Issue 47: The LFW Issue

INTERVIEWS: PAUL COSTELLOE + JENN LEE + SIMON MO + AGNE KUZMICKAITE + JIRI KALFAR . TREND REPORT

MALAN BRETON . MARQUES'ALMEIDA . ON|OFF . BOBBY ABLEY . PAM HOGG . ASHISH . EDELINE LEE . LFW

ISSUE 47 27TH FEBRUARY 2020

THE LFW ISSUE

RRP £9.99

LONDON RUNWAY

CONTRIBUTORS Chief Editor: Rhiannon D'Averc - editor@londonrunway.co.uk Editorial Assistant: Candice Wu - info@londonrunway.co.uk Staff Photographers: Ian Clark, Fil Mazzarino, Hassan Saif, Mrityunjoy 'MJ' Mitra Runner/Picture Editor: Carmen Read Lead Graphic Designer: Alex Panek Staff Graphic Designers: Lauren Rowley Staff Writer: Maria Henry Advertising enquiries - info@londonrunway.co.uk Submissions - info@londonrunway.co.uk Contributors: Austin Dickinson, Paul Mason, Jackson Toro, Lance Eng, Kinga, Galareh Kamazani, David Hou, Emi Ramirez, Alina Morozova, Dina Khmylova, Olga Weber, Mariia Pelykh, Lil Safanova, Hania Komasinska, Bella Tanasi, Adrianna Koscielna, Bohdam Repeka, Maria Pender, Cyryl Smolenski, Justyna Golebiowska, Wojtek Wroz, Alma Asni, Bassey Usendiah, Nina Mikulska, Agnieska Novak, Marcin Filipiak, Joanna Kuchta, Anna Macias, Emilia Macias, Wiktoria Zlobecka, Darcey Sergison, Cara Balen, Ines Verniers, ASV Comms, Simon Armstrong, Aleksey Chumak, Polina Panova, Olga Ahno, Ruslan Malich, Viktoria Biisheva, Maria Konakova, Svetlana Morenova, Emmie Cosgrove, Andrew White, Sam Bates, Nic Wright, Mirna Jose, Clara Rae, Oliver Hunt, Sophie Hu, Shaun James Fox, Spring Global Special thanks to Sarah, Roxanne, and Alisha at Dyelog PR, Jiri Kalfar, Simon Mo, Agne Kuzmickaite, Paul Costelloe, and Jenn Lee

Interested in working with us?

We currently have internships available in the following positions: Staff Writers Staff Graphic Designers Send your CV and covering letter to info@londonrunway.co.uk

Š 2019, London Runway Ltd and contributors Printed by Micropress and distributed in-house by London Runway Ltd London distributors: The Model Workshops London at 40 Cumberland Road, N22 7SG All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or part without permission from the publisher. The views expressed in London Runway are those of the respective contributors and are not necessarily shared by the magazine or its staff.

PAGE 1

CONTENTS

17 VISUALS

81 WORDS

Malan Breton, Ashley Williams, Marques'Almeida

4

Trend Report

16

Sporting Chances (Cover Editorial)

17

DUCFS: The Student Experience

41

On|Off, Edeline Lee, Johnstons of Elgin

23

Interview: Paul Costelloe

53

The Fashion History of Harley Quinn

79

New Faces

33

Portfolio Piece

39

Interview: Jenn Lee

87

Future Collective, Ashish, Chanel Joan Elkayam

43

Interview: Simon Mo

89

Interview: Agne Kuzmickaite

91

Style (Conscious) Guide: Front Row Chic

58

Interview: Jiri Kalfar

93

59

Haul Culture and YouTube's Sustainability Problem

113

IA London, Lu Vixen, Pam Hogg, House of iKons

The Big Question

122

Use Your Imagination (Editorial)

73

Lavanya Coodly (Editorial)

81

Tobefrank & Molyneaux, University 96 of Westminster, Bobby Abley, Rocky Star, Richard Malone House of iKons

115

s ' r o t i d E ter t e l Welcome to our February issue, always one of the most exciting of the year - as we introduce you to our pick of the most exciting, interesting, and prestigious brands from the runway.

We've got some super special stuff for you this time around, including interviews with designers Paul Costelloe, Jenn Lee, Simon Mo, Jiri Kalfar, and Agne Kuzmickaite. Look out for their thoughts on their current collections, the trials and tribulations of preparation for London Fashion Week, and how it compares to fashion weeks around the world.

Our talented photographers found themselves in more pits than ever before, so this will be a bumper issue at more pages than usual - and even then we won't be able to show you everything this time around. Next month, tune in again for our celebration of spring as well as the remaining galleries that we couldn't fit in here.

Those will include more from the always-anticipated House of iKons and plenty of goodies from Fashion Scout.

There was a lot of disruption to deal

with this season, including bad weather and the looming threat of coronavirus.

Some designers sadly had to cancel their shows because the Chinese factories working on their bespoke items were closed due to illness. Many people also struggled to reach shows with line closures, heavy rain and wind, and flooding across the country. But, with typical British fashion, we soldiered on. There's been time enough to dry off now and recover, and we hope that the serious threat posed by coronavirus will be dealt with enough that its memory is banished when the designers return in September.

Of course, there's more than just fashion week in this issue. Alongside our seasonal trend report, you will also find a piece on a student fashion showcase, thoughts on the new Harley Quinn film, and our usual standard of beautiful editorials.

It would be remiss of me to end this editor's letter without mentioning our other big announcement for this month, which is the publication of our first ever anthology.

London Runway: The 2019 Editorials will be going live on Amazon before the next issue. Look out for updates on Instagram for an exact publication date, as we are currently in the very final stages of proofing and approving the physical print copy.

The anthology will contain almost all of our 2019 editorials, presented again in full colour with an introduction from yours truly that includes never-beforetold behind the scenes stories.

With over three hundred pages and more than three hundred and fifty images, it will be a perfect addition to your coffee table - and a great start to a collection, because we plan to continue producing anthologies every year from now on.

The release will be announced on all our social media channels, and also repeated here next issue just in case you forget to grab your copy!

