Karine Laudort 
Despite the rainy weather, Fashion Week lit a spark across London; We got to see some of the most extravagant and ravishing collections, built upon the turmoil experienced within the pandemic. With numerous big fashion houses absent from the shows, the spotlight was left on emerging designers and a few major names to reveal their collections.
Slovak Fashion Council Fashion Scout x The Lone Club
The Slovak Fashion Council presented with Fashion Scout and The Lone Club to debut “WHO AM I? Fashion Quest for Authentic Self.”
With two designers that took to the stage, Sofia Tureková and Famale, we saw their takes on finding your identity in a world where the younger generation are belittled by the idea of perfection, created by social media.
Sofia Tureková
Born in Slovakia, London-based artist Sofia Tureková struck the catwalk with her A/W collection. We had the chance to see Tureková’s striking combination of luxury and experimental 3D structures. Her signature style of structural silhouettes and intricate 3D draping was inspired by her folklore dancing days and with this collection, we saw her identity come alive. The collection titled “(p)Laced” reflects the two places Tureková is based in and her quest for searching for her authentic identity.
“Whenever I go back to Slovakia I feel like there is something missing and then when I return to London, I feel I left something there”
Sofia Tureková- Backstage at the Fashion Scout x Lone Club presentation
Throughout the show, there was a live band playing which was a superb way of engaging with those who are in the audience, as well as creating an ethereal ambience for the setting. Tureková told us,” The live band was a lovely collaboration- I wanted to have a reaction and something that would reflect the dynamic of the collection.” Combining renaissance music and modern techniques represents the rebirth of identity and figuring out what your individualism entails.
Tureková combined sleek, modern cut out silhouettes with flamboyant 3D structures and jagged, exposed frocks to create her vision of individualism, embedded within her Slovakian heritage.
“The whole collection was done in Lockdown” Tureková stated, ” [There was] an inspiration from traditional craftsmanship that is [well] documented with [the use of] Slovakian bobbin lace.” This was Tureková’s first exhibition in London and the second show she has presented, with her debut at NYFW in 2016.
FAMALE
FAMALE is the brainchild of arising talent, Petra Famlerova, who focuses on distributing messages via her collections. Taking inspiration from the world’s flaws, Famlerova was stimulated by social, political and environmental issues and leaves cryptic messages within her collection for us to decipher.
The name FAMALE stands for both female and male which is prevalent in Famlerova’s androgynous style and this collection in particular which is gender-neutral. Instead of the typical format of fashion shows, we see models walk on the stage and dress themselves, whilst a monologue plays for the audience to listen to.
The collection exhibits a bespoke leather coat trimmed with fur, PVC trench coats paired with a knitted multi-colour jumper and balaclava, and an all-black ensemble, featuring a tailored suit matched with a ski mask.
The collection is very wearable and it was great that Famlerova’s style was gender neutral so no one felt left out. Combining modern trends with typical styles, the blend created a new edge for ready to wear clothing which we hope to see a lot more of in the future.
Atelier Tammam
British couture fashion label Atelier Tammam showcased their gorgeous ready-to-wear collection of sustainable pieces. We saw Tammam’s signature stripes combined with her concepts for the future of haute couture.
There was an exquisite use of printed peace silk, with one of the pieces incorporating a pleated bodice and heart-shaped skirt. Peace silk is ethical silk that is used as an alternative so no animal dies for fashion.
The collection gave a fresh look for the everyday woman despite taking inspiration from classic 60’s silhouettes and styles, which is one of the reasons why Tammam is destined for greatness within the industry.
Another reason is that the couture label is paving the way for ecological solutions for the fashion industry. The signature stripes, called “climate stripes”, remains prominent within the collection to stay in line with Tammam’s sustainable approach to fashion. Her use of activism through fashion is very clever; Whilst still ensuring the garments can be worn effortlessly, there is a deeper meaning to the exhibit which is the matter of global warming and the effects Fashion has.
The couture label pride themselves in creating extravagant clothing that is ecological, cruelty-free and fairly traded. What Tammam is creating, is the evolution for fashion and most specifically, womenswear and we hope the rest of the fashion world follows in their footsteps.
Paul Costelloe
Known for designing pieces for the Princess of Wales, Diana Spencer, Paul Costelloe unveiled his AW collection that was captivating, to say the least. Costelloe is influential within the industry due to his use of luxurious materials and revolutionary use of design and innovation.
This collection brought a heightened concept; With his staple use of impressive brocade fabric and puff sleeves on exquisite long-length dresses, we saw Costelloe’s vision for the modern-day woman. Taking inspiration from the romantic era, the puff sleeve, also referred to as a ‘gigot sleeve’, is prominent throughout the collection. Gigot sleeves were used in the romanticism movement to make a woman look as if she was longing for a lover.
Brushed out curls were honoured throughout this exhibit, which was brought to life by mega salon Toni and Guy, who was one of the first to bring high fashion to the high street. The show disclosed a stately display of impressive, finely detailed floral dresses and form-fitting tweed blazer dresses paired with high knee boots. The collection was undoubtedly regal; Costelloe’s use of ruffles and brocade fabric makes it known that his vision for womenswear is still rooting back to his past innovations for royals.
