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Fashion

My Highlights from London

The United Kingdom is going through a lot. A government just holding its head above water, under siege on all fronts. Like the rest of the world, Covid has taken a toll on the country. Citizens refusing to understand the gravity of the virus. The Brexit drama continues its tortuous walk to an end of a year climax. 

On the fashion side, London Fashion Week, the smallest of the Big Four events mixed online and live shows. I have always had the opinion the British capital city charts a different course from Milan, Paris, and New York. The ability to make “quirky” work. To take a classic style, then completely transform the look with an edgy print, material, or cut. This is London’s secret as a fashion tolerant city.

My Highlights 

Burberry by Tischi, not a great collection shown in a forest setting. But I liked the solid colors of blues and oranges. The mix of denim on an all weather coat not so much. Save that for the influencers who take 30 selfies a day.

As an American, when I saw Erdem’s collection I though of romantic fantasy from an 18thcentury novel. The story reads, woman meets man on a walk, they fall in love but have others while longing for each other. The long lengths, whites and soft floral prints would be worn by the heroine of the tale. 

I am not familiar LaQuan Smith but better late than never. Street fabulous meets Glam best describes a brand that goes for sex appeal without the guilt.

Halpern decided to feature real front line workers in his presentation. Normally, I am not in favor of “real people” as models. However, his creations were about empowerment merged with optimism. Frilling Pom Pom Dresses and suits made of spirited colors and prints.

Emilia Wickstead’s white sail boat prints, cropped tops and cottons made for delightful collection. I wished I had been there to touch each piece. The complication was the fact each delicate look came across as simple.

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Fashion

Halpern Empowerment

This collection from Fashion Designer Halpern at the London Fashion Week shows the power of imagination merged with function for style.  Using different materials and shapes each look had the theme of female empowerment.   

Women who mattered during these times.  This season the house used front line workers as models.  Fabulous! 

Stay tuned for more coverage from London Fashion Week. 

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Fashion

Episode 1 How Much?

Episode 1 

Imagine the shock when a man tells you he has to invest in a date with the opposite sex.  I had to assume their was a high return on investment.  No  wonder heterosexual men wear cheap shoes!  

Sponsored by Beyerdynamic

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Fashion

Inspired by Opera

I met Rory Hutton in London at Fashion Week Men, a mens accessories designer with a background in illustration. For me, it is always inspiring to meet a person in fashion who is serious about his work, and can have a conversation about the future of his brand, fast forward to a recent email telling me about his latest work.

Mr Hutton’s bowties, pocket squares, and sock designs are for gentlemen who like an accessory styles not heavy on formality, many design print.

A graduate of Limerick School of Art and The National College of Design, Dublin, Rory’s collection can be found in London at Fortnum & Mason.

This year in collaboration with The Royal Opera House London, Rory Hutton designed pieces based on and inspired by the master opera works of Mozart, Verdi, Handel, and Wagner.

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Fashion

London Fashion Week Review

London is about experimenting. as a Global City with far flung reach, the fusion of ideas is a given.  There is no one aesthetic to describe the scene, styles ranges from classic to apocalyptic.

This year the initiative is POSITIVE FASHION STRATERGY based on Sustainability, Equality and Diversity, Craftsmanship and Community.

On a strange note: I am not sure what is happening to London Fashion Week. The Guardian had an article regarding the British Fashion Council and designers asking for up to 5000 pounds from non fashion professionals for front row seats at runway shows, Along with this purchase, access to VIP rooms etc. Reading this made me wonder. Why would the BFC have this in place? I have no clue. As one of the “Big 4” fashion events, LFW attracts attention, the need for paying attendees feels like desperation, an auction of the family jewels. I know of no other fashion week doing this.

Roland Mounter fused sheer, loose, and shine into a collection of femininity. I liked certain looks (44, while other looks confused me, looking half ideas, 24.

Victoria Beckham celebrated 10 years in fashion by having her first show in London. She has admitted not drawing or cutting or doing any of the classic fashion designer jobs. Beckham is a brand megapower. The anniversary collection lacked spectacle for wearability with accessible materials.

Erdem stayed close and long to the body with a wide array of prints, designs inspired by the past vision of the Perfect Woman. The large vintage belle époque hats topped off a few looks. Did I like it? Some looks, “Yes!” My recommendations are 16, 29, and 31.