For now: Enjoy -

RHIANNON D'AVERC

PAGE 3

MALAN BRETON Photography by Fil Mazzarino

PAGE 4

ASHLEY WILLIAMS Photography by Fil Mazzarino

LONDON RUNWAY

LONDON RUNWAY

LONDON RUNWAY

MARQUES'ALMEIDA

Photography by Fil Mazzarino

PAGE 11

PAGE 12

PAGE 13

PAGE 14

PAGE 15

TREND Candice reports on this season’s LFW trends.

If you were at this season’s A/W20 LFW events or have seen photos online, you may have noticed a few of the trends speckled throughout the collections.

Here’s what we noticed while attending the shows and presentations.

Romantic Full-Length Skirts/Dresses The age of romance is returning with designers such as Edeline Lee, Future Collective, Jiri Kalfar, and student designers from University of Westminster incorporating the loose flow of elegant fabrics in their collections.

looks. Scarves, shawls and more were the stars of Johnstons of Elgin’s LFW presentation.

Metallics Metallics shone across the collections!

Having always come in and out of trend, this glittery, flashy aesthetic instantly captures the eye. It was definitely an attention grabber within Rocky Star and On|Off’s collections.

Reworked Workwear Workwear is steadily making its way back as a norm but with a playful, modern twist. Designers like Bobby Abley played with the traditional structure of the boiler suits, the classic workwear silhouette, and utilitarianism in their collections, and some designers even used reflective panels reminiscent of safety jackets.

Signature Prints Another notable trend consistent throughout many of the collections was the usage of interesting and statement patterns and prints. Bobby Abley incorporated minions into his pieces, and Ashley Williams had limbs, animals and all the works! Paul Costelloe, Marques'Almeida, Agne Kuzmickaite, IA London and Ashish are among others who creatively explored with prints in their collections.

Skin-tight Bodysuits A new and unexpected addition was the presence of skin-tight bodysuits, but wait, there’s more! As opposed to the commonly known monochrome bodysuits, these are more playful and fun with, again, signature prints and patterns, which can be seen throughout Paul Costelloe and Jenn Lee’s looks in their A/W 20 collections.

Accessories Accessorising has always been in, but this season, the essential outfit sprucer had a more standout presence. In Simon Mo’s collection, animal inspired accessories such as faux raccoon tail earrings and dog collars added playful elements that heightened the overall

Top to bottom, left to right: Luis de Gama, Antonia Nae, Edeline Lee, University of Westminster, Rocky Starr, Agne Kuzmickaite, Bobby Abley, Westminster, Westminster, Marques'Almeida, Bobby Abley, Paul Costelloe, Paul Costelloe, Marques'Almeida, Paul Costelloe, Westminster, Agne Kuzmickaite, Ashley Williams, Malan Breton, On|Off, Rocky Star, Simon Mo. All images by Fil Mazzarino except: Agne Kuzmickaite, Simon Mo by Simon Armstrong

REPORT

SPORTING CHANCES

Models: Austin Dickinson at Plutino Models @austin.dickinson; Paul Mason at Marilyn Agency, Paris @fashionsanta; Jackson Toro at Plutino Models @femmeto @plutinomodels Agency/Shoot Producer: Lance Eng (for Actors & Artists Management) @actorsartists Makeup Artist/Hair Stylist: Kinga @kingathemakeupman Wardrobe Stylist: Gelareh Kamazani @gkamazani Photographer: David Hou @david_hou_photography

Austin wears: Jacket - Etro; Vest - Zegna; T-Shirt - Nautica; Jeans - Free the People

Paul wears: Bomber Jacket - Mayer Man; Shirt - Finamore 1925; Pendant - Sjaki-Tari-Us

Jackson wears: Blazer - Hugo Boss; Shirt (Under) - Calvin Klein; Shirt (Outer) - Ted Baker; Jeans - Suko Jeans; Tie - Eton Paul wears: Blazer - Yves Saint Laurent; Sweater - Ralph Lauren; Shirt - Rue Saint Patrick; Pants - Mayer Man

Austin wears: Vest - Zegna; T-Shirt - Nautica; Jeans - Free the People

Paul wears: Shirt - Rubini Firenze; Sweater - G Star; Blazer - Soul of London; Pants - DL 1961

Jackson wears: Shirt - Ascanti; Jacket - Mango Man; Bowtie - Topman Austin wears: Shirt - Jason Meyer; Blazer - Hugo Boss; Coat - Dolce & Gabbana

ON OFF

Photography by Fil Mazzarino

Designers, in order of appearance: All Power to the Imagination Iyanu Yan Dengyu Zaful 404 Studio House of SheldonHall

LONDON RUNWAY

PAGE 64

LONDON RUNWAY

PAGE 64

EDELINE LEE Photography by Fil Mazzarino

JOHNSTONS OF ELGIN Photography by Fil Mazzarino

PAGE 60

FOLLOW US ON INSTAGRAM

READ ONLINE ON ISSUU

NEW FACE Name:Â Alina Morozova Age: 23 Location:Â Vigo (Spain) Agency: Freelance

Do you have an unusual talent or party trick?

I am a great actress and maybe a bit crazy

How long have you been modelling for?

Been modeling for 8 years now (since I was 15)

What would surprise people to know about you?

I am really independent, and been practicing martial arts since I was a teen

Where are you from originally?

I am from Ukrania

Photographer: Emi Ramirez @Emiblasphemy

PAGE 34

What are your modelling ambitions?

I just want to keep on modeling and become a great actress (that includes theater)

NEW FACE Name:Â Mariia Pelykh Age: 25 Location:Â Ukraine Agency: 2amodels How long have you been modelling for?

5 years Where are you from originally?

I am Ukrainian

Do you have an unusual talent or party trick?

I like to paint.

What are your modelling ambitions?

With the help of modeling, I have the opportunity to visit many countries, I like to learn the culture of other countries, live the life of these countries and at the same time make money.

Makeup Artist: Dina Khmylova @makeupfrankfurt Photographer: Olga Weber @olgaweb Model: Marie Pelih @mariepelih, @2amodels Dress, Faux fur coat, Jacket, Blouse - all Zara; Trousers - Roberto Cavalli

PAGE 36

NEW FACE Name: Lil (Liliya) Safonova Age: 32 Location: Russia, Moscow Agency: Freelance How long have you been modelling for?

