Live From... London Menswear

Christopher Shannon 

Christopher Shannon didn’t forget his sportswear back catalogue; instead he quietly subverted it with influences from all over the globe this season. Travelling and David Attenborough’s Human Planet gave him a jumping off point to create wearable, yet eclectic pieces.Shannon said he was inspired by Pieter Hugo books. He also spent time looking back through his own work archive, honing in on pieces he wanted to do more with so the collection wasn’t “just a dry commercial show”.

The look: Tailored and globally inspired embellished sportswear 
Silhouette: Layered tops against slim bottoms
Key items: Anoraks and trousers came adorned in many variations including, frilled, with layered trims and with fleece geometric inserts. Quilted ciré jumpers and quilted slim trousers (courtesy of Lavenham) were paired with fleece and knit geometric patchwork bombers and jumpers. Skirted slim trousers under ruffled anoraks gave a sporty layered look. Short-sleeve smart shirts were layered over fine-gauge jersey tops 
 Colour: A spectrum of greys and petrol blues were highlighted with bright multicolours to give an ethnic touch 
Fabric & knit: Fine-gauge marls, fleece, clean nylons, cottons, embellished blanket weaves, technical sports fabrics. Coated technical textiles on bags
Print & pattern: A paisley-leaf motif and abstract stars dominated as all-over print and detail
Details & trims: Overuse of fringing, trims and tassels showed the global influences
Footwear: His collaboration with Pointer saw modern workings of the brand’s classic styles. Brightly colour-blocked suede inserts and heightened soles added a fresh take on moccasin ankle boots. Basketball hi-tops were covered in the paisley-leaf motif in black and white leather
Accessories: Moving his collaboration with EastPak forward, familiar rucksacks and small man-bags were embellished with ethnic tassels and trims. Flat caps with geometric appliqué and chequerboard intarsia scarves finished the look


Cassette Playa 

A madcap medley of colour and offbeat key items had the club-kid audience whooping with delight at Cassette Playa’s autumn/winter showing, inspired by marauding seaside gangs.

The look: Urban tribes
Silhouette: Updated classic outerwear with track pants
Key items: Starting with napa-leather shorts and biker jackets covered in signature airbrushed prints, the collection moved swiftly on to a more classic selection of Barbour-style quilted jackets (by Lavenham) with vibrant graphic airbrush prints, as well as reworked wool pea coats with patterned inserts, sleeveless wool biker jackets and an oversized bright-red wool duffel with gold piping and orange Perspex toggles. A gold textured leather biker jacket gave an explosion of bling, while oversized cricket jumpers and track pants were worked in black cable knit. Oversized hand-knitted hoodies and sweat pants with large graphic intarsia were created in collaboration with Sibling knitwear, and in a collaboration with Mattel, Playa showed Barbie’s friend Ken will be wearing black silk pyjama pants with a kimono-style cropped dressing-gown cover in hot pink roses on hot dates next winter
Colour: Blacks and greys vs ultra-bright red, pink, yellow and blues, inspired by the reflection of neon lights in the night
Fabric & knit: Silks, denim, chiffon, Lycra and jersey; napa leather and Merino hand knits
Print & pattern: Signature CGI digital prints and urban symbols
Footwear: Dr Martens boots and shoes with vibrant contrast-colour soles, and Nike running shoes in bright synthetics


Man - New Power Studio 

New Power Studio referenced stark contrasts, from phallic hen-night props to religious rituals for autumn/winter 2011/12. Contemporary sportswear shapes are given a voodoo feel when presented alongside ambiguous photoreal prints.

The look: Utility gets subversive
Silhouette: Sportswear-inspired with oversized slouchy sweats or graphic straight lines
Key items: Asymmetrically quilted puffa coat, printed cuffed trousers, raglan sweatshirt with black arm panelColours: Brown, black and grey are used for colour-blocking; moss green, metallic gold and flesh-pink features
Fabric & knit: Velvet, nylon crepe, brushed cotton, sweatshirting
Print & pattern: Hand-dying techniques create a geological-like motif; bold tiger printed jackets; a simple dot-and-number print, almost like pattern-cutting paper
Details & trims: Tonal panelling and graphic multi-texture colour-blocking
Footwear: Understated black leather Nike trainers with chunky white soles
Accessories: Risqué moulded sculpture adornment by Rein Vollenga. Religious and masonry imagery reinterpreted by Scott Wilson

Man - Felipe Rojas Llanos 

Ballet and opera inspire Felipe Rojas Llanos’ autumn/winter 2011/12 collection of sparse and sculptural formalwear, with a nod towards 50s suiting, with shrunken proportions and snug fits.

