Moving from the On to the Off shows one thing has been most evident, while the On schedule designers have been successful in pulling in well known faces, influential editors and top writers the Off shows have definitely had a creative edge over their On counterparts. Yesterday morning the British Institute that is Betty Jackson had Alexandra Shulman, Colin McDowell and Hilary Alexander in attendance and eagerly awaiting her contribution to fashion week. She offered up a wearable commercial collection and the body con trend which has been most evident amongst the fashion week goers went relatively un-touched by Jackson who instead opted for mostly loose shapes. Her palette was a mixed bag of neutral tones, dark colours, bright shades and prints. The show was a hit and no doubt many pieces will be snapped up…I’ll definitely be trying to get my hands on these pleated trousers, …..but much like John Rocha and many of the other On schedule shows I’ve found myself more fond of what the Off designers have had to say, in particular Reem and Ashfin Feiz.

Day one of London fashion week started on Saturday and by the end of the day my feet were killing me. Unfortunately I did not take my own advice but it was all worth it. Highlight of the day aside from the shows was meeting fellow bloggers Gemma from Catwalk Queen, Susie from Style Bubble, and Ronke from Musings of an Ondo Lady! So….it all kicked of for me at Caroline Charles, followed by Ben de Lisi, Bora Aksu and ended with Unconditional. Caroline Charles Caroline Charles was a disappointment. It was a confusing show with a lot of confused faces in the front row. (I didn’t intend that to rhyme I promise) The collection was filled with lots of kaftans, zebra prints, embellishments and straw hats. Granted….it was a mature collection but unfortunately a dated one.

It was elegant and sultry at Gavin Douglas. Entitled “Queens of the Ocean, Douglas gave us his interpretation of 1940’s glamour with his first collection at London Fashion Week since wining the coveted Fashion Fringe award. The collection was focused on dressing for travel, and I loved the added touch of vintage suitcases coupled with provocative silk wrap dresses, fitted skirt suits and pleated shirts paired with satin pencil skirts.

The Victim Fashion Street presentation was a weird one for me. As someone put it aptly afterwards, “It’s hard to go from the shows with substantial backing affording them the ability to source top quality fabrics to those with a lesser budget. I completely agreed and I had to discard any sub-conscious snobbishness which I had during the show. My initial reaction to the collection albeit unfair was that of disappointment, sitting up front I could see the lack of quality in terms of the fabric and the shoes, however the design was amazing and the creative thought behind it was worthy of much praise.

I really could start off this post just being totally negative because the one and a half hour wait outside in the rain before Bora Aksu’s show at London Fashion Week, just didn’t inspire any postivity in me what-so-ever, the only problem is that it was truly worth it! The collection sent out a message that bigger is better with loose fitting tops and jackets, tons of layering and full skirts lined with chiffon which sneakily crept out underneath. In Aksu’s vision silent and strong femininity prevails this autumn/winter, skirts swung as the models sashayed and each piece was bold yet graceful. Make up was full on but not overpowering, and hues of purple both on the cheeks and within the collection kept it colourful. I especially liked the satin gloves and the chunky knitwear which was draped over the head….some of the pieces could have done without the brash chunky jewellery but aside from that Aksu was on top form!

When it comes to colour, Danish designer Jens Laugesen is known for keeping his palette uncomplicated and simple, contrasting solely black with white and that’s exactly what he did last Friday. Taking inspiration from neo-classical Danish Painter Wilhelm Hammershoj, Laugesen presented a stark collection which in his own words was for the “intelligent consumer. An intellectual collection it was and with the aid of weather instrumentals Laugesen built a cold and surreal atmosphere in which the models slowly stormed down the catwalk amidst heckling and catcalling from the photographers…(I dont know how they managed to stay professional!)