I have been working as a model since 16 years old.

Where are you from originally?

I was born in Kazakhstan, in the USSR, but I only lived there for three years, I lived in Ukraine for some time as a child (my mother is Ukrainian), but actually I’m a mestizo, a mixture of two rattle bloods, сause my father is Tatar.

Do you have an unusual talent or party trick?

I believe that there are very few really talented people in this world. Well, for example, Galileo, Newton or Mozart.

And I'm just a person with developed abilities in some areas. I’m primarily a photographer-artist, geographer, I’m also good at any writing (be it poetry, lyrics, scripts, etc.). I also play the guitar, but it’s not professional, it’s just a dream and a hobby. I love sports, I have 3 ku - karate rank.

Photographer and model: Lil Safonova @lilphotographer.ru

What would surprise people to know about you?

Hmm... maybe that I survived in the wild taiga? I got behind the wheel for the first time in a metropolis while being 4 months pregnant or I held two cobras in my hands? Or I opened my own studio in Moscow, having only $3,000? I don’t know, there have been so many things in my life.

Coat - Mango; Underwear - Woman Secret

What are your modelling ambitions?

Let beauty save the world!

PAGE 38

portfolio Model: Bella Tanasi @bellatanasi

My name is Hania Komasińska. I’m a 23-year-old photographer from Poland.

I’ve been doing photography for over 11 years now. It took me a while to find my own way, to start finding beauty through my art and to finally realize that telling stories through images is the best way to express myself. My goal is to reflect souls, emotions and personalities of photographed people by putting them into my own world, as if I give a sneak peek into my perception of them. I think my way of portraying people says a lot about my nature - a little bit melancholic, fragile, nostalgic and romantic. In my works I want to highlight naturalness, beauty, delicacy, youthful spirit & simplicity.

Photography: Hania Komasińska @haniakomasinska

Model: Bohdan Repeka at GAGAMODELS @bohdanrepeka

Model: Adrianna Kościelna at Specto Models @adriannakoscielna

Models: Maria Pender at Specto Models @maria_pender; Cyryl Smoleński @cyrylsmolenski; Justyna Gołębiowska at Milk @justynowe; Wojtek Wróż at Claris Model Management @panwroz; Bohdan Repeka at GAGAMODELS @bohdanrepeka; Alma Asuai at GAGAMODELS @alma_asuai; Bassey Usendiah at AS Management @bas_yes; Nina Mikulska at Uncover Models @ninkamikulska Makeup Artist: Agnieszka Nowak Makijażownia @makijazownia_agnieszka_nowak Hair Stylist: Marcin Filipiak @piu.salon Production/Art Director/Wardrobe Stylist: Joanna Kuchta @modelove_joanna_kuchta Studio: Mleko Bodysuits: Muuv

Model: Mira Mayne @atelier.mira

Models: Anna Macias @ankaskakankaaa, Emilia Macias @emilymadeleinee

piece

Model: Wiktoria Żłobecka at UNITEDforMODELS @wiksooooon

LONDON RUNWAY

DUCFS: THE STUDENT EXPERIENCE Darcey Segison and Cara Balen, both students at Durham University, give their perspective on the annual student fashion show.

Durham University Charity Fashion Show (DUCFS) is the largest student fundraising event in the UK. Every year tickets sell out faster, the event grows in its following, and it raises even more money for charity.

Students around Durham anticipate the array of events put together by the entirely student-led team. The ongoing platform of the show is the ultimate creative expression of a year of buildup, all with the intention of bringing awareness to incredible charities.

This year, they included Fashion Revolution and Stop The Traffik. These two charities bring together fundamental understandings of how fashion needs to change in the future, bringing together problems of workers’ rights and environmental damage. We believe that DUCFS has spread awareness of these issues among Durham via various methods, from giving away reusable coffee cups, which proved very popular on campus, to a sustainable clothes swap at the DUCFS weekend.

In particular, the cohesion of the branding and graphics for the show were incredible, bringing together the fundamental values of DUCFS. Every year the show brings together four core values: collaboration, innovation, altruism, and creativity.

All of these values were very clear on the night, with everyone attending being stunned by the scale of the event.

My favourite part of the work DUCFS has done this year is how the messages of the charities have been interwoven into the runway itself.

From the brands chosen to the ‘chapters’ of each walk, the key messages of environmental protection and worker’s voices and rights were heard. The concept of ‘chapters’ were used to separate the different parts of the DUCFS vision.

The students were encouraged to wear ethical and sustainable outfits to the fashion show. When speaking to many of the men attending the show, we learned they wore suits either borrowed or inherited from family members, showing the longevity and stories these suits gain.

Meanwhile, the women dazzled in dresses and jumpsuits, with a lot of them using Hirestreet to hire new outfits or re-wearing outfits, encouraged by DUCFS. Hirestreet offered students an exclusive 10% discount, with a further 5% going towards the event’s charities, encouraging the sustainable use of clothing hire.

The show started with a powerful video expressing the aims of the show and bringing awareness to the problems that we, as students, can help to change while at university and beyond. President Chloe Smith said the choice of supporting two charities was due to wanting to make “an effort to do justice to the scope of the issue. Human rights injustices do not just occur in one area of the world, and they do not just occur in one industry - it is such a multifaceted problem that appears in so many different forms.”

DARCEY SERGISON As students we have seen the incredible effort and skill that has been put into the events and show itself. Chloe Smith, the President of DUCFS, said: “It truly is such a unique thing to be a part of and so much more meaningful than I think a lot of people realise.”

PAGE 41

LONDON RUNWAY

CARA BALEN

My two favourite chapters of the show were the second and fourth, focused on industrialisation and worker’s voices. The second chapter represented ‘THE AMPLIFICATION’ of industrialisation using the brand Analisa Atkinson. This avant-garde first collection highlighted DUCFS’s eco-conscious view, using upcycled materials incorporated in workwear and uniform.

In the fourth section ‘THE SILENCE’ of the workers was addressed, with striking silhouettes storming the stage. The men’s clothing brand Math was ideal to represent the anonymous workers, with the model’s heads being masked creating a shocking difference from what had been seen on the runway before.