Peter Pilotto. I can start off by saying I really liked the collection. The metallic colors, the do as you want 70’S looks are all about night time fun, like looks #20, #37.

Roskanda is about oversize, color, and belted looks with prints, I especially liked 27 and 44.

Mary Katrantzou proves colors, shapes and objects can be vibrant, stylish, and eye catching. Loving it! 4, 11, 31 are my favorites.

Simone Rocha and all those veils inspired by Asia. Stark reds, accents were at the center of a collection that took a cue from China for shapes and lengths.

Rejina Pyo had a breezy show of colors for a beach holiday, gingham dress and mules that were mostly daywear looks. Not sophisticated but light, but that is a good thing.

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Fashion

Not Just Eye Candy!

Can a model speak? The answer is YES!They are more than just attractive faces attached to lean physiques. We interviewed one of these handsome men to prove there is more than eye candy to guys who make menswear clothing look good at Fashion Week.  Stay tuned here.

Powered by Canon Camera.

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Fashion

London Fashion Week Men

London Fashion Week

Wales Bonner tailored nautical inspired looks are flattering for the slim figured man. Loving the solid colored suits in both black and white.

Not so overwhelmed by the Chalayan collection as I found the shapes interesting. The outerwear in with the padded coats and and cloaks caught my eye, definitely for the gentlemen who like it classic with a touch of edginess.

Man just decided to throw it all out the window and go with the flow of modern times, knock down all the barriers. This is a show and collection about shapes, sizes, colors, and genders. Let The Sunshine In!

The Queen of the London Fashion Scene, Vivienne Westwood, stayed true to herself and her brand, simply expressive in the Westwood Way. The theme of the collection was “war” with camouflage and striped worn by the a Moroccan colonel. The British designer went the gender free route for some looks, with looks for men in dresses and floral tights.

With a new creative head, Joseph is moving forward in a way I like. Francesco Muzi did not go for a radical approach for his first collection for the brand but refashioned looks with lengths whole keeping the palette subdued.

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Fashion

London Looks

London Fashion Week Men

A creative capital that is once again remaking itself in the Brexit Age is still a force in streetwear judging by the initial looks from Mensweek. London is a city where fashion designers are never afraid to take a risk, ripping up the script then doing it differently.

Oliver Spencer’s interpretation of accessibility combined with a fresh look of today. Mixing a few female looks, the designer seemed to have been in a state of past Chic London when he came up with this very masculine collection, the everyday dandy. I liked the jackets because they looked so elegantly casual.

 

I cannot put my finger on why I like Cottweiler’s collection. Utility, sportswear mingled in streetwear looks that were about strength using leathers along  with  blue dyed print trousers with shoulder bag my favorite. Ben and Matthew have a great eye for fashionable guy wear with street cred The compliant from Vogue, the run way show was too dark.

Playful, colorful, but all the wearable, Band of Outsiders used ski equipment to go along with images of the Fall 18 collection. Track pants and outerwear were the highlights of the collection with an eye on humor.

London Fashion Week Men takes place from Jan 5th to Jan 8th.

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Fashion

Bundle up in Lux

During London Fashion Week Men’s we met  Nadja Solovieva, the creative director of luxury scarf brand Vassilisa based in London’s Knightsbridge area.  Black and Paper asked her a few questions about her collection.

When you design a collection, what do you think about?

The brand Vassilisa has an overall unique brand DNA / Concept. Besides each collection has a number of themes of inspiration, which are developed and interlinked, and relate to the main brand concept. It is a typical St Martins method or working by sketch book, these creative processes are not always straight forward to explain to public.

Now you are designing menswear looks, why did you branch out?

We started noticing men increasingly buying our scarves, it has been an organic process of observing the demand.

Your scarves are strong, can you explain these looks?

These scarves are a design-led product, each collection has a story.

What materials do you use in the scarf collection?

We manufacture with the finest mills in Italy, materials are silk, cashmere and modal, this is an amazing yarn, highly ecological, made from beech tree cellulose, which has amazing thermogenic qualities in cold and also most perfect for hot weather.  We work with finest materials and craftsmen.

For more information go to: Vassilisa.com

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Fashion

London Fashion Week

 

Pringle of Scotland models in line for the rehearsal walks.

Models, models, and more models from behind the scenes at the Pringle of Scotland fashion show.  Black and Paper was allowed access to the fashion brands preparations for the London Fashion Week event.

Stay tuned for more.