London’s trendy G-A-Y club played host to Gavin Pierre Medford’s Autumn/Winter 2007/08 presentation last week Wednesday during London Fashion Week. The show ‘Living in the shadows of vanity’ was dedicated to vibrant contrasting colour and eye catching shine. From the hair and make up to the designs themselves, with men in heels and women in very revealing fits, practicality definitely wasn’t the theme of the evening. The intense palette of metallic shades, black, bright reds, oranges, blues and yellows were stylishly combined with daring cuts and bold patterns including floral and stripes. Whilst my overall opinion was a positive one, I wasn’t a fan of the floral print metallic silk trousers – reminiscent of curtains one would expect to find in an overpriced hotel – which were worn by both the male and female models. That said the most striking piece and the one which stood out by far had to be a silk red evening dress with a contrasting bright orange lining and a fit which was classic and feminine….a beautiful and elegant gown suitable for Hollywood’s finest. Altogether the collection made a wealthy use of colours and layering, with great attention to detail, typical of Medford’s flair. Photography by JPG Photography

By the time the Kisa show started 1 ½ hours late the audience was expecting something special – and new designer Carolina Marengo didn’t disappoint. Opening with a balloon sleeved top in lustrous white-grey satin teamed with transparent shiny hot pants, Marengo showed herself confident in creating a bold silhouette. Berry-hued mini-dresses with horizontal pleating played for attention beneath dramatic midnight-blue capes, whilst fitted pieces with high necks and waistlines brought modern shapes and an element of modesty to gleaming fabrics in varying degrees of polish and transparency. The show had a real opulent feel with glossy black fur (brave given recent PETA reactions), and a stunning burnished gold fabric that came into it’s own for eveningwear , a particularly beautiful embellished cape in the fabric closed the show in a dramatic finale. Carolina Marengo has certainly made her mark on this brand, and if this collection is anything to go by, it’s definitely one to watch!

You expect something different when a front-row seat is occupied by a pink-haired tigger (yes, really!), and there were definitely elements of the eccentric at the Avsh Alom Gur show today – most noticeably in his use of millinery techniques spilling into garment design. Woven straw headpieces in traditional brimmed shapes were worn cape-like in pairs on shoulders, or more dramatically embroidered on dresses – the bowl-shaped pieces appearing to float on the chiffon-light fabric. Colours were vibrant with varying hues of red vying for supremacy over sharp yellows and muted black in geometric prints – though the real star of the collection was the designer’s use of gold which embellished the majority of ensembles. The metallic shade appeared on fabric in the huge gold puff sleeves that opened the show, and polished in the playful bird pendants strung around the models’ necks. Angular tailored black jackets appeared almost armour-like with gold panelling on the lapels, and decoration on shoulders gave an almost military effect. For me, the show’s highlight was a regal purple velvet cape, the ever present gold in the form of a glossy gold torque giving an almost monastic effect to the look which was elegant in it’s simplicity, however I failed to get to excited by much of the show as I somehow felt I’d seen it all before. Many of the designs contained elements of trends we saw last season – the gold, the geometric prints, the mini and body-con. Perhaps an indication that these trends have legs longer than a season, but my instinct tells me that by next winter we’ll be ready to wear something new.

This emerging brand has real personality as their catwalk show on Thursday demonstrated. With a dominant Tibetan influence it didn’t take long for evidence of this talented pair’s skill in tailoring to become apparent as fresh-faced models styled with long plaits, furry asymmetrical hats and medallion-decorated belts set the scene for a collection of elegant jackets and coats to steal the show. Blazers that were traditional in cut came in soft red, as if faded by the sun, and a loose-fitted cornflower blue jacket had sharp pleating on a skirt-like back. Contrasts between coarse and delicate fabrics added life to the dominant palette of red and brown – layers of pale ruffled chiffon were glimpsed under heavy leather and patterned fabric coats. Further textural interest came from thick-knitted scarves and a silky printed fabric that appeared in shirts, dresses and even cropped men’s trousers. As the designs became more monochrome for eveningwear the delicate red white and brown print played a larger visual role. The fusion of cultures really worked, and the reason is because SteveJ & YoniP have not made too much of a caricature of their influences. The show was refreshingly different – whether setting trends or following their own path I think we’ll all be snapping up pieces from this collection come September. Photography by Charmaine Mok