LFW AW20 Part 1
In a week that saw London washed out amidst storm Dennis, Fashion Week was anything but; yes, the pavements were quieter, wetter and windier but that didn't stop us. The editors, photographers and stylists rushed to the haven of 180 Strand, past the soaked lenses of the few brave street photographers dedicated to securing the shot. We weathered the rain and the blustering winds, tried not to think about Brexit and Covid-19. We did, however, talk about how to make fashion work positively, ethically and environmentally. At Burberry, Ricardo Tisci gave us a carbon neutral show, Halpern used recycled sequins, and Richard Malone's made-to-order collection won the Woolmark Prize. There is still much to do, but increasingly we are seeing reworked fabrics and recycled materials crafted into some of the most innovative collections. This is what London does best; playful, powerful, thought-provoking creativity. And here are some of our favourites from the on schedule AW20 shows:
MARQUES ’ ALMEIDA
As we stood at the Truman show space in Shoreditch, we found ourselves talking to the mother of three of the models in the M'A show. She explained that the girls had grown up with Marta, had shared life's challenges, and now, here they were, walking purposefully and proudly in the duo's AW20 collection. This reflects Marta and Paulo's ethos; to surround themselves with real friends, those that will share their experiences, their honest thoughts and feedback, those who truly inspire and represent the brand. For this collection, Marques ' Almeida considered how their community might navigate these uncertain times , drawing upon elements from the past to create their own slant. There were vintage elements, but the acid-washed denim, chinoiserie and painterly pleats felt oh-so-modern. From its inspiration to its execution, it is a beautiful collection. In a world of fake news and insta-hype, it's hard for authentic voices to be heard, but M'A is a brand that understands this; it asks, it listens, but crucially, it doesn't try to dictate. With each collection, the feedback loop creates an ever stronger buzz. And it's that personal take on creativity that keeps the M'A community so close.
BOSIDENG
Over the past 43 years, the Chinese down jacket brand Bosideng has continuously innovated with fabric, technology and design, earning it a strong reputation both at home and overseas. On this, the brand's first show at LFW, Gao Dekang, the founder of Bosideng, said: "London is a great centre of creative energy, and we are delighted to be able to show on the official schedule of London Fashion Week". The collection comprised of down jackets, outerwear, jersey and sportswear, the ultimate collection for urbanites. In a mix of metallics, pastels and sherbet-brights embellished with tassels, the AW20 collection was a blazing, energetic beacon of fashion hope for its motherland. The finale saw a model emerge in a red down jacket while the designer waved the national flag to the chant 'Go China'. It was a defiant call from a brand that wishes to applaud the determination of its people in this challenging period. And if anyone can inspire the show to go on, Bosideng can.
ON|OFF PRESENTS
On|Off Presents - aims to inspire in uncertain times. This season, the On|Off show drew references from Paris, where a slogan reading, 'All Power to the Imagination' was inscribed on a wall by the revolutionaries Situationist International in 1968. On|Off took this slogan as a symbol of the current mood. To inspire hope in a time of upheaval. Having mentored and showcased more than five hundred designers over the last 20 years, the On|Off show never fails to inspire. This season five designers set the tone of individualism and self-expression.
House of Sheldon Hall combined experimental textiles and innovative pattern cutting techniques to create its own version of British eccentricity with voluminous skirts in waves of stripes and tulle. Steve Sheldon and Emma Hall describe their muse as 'brave, living out fantasy through fashion'. Coveted by Nicole Kidman and Katie Grand and requested by British Vogue, their design fantasy has become a reality.
IYA₦U is a London based Textile designer who celebrates her trans-cultural identity. The bold brights and graphical prints on sharp structural silhouettes beautifully reflect the fusion of her Nigerian roots and British upbringing. In November 2018, IYA₦U debuted her fashion collection ‘YOUTH’ in Lagos, Nigeria.
The background in architectural design is evident in YAN DENGYU'S collection. He has a passion for pattern, exaggerated structures and volume. For Dengyu, fashion is performance, an art-form and the red draped figure in the ruby-encrusted mask was pure theatrics that stayed with us long after the show.
Yan Dengyu
404 STUDIO showed us the innovative capabilities of the humble knit. With rainbow-bright, metallic threads, this emerging Spanish brand had us hoping that winter would be here all-year. The brand names international artists Dua Lipa and Mala Rodriguez amongst their fans.
Established in Hongkong, 2014 ZAFUL's menswear, womenswear and beachwear has 33 million customers to date, shipping to 260 countries. For AW20 the designers joined forces with Creative Director Atip Wananuruk, for a unique capsule collection, which embraces the Gen-Z love of digital creativity, but with a nod to ZAFUL’s vibrant past.
MM6 MAISON MARGIELA
For the MM6 Maison Margiela runway show at London Fashion Week Autumn Winter 2020, MM6 announced a new partnership with outerwear specialists The North Face. The latter's Expedition System was revolutionary at its inception, established in 1990 comprising of detachable, layered pieces designed for extreme weather conditions. The AW20 collection took these adaptable, modular designs, reimagining them and incorporating the iconic circular MM6 leitmotif.
Garments were engineered with interlocking components that adapt and extend the protective, insulating properties of each piece with sculptural, playful silhouettes indicative of MM6. The signature black shoulders were intensified with palettes of cobalt, violet and citrus. This high-performance collection is the perfect example of form meeting function with an eye on the environment, using materials such as recycled fleece and down. But it doesn't just deserve to be on the Alps; layered with leather pants and zebra-print, MM6 x North Face demonstrated that this collection was not only for the snow-bound adventurers but for the urban explorers too!
PAUL COSTELLOE
At the beautiful surroundings of Palm Court at the Waldorf in Holborn, Paul Costelloe invited us to buy less and invest in our future. The collection was described as ‘lasting looks for the pre and post sport city individuals, who are both health and comfort conscious'. This is one of our favourite collections from the designer, a figurehead of London Fashion week. Classic wool tweeds in oversized silhouettes were given a modern take as they were artfully layered over high-tech bodysuits demonstrating the designer's masterful use of graphic print and textiles. Cropped knits and hooded puffas were teamed with tropical, geometric and cloud-like patterns accented with acid bright snakeskin boots. There is an art to the pattern-clash, and Paul executes it with precision. High waisted trousers with pleats effortlessly captured the current mood for pieces with accents of the past. For the evening, prints became bolder in bright florals and metallic jacquards. This is a collection for the health-conscious, timeless-loving, environmentally-minded woman who appreciates quality over quantity. One so good that she'll be enjoying it for years to come.
Paul Costelloe (Everynight images)