Despite many of the looks being inspired by traditional victorian and romanticism era styles, we saw Costelloes innovative side come out with renaissance jacquard, hybrid boots/trousers that were styled in many distinctive ways. One look was paired with matching gloves and a reworked leather jacket, whilst one of the others were styled with a leather tunic and a layered mini skirt. Costelloe combines vintage victorian patterns and contemporary styles to bring a rejuvenated level to trends we hope to see more of later this year.
Simone Rocha
Fashion designer, Simone Rocha, produced this collection, taking inspiration from her Irish roots, more specifically the mythology of the Children of Lir. Mixing magic with ethereal magnificence, the show unveiled eye-catching designs that were almost saturated with the gloominess of the medieval hall at London Inns of Court.
Throughout the show, we saw Rocha’s Irish folklore inspiration come to life with an oversized jacket- One paired with a voluptuous tulle-layered skirt with trousers underneath. Balaclavas were prevalent, with one embroidered with crystals that frame the face. Rocha’s show disclosed looks compiled of bloused black trench coat paired with jet gloves, leather jackets with an abstract twist and knitted pants with a matching balaclava and frill trim puff sleeve jumper.
Through this exhibition. Rocha’s signature essence of unconventional femininity was channelled; With scalloped detailing, flamboyant tiered skirts and a monochrome palette with vivid pops of colour throughout. It is obvious that Rocha’s vision for womenswear is far beyond the mythology that this collection was inspired by.
The look that completely stood out from the rest was the navy velvet midi dress which had a puff sleeve and a cut-out midriff section which was replaced with a sheer panel of netting. This was the turning point during the show where we see Rocha’s vision switched from grunge-feminine to more classic elaborated looks, with her staple quirky twist.
Evidently, we know that Rocha’s vision is a great example of where fashion will be heading in the future and with her taking inspiration from Irish folklore, we hope to see more mystical designs from her in the future.
Ozwald Boateng
British-Ghanaian designer Ozwald Boateng blessed the stage after 12 years with his collection of blinding tailored suits and embellished dresses, to celebrate Black-British culture. Boateng’s journey in fashion started when his mum bought her sewing machine and became a seamstress. After leaving his computing course to study fashion, Boateng used his mother’s sewing machine to create his first-ever collection which he then sold to a menswear fashion store, Sprint.
Since then, Boateng is now well recognised for his interpretation of classic Saville row tailoring and use of vivid colour. We saw many well-known faces like Mr Goldie, Noel Gallagher and Dizzee Rascal join Boateng for his first London Fashion Week show in 12 years. Boateng’s collection entailed his staple eye-catching suits that were inspired by his Ghanian roots- You will see silk capes over tailored suits and garments fashioned with vibrant kente cloth hues.
Boateng’s comeback is everything we need as a collective. He stated that this is the first time he was able to honour his heritage properly and we got to see his remarkable evolution of growth and strength, whilst paying homage to his Ghanaian roots.
The show unveiled 100 different looks- With some of the designs playing it safe on the traditional and classic side, there was a whole bunch of spectacular tailored pieces with printed adinkra symbols all around.
His hiatus caused suspension within the industry and it is so refreshing to see his innovations back on the runway.
Mark Fast
Luxury knitwear designer, Mark Fast, electrified London’s catwalk with his eclectic collection of bold and quirky designs. His creations push boundaries of the stereotypical knitwear industry and this collection definitely gave everyone something to talk about. Fast is known for his controversial shows and in the past, his work has caught the eye of many celebrities, one being Lady Gaga, who he decided to turn down!
Throughout the show, Fast challenges the “norm” for streetwear style and combined both masculine and feminine styles to create a gender-neutral collection, alike a few other designers. We saw logo-heavy sportswear with a print puffer jacket layered with a matching shirt and skirt, and knitted jumpers with sewn-on puffer jacket sleeves; Fast’s hybrid of typical knitwear with daring statement sleeves are definitely to be on trend this winter.
Fast took inspiration from his raver and goth past and had simultaneously created this collection based on what he wants to see in the dance/rave industry. Whilst models walked out, there was a soundtrack of club tunes playing which transported the audience into a raver paradise.
A few of the dresses flaunted were elaborately stitched and draped across the body, with one of them with a halterneck, midriff cut out and an impressive fringe skirt. Other looks had incorporated Fast’s celebrated ribbed dress with a sexy twist; A halterneck wrapping around with crisscross bands cinching the body, Fast’s vision for raver fashion is provocative but trendy.
Fast’s individuality radiated through the exhibit, merging staple streetwear styles with daring cut-outs and striking colours. His idea for menswear was drawn between oversized quilted puffer jackets and sheer, tight-fitting long sleeve tops- A balance between conformative trends and his rebellious concepts, that he hopes to see in the future.
London Fashion Week was more than just a collective of amazing designers with their audacious new trends and styles. It brought together many, whose lights were dimmed in the darkness of covid. Who would’ve thought the difficult chapter of everyone’s lives would be the time to execute vivacious designs and create a whole new branch for the fashion game.
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