The look: Sleek and sophisticated with strong lines and voluminous form
Silhouette: A-line silhouettes and snug ¾-length suiting; trapeze coating
Key items: Collarless jackets, diaphanous deep scoop-neck tops, opera cloak as outerwear option, shirt jackets, slim pant shapes
Colours: Black, petrol blue, teal, turquoise, claret, cherry red
Fabric & knit: Silk organza, high-sheen silk on ankle-skimming trousers, silk chiffon, fine-gauge nylon filament-yarn knits
Details & trims: Exaggerated box pleats, rolled hems, hat-pin gathering provides a horizontal break, concealed fastenings, diagonal folds, inverted gathers, dolman shoulders
Footwear: Subtle leather lace-ups
Accessories: Hat pins provide the sole adornment


Man - Martine Rose

The extreme contrasting temperatures endured by desert tribes, and the “armour” needed to survive these climates, were the focus of Martine Rose’s autumn/winter 2011/12 collection.

The look: Functional
Silhouette: Proportion layering and panelling defined the silhouette
Key items: T-shirts made from hypothermia-style foil, teamed with waisted, slim-legged jeans with contrast patch details or exposed zip trims. Classic shirtings featured contrast pocket placements, often traced with a contrast piping. Outerwear came as cropped blousons or asymmetric-hem cocooning blanket coats, with utility detailing or big compressed-felt coats
Colours: Brown, black, grey, sky blue, cobalt, metallic gold
Fabric & knit: Materials focus on texture and temperature - fleece, wax, faux fur, compressed felt, hypothermia blanket foil all featured, along with classic striped shirting and waxed denim. Honeycomb-stitch cropped knitwear
Print & pattern: Tonal wave pattern, almost like land gradations
Details & trims: Zip pockets, colour-blocking
Footwear: Lumberjack boots by CAT are updated with strapping and red panelling
Accessories: Spiky laurel-wreath headdresses


JW Anderson

JW Anderson’s menswear collection - entitled The Fear of Naturalism - worked on the theory that “the chaos that underlies our experience means that we are free to explore endless possibilities and pluralities of the self”. Focusing on reconsiderations of English tailoring and boundaries of gender, Anderson admits that it is a naïve idea, but concludes that it is ultimately “better than being boring.”

The look: Softly flamboyant androgyny
Silhouette: Predominantly long and lean, with high waists and trousers cropped just above the ankle
Key items: Black pleat maxiskirts teamed with slim-fit blazers or fluffy angora jumpers; front cutout jumpers tied around the waist; rubber waistcoats in pale pink and bright yellow; and an eclectic coat combining tweed, paisley, sheepskin and wool
Colour: Navy, black, white, aqua, pale pink, dusty red and khaki, with flashes of bright orange and yellowFabric & knit: An interesting and unexpected mixture of fabrics, often combined in one piece: angora, chiffon, wool, sheepskin and rubber
Print & pattern: Paisleys in traditional browns, beiges, reds and dark blues
Details & trims: Long sheepskin trims on hoods, and a jumper with black and white rows of sequinsFootwear: Distressed-look thick-soled lace-ups and ankle boots with bold shoelaces
Accessories: Belts came in skinny black leather or in bold, thicker orange and yellow rubber. Hair ornaments and decorations

Topman Design 

The man Topman Design had in mind this season was one who, they said, would not look out of place leaving a smoky Parisian jazz club during the early hours in the early 1950s. Beginning with that inspiration and adding tinges of the 1970s and a touch of rockabilly, the team created an edgy modern take on winter elegance.