These silhouettes, similar to Richard Quinn’s AW 2020 collection, featured on many students’ social media. One student described this feature as “striking and powerful” in that it made them concentrate on and consider the work the show has delivered to bring awareness to their cause.

Attending a fashion show which was run by students, for a student audience, has to be one of the highlights of my university social calendar. It is a chance for students to dress to impress, as it is understandably hailed as the most fashionable event in Durham student life. Spanning across three evenings, the fashion show draws in students for many different reasons, whether it be an interest in fashion, a passion for the charities that DUCFS partners with, or simply for a fun and unique experience.

DUCFS really pulled out all of the stops this year, working with multiple brand partners such as Domino’s, Red Bull and Rebel Kitchen, whose products were offered to the audience throughout the night. The runway walks were also interspersed with showcases of Durham societies, such as Troupe, Durham University’s official performance team, which really highlighted the diverse sides of the university’s student life.

A lot of students go in order to support their friends who are part of the many exec members, models, or volunteers that dedicated time and effort towards such a massive project. This creates a new dimension to the evening, as there is an atmosphere of camaraderie and support.

PAGE 4

The aspect of the campaign which struck me the most was the role played by the creative marketing team. One glance at their Instagram page shows the incredible way that the campaign, which ran for almost half a year, has been tied together thematically, with atmospheric photoshoots and eye-catching graphics.

As someone who is interested in film making (watch this space), I really enjoyed watching the promotional videos that were released in the build-up to the main event. Set on what look to be the rolling dales of County Durham, the use of props and equipment such as flares and drones gave them a professional quality. All of this has been thoughtfully designed to whip up an atmosphere of excitement and anticipation; and it definitely worked, with all of the tickets selling out pretty much immediately on their release.

The total raised by DUCFS 2020 was a whopping

£171,000 which just shows how incredibly popular an event it is.

LONDON RUNWAY

McCullough

FUTURE COLLECTIVE Photography by Fil Mazzarino

PAGE 43

LONDON RUNWAY

Louis de Gama

PAGE 44

LONDON RUNWAY

Antonia Nae

PAGE 45

LONDON RUNWAY

ASHISH Photography by Fil Mazzarino

PAGE 60 61

LONDON RUNWAY

PAGE 47

LONDON RUNWAY

PAGE 48

LONDON RUNWAY

PAGE 49

LONDON RUNWAY

CHANEL JOAN ELKAYAM

Photography by MJ Mitra

PAGE 50

PAUL COSTELLOE Photography by Fil Mazzarino

PAGE 54

LONDON RUNWAY

PAGE 56

Rhiannon D'Averc spoke to designer Paul Costelloe after his packed runway show.

LR: Congratulations on a wonderful collection. Tell us about your inspiration this season?

Paul: My inspiration was to basically strip everything down and just see the modern woman. Casual, easygoing, modern. She goes to the gym, she’s diet-aware, she’s all those things. I just thought, I’ll dress her.

Kept it simple, nothing very formal, all very relaxed. It’s something I’ve never really got that involved with before, because it’s quite a challenge to start doing hoodies and all these shapes that I’d never normally use.

So, it’s been quite a challenge and I look forward to developing more for Spring 21.

LR: The prints were so diverse and so fun.

Paul: Well, they were designed by my son, William, so we’re just building up a little dynasty here.

We’re very small, very minor in the world of fashion, but I think we do some nice things!

LR: Talking about the brand and yourself as a designer, you’ve had a lot of successes. Is there anything that you’d still like to achieve in the future?

Paul: I’d like to make a movie. I’d like to be involved in cinema, in some way. I’m enjoying myself at the moment. Do I have targets? All of us have targets, but I’ve got a nice team, all the people I work with are really nice. We make all our samples in London, so it’s a London company with a family background. We always have targets, but I wouldn’t really discuss it, you know? There’s always something in the back pocket.

I’m a man, you know, I’m still looking in the fields!

LR: Apart from designing for the first time in a new style, were there any other difficulties or struggles that came along with this collection?

Paul: It really wasn’t conceived until quite late. Because you’re working with shapes I didn’t work with before, there was quite a bit of trial and error, so it was challenging.

Keeping aware of street fashion, but with slightly nicer materials. It was good for the mind, it was humbling a little bit. I’m not that arrogant anyway! [laughs]

STYLE (CONSCIOUS) GUIDE ethical and sustainable style guide selected by Ines Verniers

GStar Avernus Pw Racer Suit £252.35

House of Sunny Icon Shoulder Bag £240

Alternative Apparel Striped Eco-Jersey Crew T-Shirt £31.67

Everlane The Long-Sleeve V-Neck Bodysuit £27

Introvert London Trouble Maker Blazer in Burnt Orange £170

Cuyana Leather Wrap Belt £185

Matt & Nat Joan Vegan Heels in Black £90

Shinola Runwell Men's Stainless Steel Strap Watch £675

Esthe Mercury Silver Skirt £123

Veja V-12 Trainers White Emeraud Black £115

FRONT ROW CHIC PAGE 58

LONDON RUNWAY

IA LONDON via ASV Comms

Images by Simon Armstrong

LONDON RUNWAY

PAM HOGG Photography by Fil Mazzarino

PAGE 61

LONDON RUNWAY

PAGE 24

LONDON RUNWAY

PAGE 24

LONDON RUNWAY

PAGE 64

LONDON RUNWAY

HOUSE of iKONS Photography by MJ Mitra

Tony Visions

PAGE 65

LONDON RUNWAY

HOUSE of iKONS Photography by MJ Mitra

Will Franco

PAGE 66

LONDON RUNWAY

PAGE 67

LONDON RUNWAY

HOUSE of iKONS Photography by MJ Mitra

A.Renee Fashion

PAGE 68

LONDON RUNWAY

PAGE 69

LONDON RUNWAY

HOUSE of iKONS Photography by MJ Mitra

Ana de Sa

PAGE 70

LONDON RUNWAY

PAGE 71

LONDON RUNWAY

HOUSE of iKONS Photography by MJ Mitra

BC Munich

PAGE 72

Use your imagination The concept of this shoot including three photo stories is to remind people how bright the world in their own minds can be.

Everything looks like a picture from real life, but looks and accessories give viewers an idea of what is going on in the imagination of characters.

