chiffon, giving this mismatching trend a far more wearable feel. The dresses covered in enlarged sequins are less practical, but still fit for everyday wear.

Fantasy, or more specifically nostalgia for decades past, is also featuring heavily on the catwalk. Ashish’s sequin-filled display demonstrated that the 90s revival is going to stay relevant for at least another year as an all-black model cast walked down the runway wearing more glitter than you thought existed. This show included denim and casualwear reimagined with sequin patterns of snakeskin and motifs of Kimye, Miley Cyrus and the One Direction boys on jeans and sweatshirts.

A nod to the sixties can be seen at both Thom Browne and Oscar de la Renta, though at complete opposite ends of the spectrum. While Oscar de la Renta took a more muted approach with lace cutwork, pastels and midriff-baring gingham separates, Thom Browne presented a whimsical collection that looked like the wardrobe Twiggy would have had if she worked in an alien circus. A mixture of textures also reared its head here, with classic Chanel-style jackets seen next to satin and sheer pieces. Both collections showed that pastels, prints and co-ords are going to be a big thing next summer.

So, plenty to choose from. Whether you aspire to be a pastel fantasist, a Patti Smith mini-me or a military babe there is definitely something for everyone next season. I don’t know about you, but I’ll be sat here waiting to see how ASOS interpret the head to toe sequinned look.

Galliano returns to fashion

Originally written for Liberty Belle (February 2015), read it here.

Last month saw the unveiling of John Galliano’s first collection for his new design home, Maison Margiela (the “Martin” having been dropped shortly after his arrival). The Artisanal collection was, unusually, presented in London rather than Paris and attached to the end of the menswear shows, suggesting a wish for the designer to return to the fashion world quietly and without his usual trademark fanfare.

The collection itself was beautiful and proved that Galliano’s extravagant, decadent design style does indeed have a place at Margiela, the infamous house of minimalism, despite doubts across the fashion community. The clothes showed a remarkable marrying of the two concepts. A simplistic colour palette of neutrals, black and red blended seamlessly into extravagant shapes and highly intricate gold embellishments, demonstrating Galliano’s undeniable vision and skill as a designer. There were hints of showgirl glamour in glimpses of leopard print through multiple layers of sheer material, a nod to his showboating collections of seasons past. The humour of the Margiela brand was also seen in the bizarre faces constructed out of everyday objects on the front of several garments, as well as in the see-through PVC pockets. One of Margiela’s most famed concepts is deconstruction, which Galliano engaged with refreshingly in his choice to have models wearing the toiles of the same garments heading in the reverse direction, revealing the process which proceeded the final designs.

By all accounts, this was a triumphant return for the designer and for his many, many fans in the fashion world. However, it is important to bear in mind what Galliano has returned from. Four years ago, footage of him being abusive and anti-Semitic towards a group of Italian women surfaced on the internet. He was subsequently dropped from Christian Dior, his employer at the time, and forced to pay reparations and a fine of €6,000 by the French courts. He was also sent to rehab for drug and alcohol abuse as this is what he argued, alongside stress, caused his outburst. He was rightfully exiled from the fashion world for this abusive behaviour, until now. There are some, many in fact, who feel that Galliano has paid his dues by being absent for so long, he has even been granted a pardon by a respected rabbi. The fashion world, including Anna Wintour, is rallying round him and hailing his return as triumphant, divine, the Second Coming.

While Galliano may well have repented for his actions, the language surrounding his return in the mainstream fashion media is troubling. Several news outlets described him as “the disgraced designer”, but made no further references to the offence he caused other than calling it an indiscretion. Many framed his return in terms of him having a “point to prove” or asked how good his clothes for Margiela would have to be for him to earn forgiveness. The very fact that he has been able to return shows that he has been forgiven by the fashion world. Galliano’s anti-Semitic comments and his return to fashion are linked, but not by the quality of his designs. There is no denying that he is a talented designer, but this is not exactly the point.