The look: 1950s styling with hints of 1970s decadence
Silhouette: Slim rather than skinny, cropped trousers and slightly oversized outerwear
Key items: A classic grey wool trench coat with a vintage-look fur scarf; three-piece mismatched suits in layers of white, cream, navy and black; chunky retro knitwear in stripes and patterns; high-waisted trousers cinched at the back and turned up high at the ankle
Colour: A subdued palette of brown, grey, white, navy, oxblood and black, with flashes of colour, such as yellow in a silk scarf, orange in 1970s-print silk shirt, and red in a bold coat
Fabric & knit: Heavy wool knits and Lurex-threaded knitwear, jacquard, tweed, herringbone, fur and silkPrint & pattern: Oversized paisley and a tartan Harrington jacket 
Footwear: Shiny patent leather monk-strap shoes in black, white and oxblood
Accessories: Fur tails both as scarves and hanging from belts, small hoop earrings, paisley silk neckerchiefs, smart briefcase satchels in dark hues, metal-plated and heavily buckled vintage belts sourced from Beyond Retro


James Long

Knits and weathered textures stamped James Long’s autumn/winter collection with an individual spirit, as the designer worked his magic through mismatched layering and a dusted palette of heathered tones contrasted with stormy darks.

The look: Eclectic scavenger
Silhouette: Softened volume, easy layers and distressed knitwear styling gave an impression of well-worn armour
Key items: Loosely layered outerwear and elongated cardigans created a soft, worn shell of protection, along with patchwork repaired jumpers. Check mohair coats hinted at a soft traditional feel. Layered fur gilets over jackets and coats offered luxed-up, toughened layered protection. Occasional black wet-look straight-leg trousers created almost lightning-like flashes under the outerwear
Colour: Smudged blues, pinks and purples of winter evening sunsets created a hard romantic edge, with vaporising greys and blotted chestnut browns adding a more earthly grounded feel, all contrasted with flashes of wet-look black like lightning in a storm
Fabric & knit: Leather over ponyskin created a textured contrast on jackets. The blistered leather and clashes of shiny lamé trousers had a stormy appeal, but it was the chunky hand-worked, patched-up knits and softly structured mohair that dominated the collection
Print & pattern: Alongside the check mohair, a smudged, bruised pattern imbedded itself into knitwear. There was a broad gradient across knitwear and jackets, while occasionally black spotted shirts gave a more focused motif
Details & trims: Loose-hanging knit threads and tassels
Footwear: Leather workwear boots
Accessories: Heavy-gauge scarves in gradient block knit

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Live From... London Fashion Week, Day 5

Emilio de la Morena 

It was a concise, focused collection from Emilio de la Morena this season, making the most of one silhouette, a handful of repeated items and a precise palette. This offering was far from repetitive however, as each piece was different in the minutiae; an accomplished exercise in refinement, providing a clear and believable message for his customers.

The look: A subverted prim sexiness
Silhouette: Chopped and blocked lean columns, demure knee-lengths
Key items: De la Morena was inspired by Victorian dress which came to light as high-collared sheer blouses, some with micro-frilled bib details; these were then paired with super-slim high-waisted pencil skirts, either smooth and straight or featuring layered panels. Sheath dresses were the other focus, following a similar construction as the skirt-and-blouse combinations – strictly tailored and body-conscious, featuring high turtle necks and either completely sleeveless or with long skinny sleeves; glittery wools were worked into cropped jackets with quilted sleeves and that same turtle neck, while lacy pointelle knits acted as second skins for long-sleeved tops and dresses
Colour: Bright red and orange tempered with graphic black; together with dark plum, white and palest shell pink
Fabric & knit: Organza was the principal fabric, working as structured sheer, or frayed and tufted for short soft-edge frills; there were also glittery lurex wools, which have proved a key trend from London, black pointelle knits and shiny silks
Print & pattern: The compacted sine-curve zigzag depicted in embellishment followed through into a red-on-black print
Details & trims: Thin leather piping worked in a Mondrian-style grid and bordered by tiny seed beads, contour seaming and strictly engineered shaping; sheer organza embroidered with the sine curve zigzag in ribbon, frayed and tufted organza creating micro frills, honeycomb-quilted jacket sleeves, organza underlayers and panels, faux layers and layered coloured sheers, modesty panels on sheer blouses, sheer peek-a-boo panels, pleated silk bustle-like folds at the back of skirts, loose trailing cords
Footwear: A platform suede ankle boot and similar sandal bandaged in shiny ribbon knotted at the toe designed by Charlotte Olympia

Ashish

It's never a case of reinventing the wheel at Ashish. You know to expect sequins; you know to expect some mini party dresses and some streetwear shapes.What you never know is his theme for the season - and that's what keeps things fun. And for winter, the character is a "poor little rich girl" who mixes her sartorial pieces with gritty punk elements. 

