London Fashion Week may be officially starting today, but the spring collections are already rolling out on the runways, and we don’t just mean NYFW – last night Fearne Cotton previewed her new spring/summer 2011 collection for Very.co.uk.
Marking her fourth collection for the online store, the DJ-come-TV presenter-come-designer’s latest offering is by far her strongest, but it’s not without its weak points – we’ll come to that later.
“My spring/summer ’11 collection is all about floaty, ethereal, delicate pieces,” says Fearne. “I wanted this collection to feel almost angelic and innocent. Beautiful clothes to breeze around in, to fall in love in, and to have fun in.”
It is, as you might expect, noticeably inspired by her own signature style. There’s a very vintage feel with 60s silhouettes and 70s references – delicate chiffons, tuelle layers and peter pan collars sat among soft silks and wearable separates in soft pastel shades, fresh whites and occasional pops of bright blue or orange, but for every yes, there was a no.
Highlights included several floaty chiffon dresses – the long sleeve toile de jouy-printed piece with a peter pan collar in particular – a floor-length lilac gown worn by Fearne herself, and a white-to-pink gradient dress, again with a peter pan collar, which is somewhat reminiscent of a Whitney Eve-type piece in all it’s cutesy, feminine form.
But other pieces like the lace-trimmed denim, a structured LBD with glitter bow detailing, and an open-criss-cross-backed dress reminded us that this was, in essence, a celebrity label trying to be high fashion, with references to kitten heels and midi-length hems thrown in the mix.
Ok, perhaps we’re being a little harsh – the collection, on the whole, is very wearable and will translate well to a high street brand whose customer wants fashion to be accessible – so despite feeling a little underwhelmed and being wary of a few pieces, we’d say Fearne’s collection is an overall success considering the market it’s targeting.
Fearne’s SS11 collection will be available at Very.co.uk from 1st January, 2011.