In a cultural climate where attacks on synagogues happen on average about three times a week in France, the home of Maison Margiela, I am uncomfortable about his return. The video of his tirade is shocking and violent in its language: he directly wishes death upon the women in front of him and brings up the notorious gassings of the Nazi extermination camps. He proclaims that he loves Hitler. Should this all just be swept under the carpet because the man makes great clothes? Many European fashion houses are built on the back of Nazism. Coco Chanel was a spy for the Gestapo and made her money by providing details of Jewish families. Hugo Boss made suits for Hitler’s officers. Elsa Schiaparelli apparently had fascist ties. The pattern of designers profiting from the suffering of the marginalised is well documented throughout European fashion history.

Racism and prejudice are rife within the fashion industry, from white-washing and white-only runway shows to cultural appropriation in both design and editorials. Jourdan Dunn is the first solo black woman on a British Vogue cover in 12 years and magazine pages are regularly filled with uniform white models who conform to Eurocentric standards of beauty. Racism is a historical and current problem in fashion which we cannot run from but must confront it to change it. I loved John Galliano. I have always admired his designs. The Christian Dior couture collection Spring 2011 is one of my favourite collections of all time and his Marie Antoinette collection inspired my Textiles final major project when I was at college. His designs are brilliant and visionary, but his return is a move backwards for the fashion industry, not a progressive look towards a more inclusive future. The clothes do not erase his past. We must be careful in forgiving prejudice and offensive remarks so easily as to stay silent is to allow these “indiscretions” to continue and worsen.

Fairytale Fashion Hits the Catwalk

Originally written for the Liberty Belle blog, March 2014, read it here.

Catwalk fashion has always had an element of fantasy about it. But this year, designers went a step further and took inspiration directly from fairytales for their Autumn/Winter 2014 collections.

Ashish’s collection is a perfect example of modernised princess style with clothes completely covered in sequins and beads. Pastel colours and sparkles are the key features here, which is easily interpreted by layering up pearl necklaces over fluffy pastel jumpers. Personally, I am really excited by the 90s revival that fashion is experiencing right now and the off-duty princess style tulle skirts and glittering jeans of this collection are sure to find their copycat equivalent on the high street soon.

In a less saccharine approach to fairy tale style, Dolce and Gabbana have produced a beautiful, Red Riding Hood inspired collection full of references to traditional folk tales. This collection is full of floral prints in floaty fabrics with red as the obvious stand out colour, definitely something which can be copied on a smaller scale. Fairy tales take on a more woodland feel here with whimsical appliques of squirrels and foxes and touches of fur, a less innocent princess and a darker, more intrepid heroine. To replicate this look on a small budget, look for textured jackets and structured pieces with rich detailing such as gold buttons. Tones such as red, burgundy and gold are used in the key motif pieces, which are sure to be interpreted on the high street soon.

Some designers have taken a looser inspiration from the princess theme and come up with collections that are altogether spookier. Taking inspiration from Star Wars, Rodarte’s AW14 collection is gothic but still manages to be delicate and ethereal with soft layers of fabric. Though this is less wearable than other collections, the landscape prints and jewelled star effects will make for some pretty incredible statement pieces once they reach the high street. Also going for a less orthodox approach to princess fashion are Meadham Kirchhoff. Girly but with more than a hint of weirdness, their show featured models swathed in layers of pastel coloured lace, in some instances even wearing veils in an interpretation of the wedding dresses so many fairy tales end with. These looks seem like they could have stepped out of a Tim Burton film and are perfect inspiration if you prefer your fairy stories with a subversive twist. A veil might be quite tricky to work into an everyday look, but introducing an element of lace into your outfit is an easy nod to this trend that shouldn’t be too over the top.

As Lupita Nyong’o collected her Oscar last weekend in a pale blue dress reminiscent of Cinderella’s famous gown, you could practically see the cartoon bluebirds swooping around her head. It’s clear, princess-inspired fashion is going to be everywhere. There are so many different ways to interpret the trend; I personally can’t wait to embrace it.