The look: Disillusioned youth
Silhouette: Loose-fit casual
Key items: The tartan suit was the key vehicle for signature sequins this season. Chanel-esque boxy jackets were completed with frayed edges and teamed with either wide-fit boxer shorts, loose track pants or micro miniskirts. There was a good-girl-gone-bad attitude to the mix of pearl-buttoned shrunken cardigans, preppy striped shirts and a pinstripe boyfriend suit (in sequins) thrown together with Union Jack tees, tartan kilts, shredded skinny jeans worn with a graffiti biker jacket, and the moth-eaten sloppy sweaters that were sometimes decorated with safety pins. Ashish's signature sequinned party dresses were also much in evidence, littered throughout the collection and featuring draped cowls at the back, single sleeves and slashed shoulder details
Colour: Hyper brights in clashing combinations offset with rust, brown, pine and mustard
Fabric & knit: Signature sequins and paillettes, a cobweb mesh knit, knitted bumblebee and jailhouse stripes, dense knits, moth-eaten knit effects, distressed light-wash denim
Print & pattern: Tartan, Union Jack, skeletons, graffiti, black-and-white micro zigzags all depicted in sequins Details & trims: Ironic slogan appliqués in varsity-style lettering, safety pins, gobstopper pearl buttons, moth-eaten holes, shredded denim, wool fringed trims, missing buttons
Footwear: Dogtooth or graffitied brothel creepers and hi-tops from Ashish x Underground
Accessories: Nude hosiery with spiderweb knee patches

Fashion East – James Long

A familiar name on London’s menswear circuit, James Long made his womenswear debut this season as part of the Fashion East collective.“I think it's a tough, but romantic aesthetic. This girl really exists; it's not a fantasy collection," said James Long. 

The look: Gypsy grunge
Silhouette: Long and floaty
Key items: Chunky hand-knit minidresses with ravaged and shredded chiffon fringe skirts, a fluffy patchworked knit sweater dress, a long fringed Aran knit poncho, high-waisted flat-front leather pants worn with a cropped open-stitch sweater, a shaded waffle knit boyfriend sweater paired with leather treggings and a long-line cardigan; several maxidress options, including a chiffon shirtdress with macramé fringe, space-dyed or macramé knit columns and a striped sheer knit tube dress topped with a black shearling jacket
Colour: Ivory, lipstick red and black
Fabric & knit: Alpaca knits, Aran knits, chunky hand knits, a shaded waffle knit, macramé, bouclé, chiffon Details & trims: Shredded chiffon fringe, macramé details, multicoloured beaded bands
Footwear: Lace-up booties, some with a kiltie fringe, designed by Nicholas Kirkwood
Accessories: Macramé belt

Fashion East - Elliot Atkinson

Visualising his collection as a chronological interpretation of America through the ages, Elliot Atkinson touched upon Native America influences, the Scottish, English and Irish colonisations and the Great Depression – plundering those periods for detail and trim and then applying them to his signature sexy looks.“The collection takes its direction from Americana through the ages, from original Native American influences to Western Americana,” explained designer Atkinson.

The look: Sexy Americana
Silhouette: Super short shorts and body-conscious
Key items: Single-button blazers with zip-off shearling sleeves offered either cropped or long line, spray-on jeans worn with a metal-tipped collared Western shirt, a Mongolian lamb-trimmed biker jacket, a neat Aran-knit sweater teamed with a tartan miniskirt, a shearling chubby paired with zip-fly ski pants and the same Western-style shirt; body-con minidresses in a variety of formats – long-sleeved, sleeveless with feathered bib detail or as a halter pinafore worn over a puritanical high-collared white shirt
Colour: Black, white, cream and pale lavender
Fabric & knit: Shearling, leather, Mongolian lamb, woven tartan, hand-crafted Aran knits, a woven and embossed snakeskin textile, crepe de chine, cotton shirting
Details & trims: Metal-tipped shirt collars, zips, feathersFootwear: Black or nude court shoes from asosAccessories: String bolo ties

Fashion East – Simone Rocha

With dad John watching from the front row, Simone Rocha presented her second collection under the Fashion East umbrella. Her latest collection continues to explore the theme of contrast, be it masculine and feminine, hard and soft, or sheer and opaque with a new level of texture.

