London Fashion Week is the twice-annual festival for super-chic and super-freak to come together in a big fat fashion parade; awash with exhibitions, catwalks and celebrities displaying the best pieces from next season’s collections. We’ve spared you the pain this September by bringing you the highlights, latest trends, and reports from the top three shows of SS13.
Moschino Cheap & Chic, 15th September 2012 (20:00)
Moschino’s SS13 collection was the first major off-venue show of LFW, with the fashion glitterati cumulating at 4 St John’s Street to view the latest Cheap & Chic offering. Retro colour-schemes and styles came right out of an Austin Powers movie, with bell-bottoms, sport-jackets and dungarees all making appearances on the catwalk.
Cheap & Chic are famous for their playful re-makes of fashion classics, and they certainly didn’t disappoint this season. Tailored suits featured fluorescent shell-suit jackets and luxe satin fabrics, accompanied by fishnet shirts and bejewelled collars. Luxurious cocktail dresses sparkled with jewels and bright prints, and everything was paired with Nike trainers for a street-style feel reminiscent of Lily Allen’s debut album.
Pineapples – craze of the 1970’s – also formed a huge part of C&C’s show; with pineapple patterns featuring on handbags and buttons, and pop-art style prints on blazers, suits, bellbottoms and day dresses. My favourite piece from the collection – a pink taffeta prom dress – featured a pineapple-inspired bodice and shaping, with cartoonish jewelled flowers and a full skirt providing full-on attitude.
Vivienne Westwood Red Label, 16th September 2012 (14:00)
Westwood’s controversial pro-austerity comments following her AW12 show left fashionistas across the globe chomping at the bit to see what she would produce for SS13. The Dame stuck to her guns as far as the venue was concerned – choosing to hold her catwalk in the Somerset House Courtyard Space rather than at a separate venue, as many of her superbrand peers chose to do.
The collection was no disappointment but plenty of change for the brand’s signature style. VW’s iconic tartan shades became a thing of the past, replaced by floral prints and smooth chiffon that provided a super-feminine, floaty feel to her usual asymmetrical cuts.
Workwear formed a major theme for the show; modest blouses made an appearance, as did pleated skirts, shirt dresses and pastel jumpers, all paired with pointed court shoes and sleek up-do’s. Eveningwear was a simple and elegant nod to the 50’s, with models sporting ladylike hats and gloves.
Die-hard Viv fans won’t be too unimpressed though; the ‘pirate’ collections were still present throughout, with red and white-stripe shirt dresses and the occasional model sporting her famous Bondage Boots. Structured styles didn’t change; asymmetry featured heavily in both eveningwear and tailoring numbers, and several models were seen sporting Climate Revolution t-shirts in Westwood’s typical anarchic style.
The designer herself made an appearance at the end of the show sporting a ‘Free Assange’ t-shirt. And we were worried she was getting boring.
Burberry Prorsum, 17th September 2012 (16:00)
It was a big week for Burberry, with their LFW SS13 show coinciding with the opening of their new London Flagship store. Colours and lace were big features on their catwalk; iconic styles were updated with new fabrics and bright tie-dye shades, with new-sensation model Cara Delevigne opening the show wearing the new Cape-trench that’s sure to be on every it-girl’s Christmas list this year.
The show’s ‘Old Hollywood’ feel was complemented by model’s retro accessories and the sweet-wrapper shades – sunglasses, men’s lapels and 1950’s bowler bags were all updated this year with metallic shades and perspex fabrics. Eveningwear consisted of shirt-dresses and super-sexy fitted numbers, with fur stoles replaced by luxe-styles in perspex, canvas and felt.
The classic British brand underwent a huge transformation for this SS13, and the show was attended by the hottest names on the 2012 celebrity scene – Anna Wintour, Harry Styles and Andy Murray were obvious front-row faces. Christopher Bailey has succeeded in showing the world that – despite reporting profit-losses three years running – Burberry is back, and it still wears the British Crown.
As far as the trend-report is concerned, keep your colour-block knits and retro prints. The 20’s and 50’s were the decades for tailoring, with the punk 70’s and poppy 90’s forming inspiration for colours and prints.
Accessories and cuts are plainly-styled this season; expression is about embellishment, neon shades and crazy contrasting prints. Choose plain pointed courts and strappy wedges for glamour, and androgynous loafers and brogues in statement colours for daywear.
Fabrics are light and airy – the super-feminine look is back, and it’s here to stay throughout the season. Leggings are no-longer a ‘safe option’ for summer styles -so make sure you invest in some skin-colour tights or a good fake tan – however the 3/4 length Capri pants are making a return for SS13, paired with cute heels and colourful cardigans.