Models: Aleksey Chumak @alex4_k; Polina Panova @polinochkap; Olga Ahno @olgaahno; Ruslan Malich at pkmanagment @ruslan_fedora_malich Makeup Artist/Hair Stylist: Viktoria Biisheva @muah_superbisheva Photographer: Maria Konakova @radio_ladio Wardrobe Stylist: Svetlana Morenova @svetlana.morenova

LONDON RUNWAY

Olga wears: Boots- Zara; Sweater - Marshals; Trousers - Bershka; Belt - Burberry Aleksey wears: Sweater - Zara; Trousers - Krabi; Jacket - IKKS; Boots - Camper; Belt - Reserved; Watch - Scuderia Ferrari

PAGE 74

LONDON RUNWAY

Ruslan wears: Boots - Timberland; Sweatshirt and trousers - H&M; Scarf - Stradivarius

PAGE 76

LONDON RUNWAY

Polina wears: Dress - Gulnara Kassym; Boots- Twinset

PAGE 78

LONDON RUNWAY

THE FASHION HISTORY OF HARLEY QUINN With the release of Birds of Prey this month, Emmie Cosgrove explores the fashion history of one of DC’s beloved anti-heroes, Harley Quinn, and how an all-female production team can allow more creative freedom for character costume design.

In 1992, Harley Quinn made her debut in Batman: The Animated Series. Despite the mixed response fans of the animated Batman series had towards Harley Quinn, and the fact that the creators of the show were considering having Harley Quinn as a one-episode oneshot, she is now one of the most popular DC characters. Not only did Harley Quinn provide The Joker with a romantic partner, changing his character line, Harley Quinn gave the female DC audience a feminist antihero.

Harley Quinn’s first costume was an iconic black and red court jester outfit.

This one-piece jester costume is one of the most stand-out Harley Quinn looks.

The choice of a court jester themed costume for Harley Quinn’s first appearance provides audiences with a visual hint of her personality. The archetype of the Jester is a care-free person who thrives off spontaneity and living in the moment, but behind the care-free mannerisms, they’re also the devil’s advocate with a lack of impulse control. Harley Quinn falls right into this character type. It may have been the perplexing mannerisms of Harley Quinn that caused fans to be unsure of her, but her jester characteristics and costume provided the show with a unique female character who spiced things up.

Her black and red jester one-piece was the statement piece of Harley Quinn’s identity for around two decades until her wardrobe underwent a couple of changes, one within the DC comic universe and another within the world of video games. 2009 saw the release of Batman: Arkham Asylum, an action adventure game inspired by the DC comics. Though this game wasn’t released by DC themselves, audiences loved it so much that it even won a BAFTA Games Award for the Best Game.

Of course, being a game inspired by the comics meant that the most beloved characters were featured, including Harley Quinn. However, instead of the game designers opting for the classic DC comic-book look, they gave her style quite a few alterations.

The prominent costume adjustments that Batman: Arkham Asylum made to Harley Quinn can easily be linked to the sexualisation of characters in video games. Male video game characters appear hyper masculine and female video game characters have a lot more exposed skin and a more feminine appearance, even if the character is pretty hardcore, like Harley Quinn.

In the video game her outfit consists of a low-cut white shirt, tight red corset, a miniskirt and fishnets paired with thigh high boots. Though the costuming choices in the game still are on brand for Harley’s Jester like mannerisms, in the game she

PAGE 79

became a character viewed through the male gaze.

When 2011 came around DC relaunched and revamped their entire line of superhero comic books.

This was known as The New 52. The relaunch also meant a new outfit change for some of the characters, Harley Quinn included. The creators of DCs The New 52 stated that they wanted to give Harley Quinn a more edgy and modernised look. They drew her in a cropped jester-like corset and she changed between red and black hot pants with thigh high socks and tight black and red leather looking trousers In The New 52 comic books, there is a scene in which Harley Quinn is in

LONDON RUNWAY

Jester costume, just like The New 52 had done, where towards the start of the film Harley Quinn begins picking out outfits brought to her from a box. She picks up the jester bodysuit and quickly dismisses it for her Daddy’s Little Monster shirt, low rise shorts, fishnets and a very fun baseball jacket.

her mind palace, a place where her former self lives: Harleen Quinzel, a smart psychiatrist. Whilst in this mind palace Harley Quinn has a conversation with her former self. She spins out of the one-piece jester suit, and it becomes the modernised two piece, with her blonde hair in pigtails, no longer covered, and red and pink eyeshadow placed on her eyelids. This indicates that she is breaking free of her identity that was heavily associated with the Joker, who spent a lot of time in the previous Batman comic book series and shows manipulating and abusing Harley Quinn.

This transformation of Harley Quinn as she breaks free from the Joker and the difference it makes to her costumes can also be seen when comparing Suicide Squad to Harley Quinn’s Birds of Prey.

However, in Suicide Squad Harley Quinn is still dating the joker. He is her ‘Daddy’ and she is his ‘Little Monster’.

Fans of the DC universe were hoping that the film would explore the Joker and Harley Quinn’s relationship but Suicide Squad only went into their relationship on a very surface level, not showing how complex and toxic their relationship was.

As Suicide Squad had introduced Harley Quinn to a mass audience, her costume from the film became many people’s favourite. This was the costume that many people now associated with Harley Quinn, and these people may have not read the comics or watched the animated series and known Harley Quinn’s traditional outfits. Her Suicide Squad look was a massively popular cosplay (costume play) choice and after the release of the film the popularity of Harley Quinn’s character shot up.

As the increasing hype surrounding superhero films began to grow, in 2016 DC released Suicide Squad in which Harley Quinn was re-vamped again in the wardrobe department. For the film her red and black colour palette had taken a lighter turn and she sported mainly white, red, blue, and gold. They stuck with her blonde bunches and dip dyed them blue and pink, which created a much more up to date appearance for Harley Quinn.

Margot Robbie, who played Harley Quinn in Suicide Squad, had such a fun time in character that she decided to produce and write Harley Quinn’s own solo movie, Harley Quinn: Birds of Prey.

The main story in Suicide Squad took place over one day, which meant that multiple costumes changes throughout the film weren’t seen as necessary. This lack of costume changes might also be one of the reasons why Harley Quinn’s Suicide Squad look was such a statement costume that many adored.

