The Best Of London Fashion Week AW18
By Something CuratedSomething Curated highlights the best from London Fashion Week, taking a closer look at a selection of the most exciting Autumn/Winter 2018 shows and collections.
Erdem
Erdem Moralioglu was inspired by the story of an American actress marrying into aristocracy. Lining the seats of the runway, small, ribbon-tied booklets opened to reveal the muse for Erdem’s collection, Adele Astaire. Famed for being sister of Fred Astaire, Adele is also known for marrying into the royal family, after getting wed to Lord Charles Cavendish and giving up her flourishing career as a showgirl. Staged in the National Portrait Gallery’s historic wing, subtle floral prints and dainty lace featured heavily throughout the show, bolstered by a mature colour palette and metallic accents.
Charlotte Knowles
Graphic underwear sensitively informed the collection, forming the foundations of every layered-up look. Diamond-shaped mesh bras were streamlined, and traditional fastenings were abandoned in lieu of delicate clasps closing at the front. Expanding on last season’s outerwear offering, Knowles added an airy raincoat, made from windproof tech fabric, and inconspicuously enveloping capes. Looks were coupled with tortoiseshell printed scarves and laser-cut gig-style wristbands, finished with evening gloves and a peppering of padded handbags. This was the Central Saint Martins graduate’s second season with Fashion East.
Ashish
Ashish’s AW18 show was an exultant return to his signature style of colourful glamour. The show space was transformed by set designer Tony Hornecker into a busy clothing market, complete with carpeted floors, garish storefronts of retro clothes shops, and hanging mannequins in sequinned garments. Models sported 60s inspired Bollywood beehives, created by Ali Pirzadeh, to a nostalgic soundtrack of Hindi versions of ABBA’s ‘Super Trouper’ and Cher. Of course, it wouldn’t be an Ashish show without plenty of tongue-in-cheek slogans, this season subverting recognisable logos.
JW Anderson
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This time, Jonathan Anderson showed a seasonless amalgam of men’s, women’s and pre-collection all together on the runway. The designer announced he will be doing two runway shows from now on, with six product drops throughout the year. The collection had a modest undercurrent, with long, drop-waist dresses, swinging handkerchief hemlines, crinkled or pleated fabrics, ruffle details and fluttery layers. There were copious knits, some edged with thick fringes, and others with fat doughnut shapes at the wrist and edges, shown alongside sleeveless dresses with sequined panels.
Asai
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AW18 marks Asai’s third season showing with the support of Fashion East. The show’s press release points out that the Vietnamese word for “country” also means “water,” the ubiquitous element which provided the imagined setting for Asai’s nomadic woman. Influenced by the writings of Vietnamese filmmaker, writer, literary theorist and composer, Trinh T. Minh-ha, Asai’s models wore well-worn fabrics, intended to provide them with protection in their continually shifting surroundings. Detailedly hand embroidered textiles and waterproof fabrics composed second-skin like garments, shown alongside quilted, patchwork shearling skirts and waxed trench coats.
Burberry
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Leading up to Christopher Bailey’s much anticipated final show, the chief creative officer teased Instagram followers with a flash of Burberry’s signature check in a rainbow colour way, a celebration of the LGBT+ community. Opening the show, model Adwoa Aboah wore a floor-sweeping white skirt finished with multicolour stripes, while other looks saw the riot of colour adorn everything from classic trenches to rainbow trainers. Representing “Britishness” in all its diversity, the brand embraced its links to streetwear culture, incorporating the Haymarket Check on baseball caps, tracksuits and puffer jackets.
Central Saint Martins MA
There was no shortage of talent emerging from the prestigious fashion school this year. Liam Johnson opened the show with his boldly hemmed dresses, the stretch fabric of which framed the models’ bodies like tents. Fascinating textures came courtesy of Rebecca Jeffs, who won the L’Oréal Professionel Creative Award alongside menswear designer Olaf Tavares Vieira, who showed a collection of cult-like men’s uniforms. Perhaps the most Instagrammed pieces came from Edwin Mohney, in the form of an inflatable swimming pool dress, life-size dummies, and Donald Trump rubber masks fashioned into shoes.
Simone Rocha
Known for her characteristic approach to femininity, with Victoriana collars and 3D florals, Simone Rocha developed on her trademarks this season, with a collection that was equally romantic and dark. Set in London’s Goldsmith’s Hall, the show commenced with a parade of models dressed in gothic black gowns and overcoats, speedily progressing to incorporate sweeps of tulle and lace. Amidst the darkness sat the designer’s trademark bursts of blood red in the form of silky floral midi dresses and elegant bows.
Marques’Almeida
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As new parents to a little girl, it was evident that Marta Marques and Paulo Almeida have been questioning the definition of girlhood this season. Unkempt hair flowed down the runway with makeup-less faces and deconstructed materials. An art school ambiance filled the room with undone hems, an abundance of ruffles and no distinct colour palette. Velvet gowns sat next to lime green boots and oversized bum bags, while shirts looked like they had been taken apart and re-stitched, and oversized sweats appeared as though they had been borrowed.
Feature image via Burberry