The look: Tough-girl chic with subversive softness
Silhouette: Tailored with soft texture
Key items: Mannish, subtly oversized tailored coats and jackets featured spliced sleeves – either fur, pony or sheer - and cutaway back panels and waistline bands. Looks were layered with shirts in white poplin or nude tulle, sometimes featuring a gingham collar, and cable-knit dresses and miniskirts were encased in soft tulle overlayers
Colour: Putty white and tea-stained nudes, black and a pop of geranium pink
Fabric & knit: Chunky cable knits overlaid with tulle, tousled faux furs, glossy ponyskins, teddy-bear textured shearling, signature tulle, poplin and leather
Print & pattern: Flashes of oversized gingham check
Details & trims: Gingham shirt collars, sheer panels, fur panels, fur sleeves, elbow slits
Footwear: Brogues with perspex wedge heels and slingback mannish lace-ups
Accessories: Ponyskin bags

Aquascutum

English Icons, the eagerly anticipated inaugural collection of Aquascutum's new design director Joanna Sykes, focused on a redefinition of the essential pieces in the British winter wardrobe. The emphasis on modern tailoring and sophisticated but still sensible outwear brought a new sense of modernity to this classic house. 

The look: Modern British
Silhouette: Tailored layers and exaggerated proportions
Key items: Miniature quilted gilets with fur collars, tailored trousers with faux skirt panels, a vivid orange long-sleeved dress with nude sheer waist panels, 3D panelled skirts, a floor-length steel grey trench with oversized patch pockets and, for evening, an elegant silk jumpsuit with a deep V-neckline
Colour: Slate grey, midnight and electric blues, blush, apricot, tan and orange
Fabric & knit: English tweed and melton, wool and mohair suiting, wool neoprene, bonded leather, suede, patent shearling, heavy knits and silk
Print & pattern: Block modernist prints
Details & trims: Fur collars, chunky chains on convertible clutches, exposed boot zips and oversized patch pockets
Footwear: Pointed boots with thick ankle straps in both low and high heels and two-tone knee boots in suede and leather in black and tan or grey and silver
Accessories: As well as knitted gloves with pompom details, Aquascutum showed bags for the first time on the runway: sleek black shoulder bags with thick chains carried as clutches and structured and pared-down larger pieces in suede and leather with lizard accents in orange, camel and blue

Marios Schwab

There is a certain signature look pioneered by many young designers on the London runways. Marios Schwab is one of its champions, with his hard-edged short sassy silhouettes, emanating an undercurrent of subversive sex appeal. 

The look: Vixen goddess
Silhouette: Short and sharp
Key items: Unlike the rest of London this week, Schwab devoted most of his collection to dresses, which came as short sharply worked leather sheaths, or as slick above-the-knee silhouettes, sporting halter-neck lines or harnesses and high-set belts, while gentle chiffon drapes softened the mostly hard-edged looks. But it wasn't all sexy sleeveless shifts, Schwab also addressed the current trend for all things quilted and brushed with his exaggerated puffa silhouettes and a lean leather-sleeved brushed mohair coat. For evening, simple draped columnar gowns brought the collection's goddess alter-ego into play
Colours: Vixen-like oxblood, vermillion and grenadine offset with gothic black, sapphire blue, oyster, moss, absinthe
Fabric & knit: Leather, mohair, jersey, satin, chiffon
Details & trims: Straps and harnesses, high-set belts, pearls applied as decorative half-hidden details, cutouts, brogueing details
Footwear: Laced front toe-less ankle boots

Mary Katrantzou

Sometimes when watching a Mary Katrantzou collection you long for the simplicity of a plain coloured shirt, trousers or skirt to best offset her beautifully complex prints. But Katrantzou IS a print designer through and through, and her challenge is to create a collection of wearable wardrobe pieces rather than a collection of prints. 