The story in Harley Quinn: Birds of Prey takes place over multiple days and had an all-female production cast, which meant a lot more freedom in the costume department.

The costume choices needed to reflect a Harley Quinn who a mass audience could resonate with. Her costume in Suicide Squad had a very edgy yet colourful street-style feel, which worked perfectly for 2016, as sportswear and street-style were an increasing trend. The film did refer to Harley Quinn’s original one-piece

One of the main premises of Harley Quinn: Birds of Prey was her trying to heal from the abuse and neglect the Joker had put her through. This was cleverly shown through costuming and done in a much less sexualised way than The New 52, which still didn’t clearly state that Harley Quinn was moving on from the Joker, just that she was trying

You can read more of Emmie’s work over on Twitter at @Ems_Pen Images via Wikimedia Commons and DC

to become more of her own person. In Harley Quinn: Birds of Prey her “Daddy’s Little Monster” tattoo on her collar bone is always covered. Instead of wearing a top that says ‘Daddy’s Little Monster’ on it, she wears a t-shirt with Harley printed all over it. She is truly becoming her own person and the costuming in Birds of Prey captures her new-found sense of self brilliantly.

The official UK release date for Birds of Prey was the 7th February and already Twitter has become a storm of opinions on the film. Many woman on Twitter have tweeted about how much they enjoyed and appreciated the costuming in Birds of Prey. One of the most popular comments on the costume design was how refreshing it was seeing Harley Quinn going from wearing low rise hot pants in Suicide Squad to wearing high wasted denim jeans in Birds of Prey. Female viewers agreed that this was a far more accurate clothing choice for a woman’s wardrobe as many women find low rise items impractical and uncomfortable.

On the other side of the table, men on Twitter were stating that Harley Quinn looked unattractive and without any sex appeal, which proves that her previous costume designs had been designed with the male gaze in mind. These tweets also show how a lot of female characters, whether in comic books or not, are only desired to be watched for their physical appearance, instead of being watched for their character or storyline.

With the rise of women in film, and films such as Harley Quinn: Birds of Prey having a female production team, we are finally entering an era that gives female characters the on-screen treatment they deserve. Birds of Prey is also proof that creating films that provide sexualised characters for men gives costume departments a lot less creative freedom.

Lavanya Coodly Spring/Summer 2020

Photography: Andrew White @andrewwhite_fo_real Styling: Sam Bates @sambatesstyle Model: Nic Wright @nic.wright_ Hair and Makeup: Mirna Jose @mirnajose and Clara Rae @clara_rae, Assisted by Oliver Hunt @oliver_hunt

LONDON RUNWAY X DYELOG

JENN LEE Rhiannon D’Averc spoke to Jenn Lee after her show, in the first of several interviews with Dyelog PR's designers.

Photographs by Sophie Hu LR: First of all, tell us about your collection and the inspiration behind it.

Jenn: My concept was women’s liberation, and my inspiration came from old Chinese foot binding, used to restrain the woman’s feet and stop her from walking. I wanted to use this element to send a message and encourage women to have a positive energy and self-confidence. Footbinding is also related to sex fetishes, so in my print I played with the pornographic sort of thing. I have sperm and a whip, but not in a very obvious way. Also, I collected a lot of old used women’s bodywear to remake. I wanted to think about our Mother Earth, so I made them into the dresses, and I also used eco-friendly fabric to relate it to sustainable fashion.

LR: You used some alternative models to what we would normally see on the runway, and that’s a really feminist statement, too.

Jenn: Because our brand is always about how women need to encourage the empowerment of themselves, so I like to mix and match different types of models. We have the alternatives, as you say it, and models who are older, but I feel that every type of woman has their own beauty. I want to send this kind of positive message to everyone.

LR: Amazing. Finally, how does Taipei Fashion Week compare to London?

JL: I studied in England before, but this is the first time I had a fashion show abroad, so it really means a lot to me.

The Taipei Fashion Week – it’s difficult to say, because we did a lot of things flying around [to prepare for LFW], and I’m exhausted! In Taipei, everything is organised okay, we need to meet the models and everything, so it’s another experience.

PAGE 87

PAGE 88

LONDON RUNWAY X DYELOG

SIMON MO Rhiannon D’Averc spoke to Simon Mo after his presentation, which featured animal statues and racing drumbeats alongside models accessorised with collars and fur tail earrings. Images by Simon Armstrong

LR: Tell us a little bit about the show!

Simon: It was based on one of my dreams, I was able to talk to animals.

When I got up, I felt that I should do a collection for animals, so I started to research the human relationship with animals and the history. I was very surprised that our lives actually have a lot of things to do with animals. But I didn’t want to do a literal animal collection. What I wanted to do was more a topic of how can we protect them, and how can we free them, in a good way. So I wanted to find that good, innocent time when we were little, how we loved animals.

LR: Tell us about the charity that you’re working with, Freedom for Animals.

Simon: It’s quite surprising that there are still very good charity groups that are doing very good things for animals. I have cats at home, and I feel animals are our lifelong friends. We don’t use them - we need to be with them. We need to create a good environment for animals. I did a lot of translation in my mind, for example the crochet and knitwear, and there’s a lot of prints. There’s a circus element.

Sometimes we want to wear fur, and it’s very harmful, but we’re making it into a print or making it into something else, to keep the spirit.

PAGE 89

LONDON RUNWAY X DYELOG LR: There’s lots of different textures that we noticed, and the accessories too. The collars with bells.

Simon: I wanted to portray the idea into the accessories and integrate the atmosphere. If youare wearing a bell with a chain, then how do you feel?

There is a lot of emotion I wanted to put into this collection. I wanted people to be in my dream.

AGNE KUZMICKAITE Rhiannon D’Averc spoke to Agne right in the thick of her Fashion Scout presentation, which featured a live photoshoot happening in front of the assembled crowd. Images by Simon Armstrong

LR: Tell us about this season’s collection.

