PART TWO

This season the message was about positive fashion. Amongst the worry of storms, austerity in the time of Brexit and medical concerns amidst Covid-19, the fashion industry remained determined to promote and celebrate creativity with respect for our environment.

Matty Bovan

For AW20 Matty Bovan took us on an out-of-body experience in a hail crystals and gravity-defying outfits. With this collection, he was exploring 'the immediate space that surrounds the body, allowing the fabric to ‘land’ and react against it, testing our perception of reality and fantasy.'

Pinstripes, knits and half-boiler suits, levitated along the catwalk. Were the models wearing the items or were the outfits wearing them? Were they upside down or right-way-up? In the digital world of the retouched, authenticity is hard to grasp. Perhaps Matty was asking us to push back and get real. And by utilising pre-worn denim to create new sculptural pieces, he embraced environmental issues, the idea of reworking our wardrobes and accepting our true selves. Stephen Jones accentuated this idea with his floor-sweeping curtain headdresses, adding to the drama and allowing the models to either perform or hide humbly behind them. We had our eyes on so many pieces, from the knitted 'banner' dresses to the crystal-covered one-piece. This was an exercise in masterful drapery, and with it, Matty challenged gravity, our sense of self and how we perceive fashion in 2020. 'Playful with a purpose' best describes our impression of this collection...one that perfectly flies the flag of positive British design.

TOBEFRANK & MOLYNEAUX

This season, the hashtag at fashion week was PositiveFashion. And designers Franky and Amy of TOBEFRANK and MOLYNEAUX deeply understand the importance of environmental style. They are also aware that overuse of the term, 'sustainability' can dilute the impact on our industry and its consumers.

The label directors joined forces from TOBEFRANK and PPQ with a shared vision; to 'create a genuinely inspirational fashion brand for people who want to know precisely what they’re wearing and where it comes from'. This season they have created a collection that inspires us to wear beautiful style, ethically.

The monochrome pieces referenced Elizabethan high necks with sleek, classic silhouettes consisting of recycled cotton shirts, plastic bottle denim, herb dye fabrics and vegetable-dyed leather. Working closely with Turkish factories, the label has created a 90% sustainable line. They said, "the brand ensures that all prosper equally through our supply chain, celebrating the artisans who create our product". TOBEFRANK AND MOLYNEAUX are trailblazers for a thoroughly modern, earth-loving wardrobe.

Ashley Williams

This season Ashley Williams’ collection featured a few of her favourite things, cutesy cats and dogs, and shoes. Candy coloured mohair jumpers embellished with teddies were teamed with kitten-covered shifts and money adorned skirts. It was all about the upcycle of materials and a flip to the ostentatious. By revisiting fabrics in her studio, Williams created her own version of extravagance in bow-covered ballgowns lovingly crafted from recycled materials like acid wash denim and boucle wools crafted from salvaged plastics. Opulence doesn't have to cost the earth, and it doesn't have to take itself too seriously. So let's put on our Ashley Williams recycled puffball and celebrate!

KATIE ANN MCGUIGAN

Katie Ann McGuigan's AW20 collection took us on a reality check through the lens of photographer Tom Woods. Focusing on the day-to-day, from shopping trips to down-time in the home, McGuigan took inspiration from 70's and 80's casual sportswear and living room furnishings to reflect the wardrobe of the everyday. Models sat on sea-foam sofas in floral silk crepe de chine and organza digitally printed dresses that jolted against chevron covered tops in palettes of brown, blue and pink. It was a modern take on reminiscence. Committed to producing a more conscious collection, the AW20 line offered woollen garments hand-knitted from recycled yarns along with screen prints produced near McGuigan's studio. Perhaps the message was: let's not keep looking at what we could have....but what we do have. In more ways than one, this collection kept us close to home; the place that we feel most comfortable.

EDELINE LEE

As we sat in velvet-lined seats of the Appollo Theatre, a single lamp sat mid-stage.... this was a different kind of presentation. The voices of Theo James and Rebecca Trehearn rang out as a series of vignettes were played out before us with models appearing from the darkness to the sound of a jazz trumpet. Welcome to the world of fashion noir, a place 'that explores female power, the potency of sensuality and the historical impact of the male gaze'.

Teaming together with award-winning director Josie Rourke, Edeline Lee paid homage to film noir; where male protagonists viewed women as objects to be admired for their physical attributes, and Femme Fatales proved them otherwise. Statements and writings from the likes of Lady Gaga, Lord Byron and Virginia Woolfe, explored this sentiment. The jewel-coloured palette of the collection echoed this further in georgettes, jacquards and organza, creating striking silhouettes along with eco wool velour and sustainable lining. The theme may have looked back, but the message and the resulting collection were very much looking forward.

Images: L. Chatdanai Dorkson R. Amelia Troubridge

LFW AW20 Part 2

PART TWO

LFW AW20 - Fashion Scout

LFW AW20 - The Graduates