London Fashion Weekend is the sister event to London Fashion Week, and the ultimate fashion experience for any consumer. It takes place every February and September to coincide with London Fashion Week, and it’s always jam packed full of the latest industry talent, catwalks and shopping.
Last September they moved from the famous Somerset House to the Saatchi Gallery on the Kings Road, whilst LFW moved to the controversial Brewer Street Car Park. (I personally liked the car park as a venue for LFW, it had that bright and airy, rough-and-ready aesthetic that is utilised by so any brands these days and worked well with the offering – high end fashion). With a new venue came new challenges but I certainly feel that the Saatchi Gallery elevated the event to feel more exclusive for the average customer – and the brands available to shop from (at exclusive insider prices) were still as good as ever.
In February the schedule looked impressive – Mary Katrantzou, Emilia Wickstead, Holly Fulton and Temperley London on the catwalk. I was actually really excited about this selection (not only because Mary Katrantzou is my all time favourite designer) but because each designer represented a different look, they all had different artistic approaches and you knew that each collection would be impactful and engaging in its own way.
Whilst Katrantzou focused again on the hyperrealist aesthetic of everyday objects, it was the graphics and colour combinations that really stood out for me. Temperley London looked to lighter colours and prints with a floaty summer vibe and Emilia Wickstead again took the tailored crown and wowed with her collection of fully structured silhouettes which you could tell would compliment the figures of everyday women, and not just those with model figures. Holly Fulton seemed to take inspiration from the sixties with her denim flares and bright embroidery, making for a fun and energetic catwalk.
It was so lovely to see the presenters being mixed up a bit too, with Laura Jackson presenting the trend shows (by Very Exclusive) and George Lamb presenting the designer ones.
Preen By Thornton Bregazzi designed the famous tote bag and the London Fashion Weekend talk schedule again pulled it out of the bag to include some of the industries most talented names. Speakers included Nicholas Kirkwood, Charlotte Olympia, Rankin, Ruth Hogben, Paul Sculfor, Daisy Lowe and William Baker.
If you visited in February, what was your favourite part? Let me know!