Agne: In my collection, there are three different lines which I connected. One part was from recycled materials, second-hand outfits that I made into shoes, dresses, and some head accessories. Another part was from colourful fabrics. As always, I integrated my signature butterfly pattern. All these lines were important to me in this collection, where I wanted to talk about one idea - that I think it is important for people living in our times not to forget to be happy in this moment. We are constantly reading about catastrophes or bad news, and there is a lot of tension that some apocalypse might happen right away. But while it is still peaceful, in a way - I understand that it’s not, in all the world - we still have to remember to enjoy the short moment in which we are on this earth. So, I wanted to use colour and different textures and just play with the silhouettes.

PAGE 91

LONDON RUNWAY X DYELOG

LR: Explain to us about this butterfly that you use.

Agne: Yeah, that’s part of my logo and I think that in these times designer outfits need to be recognisable. This is the way that it works. Therefore, on one hand on purpose, I’m creating butterflies in each collection, trying to integrate things differently. And on the other hand, I like it! Each season I have something to start from. Now it’s part of my brand.

LR: You’ve done a lot of fashion weeks around the world. So, how does London compare to, or how is it different from, each of those?

Agne: London is important because it’s one of the four major fashion capitals. I think this is the place where real fashion professionals can evaluate your work. When you do a fashion show in some smaller capital, it might be more bombastic but it has less impact. When you do it in a more important capital, your collection can be evaluated by real fashion insiders.

PAGE 92

LONDON RUNWAY X DYELOG

JIRI KALFAR

Emmie Cosgrove interviews the zero-waste designer Jiri Kalfar after attending his London Fashion Week show, ‘Eden Eden’. Images by Shaun James Fox LR: Tell us about this season's collection and runway, what was the inspiration behind it?

Jiri: The original inspiration for this collection actually came about twelve years ago. Whilst I was studying dance, one of the choreographers did a show called Eden Eden, which is the name of this collection. Even the music we used was similar to the music used in the show. I loved the quirkiness of it and how he represented the technology and artificial intelligence in it. Me being an activist and being a sustainable brand I thought I’m kind of sorry to see what’s happening right now. I feel like there is a time that we can improve how things are but we can’t do this without technology. At the moment we’re using technology for the wrong reasons, when we should use it for the right reasons, and speed up the process of recreating our planet. That’s why I used the name Eden Eden and had the morph suits.

LR: Why is zero waste important to you?

Jiri: [laughs] I mean, there’s just so much waste. You know, I actually grew up in a village with animals and we got what we had and our own resources and now I see all these markets and everything and clothes everywhere. I used to just get clothes from my cousin, and it was very different, but it’s not even that long ago, it was only 20 years ago. I don’t ever remember having so much choice, and so much everything in your face. If we’re talking about sustainability I also think waste is the most damaging. I don’t think it’s polyester or cotton, we should be talking about waste. To me it’s the most damaging one. Obviously as a designer who comes up with a new collection every half year I need to think about it, so I cut all the wholesale stores and sell directly what people actually order so I don’t get any waste back.

PAGE 93

LR: How does London Fashion Week compare to New York Fashion Week?

Jiri: Um, cooler. I came back here for a reason, I’ve already done three fashion weeks here and three shows. The vibe here is different, people here are somehow more interested in the general concept of the clothes rather than the wow factor and even like the team here is, it’s kind of more enthusiastic. I don’t really know how to explain it. I lived here, so I’ve known this place. I’m European so it’s also much more European here. I don’t think the greatest designers happen in Paris either, they happen here, they just all end up moving to Paris. Like Richard Quinn and Molly Goddard and all these people who are the new generation. They all happened in London. Like Alexander McQueen and John Galliano. So, I think really the trends are happening here.

You can read more of Emmie’s work over on Twitter at @Em’s_Pen

LONDON RUNWAY X DYELOG

PAGE 95

LONDON RUNWAY

Tobefrank & Molyneaux Via Spring Global

PAGE 96

LONDON RUNWAY

PAGE 97

University of Westminster Photography by Fil Mazzarino

PAGE 98

LONDON RUNWAY

PAGE 99

LONDON RUNWAY

PAGE 100

LONDON RUNWAY

LONDON RUNWAY

PAGE 102

LONDON RUNWAY

PAGE 103

LONDON RUNWAY

PAGE 104

LONDON RUNWAY

Student designers: Brandon Choi Vane Bon Tumisola Ladega Hannah Sosna Fennuala Butterfield Pols.

Marina Patalano Steven Stokey-Daley Karolina Brown Jonty K. Mellmann CJ Tuke Jakub Nowacki Dominic Huckbody

PAGE 105

BOBBY ABLEY Photography by Fil Mazzarino

PAGE 106

LONDON RUNWAY

ROCKY STAR Photography by Fil Mazzarino

PAGE 109

LONDON RUNWAY

PAGE 110

LONDON RUNWAY

PAGE 111

RICHARD MALONE Photography by Fil Mazzarino

LONDON RUNWAY

HAUL CULTURE AND YOUTUBE’S SUSTAINABILITY PROBLEM This week Maria Henry explores the issues with ‘Haul Culture’ and the glorification of fast fashion.

advertising on YouTube is still somewhat questionable.

What is a ‘Haul’?

Over the years the fashion and beauty side of social media has gained huge traction. More and more influencers are turning to social media mediums such as YouTube to show off their style, give fashion tips to people looking to the internet for guidance and to express their love of the art form.

One aspect that comes hand-in-hand with this internet success is sponsorship; this gives prominent influencers the ability to make money by advertising products from a brand that wants their promotion. This has been a long-standing Instagram tradition, with a multitude of fashion bloggers dressing in outfits provided by brands. This then allows viewers to click on the items they like and gives the influencer a small percentage of commission for each purchase made via their post as well as a lump payment for the post itself.