The look: Exotic orientalia
Silhouette: Hourglass lampshade silhouettes, contrasted with lean tunic-and-pant combos
Key items: The hourglass skirt and dress provided a smooth convex for Katrantzou's pictorial prints, teamed with structured bustier tops and intricate jacquard knits. There was a change of pace with her tailored print pantsuit and lean tunic tops paired with narrow stove pants. For evening, a billowing full skirt and bustier dress brought in a softer more wearable look
Colours: A kaleidoscopic palette of blues, old golds and oranges, aquatic turquoise and purple with the contrast of black and white
Fabric & knit: Printed velvet looked new, satin, blistered kimono-like silks, fine0gauge lurex jacquard knits
Print & pattern: Oriental imagery from precious porcelain-inspired patterns to golden carp, dragons and birds of paradise, via scrolling florals and Chinoiserie borders
Details & trims: Exposed zips, embroidery, gemstone jewels
Footwear: High-cut vampy ankle boots in bright patents

Roksanda Ilincic

Roksanda Ilincic is always looking for ways to make her beautiful eveningwear signatures more viable for daytime. While there were several options for girls with Oscars to win, there were also some casual fusions, which gave her languid silks a contemporary touch, such as the cashmere sweatshirt paired with silk palazzo pants, accessorised with a lipstick-red fox-fur stole.

The look: Modern opulence
Silhouette: Languidly fluid
Key items: The opening exit illustrated Ilincic’s fusion of hard and soft, daytime and party - a stiff longline sleeveless felt wool jacket (feather-trimmed ) paired with fluid silk palazzo pants. A similar effect was achieved with the combination of a wide-structured wool T-shirt combined with a trailing silk maxiskirt languidly cut at the bias. Her short day dresses also offered contrast - some softly draped and gathered, others body-consciously tailored and decorated with metal paillettes. Dresses were largely waisted, sometimes tops and skirts bound together by a contrast-coloured fabric belt or narrow feathered strips. For evening, lustrous one-shouldered silk gowns were artfully pulled and draped to create rippled surfaces, while a columnar orange gazar maxi was gathered at the neck for a contemporary halterneck
Colour: The central palette of orange, grenadine, burgundy and punchy electric blue was inspired by the work of Russian artist Natalia Goncharova; these saturated brights were tempered with pale ash grey and black
Fabric & knit: Watery fluid silks contrasted with the structure of felted wool and cashmere or tufted tweeds; undulating silk gazar, cashmere, wool georgette, dyed fox
Details & trims: Bugle-beaded fringing, brightly coloured feather trims, gun-metal paillettes, pulled gathers and drapes, contrast-coloured sashes and panels, spliced sleeves in tonal colour but contrast fabric, pleated peaked shoulders on long-sleeved dresses, ribboned waists 
Footwear: Satin courts and ankle-strapped sandals by Nicholas Kirkwood
Accessories: Wide fedoras by Noel Stewart, dyed red fox stoles



Amanda Wakeley 

 
Amanda Wakeley made a significant departure from her signature Grecian drapery this winter, with a collection she titled Luxe Sportif. Tapping into the season’s emerging trend for strictly tailored silhouettes, this was sophisticated body-con dressing.

The look: Luxe sportif
Silhouette: Sophisticated second skins
Key items: Body-conscious tailoring gave rise to second-skin short-sleeved minidresses and peplum-flared tops teamed with tight pencil skirts, as well as influencing lean-silhouetted coats, either skin-tight and zip-through or wrapped and midi-length columnar, the latter featuring tall face-framing collars. Long-haired fur jackets and flared skater skirts softened the strict silhouette, as did the few draped pieces, including a cowl-necked jersey day dress, and the asymmetrical metallic skirt paired with a soft silk blouse. There were just two pant shapes in the collection - one cigarette slim, the other a pleat-front peg, both cropped
Colour: Camel, orange, pebble grey, milk white, black, burnished gold
Fabric & knit: Leather with felted wool, patent tweed with scuba jersey, raw-cut flannel, feather-light stretch furs including fox and rabbit, silk cady, superfine tulle sheers, double-faced wool, silk chiffon
Details & trims: Engineered darts and folds, constructed seaming, corseted contours, face-framing collars, cutaway shoulders, sculptural hip fins, double spaghetti straps, gold metalwork embellishments, twinkling jet beading on superfine tulle
Footwear: High-heeled mules with two riveted straps, designed by Camilla Skovgaard
Accessories: Gold chokers and triple cuffs designed exclusively for Ernest Jones, multi-wrap leather waist belts

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