As the influencer phenomenon started to come into its own advertisements like these became problematic, as many influencers were not disclosing that their posts were ads - fooling people into thinking they genuinely loved the product and hadn’t been paid to endorse it. As the ethics of this were highly scrutinised, the ASA (Advertising Standards Authority) made it a legal requirement to be open with the fact that a post or video is an advertisement by tagging it #ad or clearly stating that someone has provided you with the products as a promotion. Though this has made advertising on platforms like Instagram much more transparent,

A haul is a type of video in which an influencer will show off a large number of clothes that they have obtained within a small amount of time. This is often done as a promotional stunt with a brand sending the influencer hundreds of pounds worth of clothes to try and review in an effort to show people what they have available to buy. via Unsplash With the influencer’s approval, it makes it more likely that fans will know that a brand is likely to buy into the idea of the clothes send more free products if the purchasing them because they’ve influencer is positive about the seen them on someone they initial products. admire. This clever marketing technique has become extremely Hauls also offer a way to side-step popular with fast-fashion brands the ad rules as the only thing that such as Pretty Little Thing and they need to disclose is the fact that Boohoo, who send huge amounts of they were sent the products from the cheap clothes to influencers and ask brand, there is no disclosure over if them to talk about how ‘good quality’ the brand has promised them more they are for the price, whether this is items or prompted them in what to true or not. say. Although they may tag the video as an ad in the description, it is a lot This is particularly damaging for two less obvious to the casual viewer. reasons. The first being the fact that the honesty of the influencer is Sustainability and ethical challenged by promotions such as consumption these. In many of the videos, we see

an overwhelmingly positive The next issue is that of response to the items they have environmental sustainability. Fast been sent with the influencer fashion is a major contributor to the remarking about the quality and the environmental crisis we’re facing. relevancy of the products. Even if Among many environmental they don’t like a product, they sideimpacts, the process of dyeing step saying anything negative about textiles is a massive polluter of clean the quality or style. This leads to an water and on top of this the cheap ethical concern about the honesty of polyester that a lot of fast fashion the opinions being portrayed as we

PAGE 113

LONDON RUNWAY

items are made from shed harmful microfibres that kill sea-life and damage the eco-system. Fast fashion's over-production means that many items end up in landfill or are sold to stores in third world countries where they eventually meet the same fate if not purchased.

There is also a massive issue of ethical production. Most fast fashion companies use factories in third world countries to produce their clothing, paying them less than a standard living wage in order to keep costs down. The environments that workers are placed in are often overheated, cramped and even dangerous - as made evident with the Dhaka garment factory collapse which took place in 2013, killing over 1000 workers.

Following this disaster brands such as H&M promised that they would pay workers better wages - but to little avail. Since then numerous fast-fashion retailers have appeared in the market, producing huge amounts of clothes and excess waste.

In 2018 the Financial Times reported that there were factories in the UK known as ‘dark factories’ in which workers are illegally paid as little as £3.50 an hour, unable to leave as they are desperate for the work.

The hauls that we are seeing become so popular now are actively promoting the purchase of fast fashion in bulk, they emphasise the idea that people need new products constantly to be up to date with fashion trends and as a result support this toxic industry.

Flex Culture

Another issue is the idea of ‘flex culture’. Hauls are often titled with the enormous amounts of money the influencer has spent on clothing, to create shock value and draw in audiences to see if what they promise is true. This again promotes the idea that excess is better and that spending extreme amounts of money is the best way to be fashionable.

There is almost an elitism attached to this phenomenon, with social media allowing people the opportunity to ‘flex’ or brag about how much they

find something unexpected and wonderful.

are able to spend for amusement.

The more money you can spend, the better.

This promotion of excess consumption is especially dangerous for young audiences, who watch these videos and see the image projected that success can be quantified by owning a large number of things that you don’t need. The constant flaunting of personal wealth can lead to people feeling bad about themselves for not having all these expensive things and it promotes the idea that you can buy yourself an image.

Moving Forward More recently, there has been a reaction to these fast fashion haul videos. More and more thrift and charity shop hauls have been popping up, promoting shopping for second-hand clothing as a sustainable alternative to shopping for fast fashion. These videos show people that you can have stylish outfits and get them at an affordable price by shopping vintage.

They also highlight how much more special and individual these items they can be, how you can

PAGE 114

Resale sites such as Depop and Poshmark have also contributed to this movement away from fast fashion, making it easier to get vintage items online at reasonable prices. ‘Sustainable Hauls’ have also begun to grow in popularity with people buying products from brands which care about environmentalism and produce their clothes in ethical ways, with recycled or environmentally friendly fabrics.

These hauls show us that you don’t have to be a minimalist to be sustainable, you just have to think about where you’re buying from and the production involved with the final product. They show viewers that you can reuse items you have innovatively to create different effects for your outfits, instead of simply buying something new to replace a similar product you already have. It is entirely possible to be on-trend without unnecessary consumption of unethical products - and the promotion of this idea and the core values of sustainability for a better future are how we start the fight against fast fashion.

You can read more of Maria’s work on twitter @Mariawriteshere Images on this page via YouTube

LONDON RUNWAY

HOUSE of iKONS Chavez

PAGE 115

Photography by MJ Mitra

LONDON RUNWAY

HOUSE of iKONS Photography by MJ Mitra

Emre Tamer

PAGE 116

LONDON RUNWAY

HOUSE of iKONS Photography by MJ Mitra

Fouzia's Couture

PAGE 117

LONDON RUNWAY

PAGE 118

LONDON RUNWAY

HOUSE of iKONS Photography by MJ Mitra

Hill Tribe House

PAGE 119

LONDON RUNWAY

PAGE 120

LONDON RUNWAY

HOUSE of iKONS Photography by MJ Mitra

iKon

PAGE 121

Q A THE BIG QUESTION We asked, you answered

WHICH DESIGNER WOULD BE YOUR DREAM CHOICE TO WATCH FROM THE FRONT ROW?

&

"For me it's got to be Paul Costelloe - but I want a camera in my hand to photograph his work, not just sit there watching" - Paul Robinson, photographer

"Stella McCartney"

- Kelly Stoddern model

"Mary Katrantzou has been an icon for me from the second her first collection landed" - Rhiannon D'Averc, Chief Editor

"VIRGIL ABLOH - I DON'T JUST WANT TO WATCH, I WANT TO WORK WITH HIM" - Munja Jani, model

"ERDEM"

- Liza Georgia, milliner

"Fenty - I'm walking for the label one day" - JC, model

"Gucci, they always try to surprise with what they do, and they succeed in it as well"

"Edeline Lee, she puts together a whole show!"

- Candice Wu, Editorial Assistant

- Ines Verniers, student

Get in on the action - follow @londonrunwaymag on Instagram to spot next issue's question

NEXT: THE SPRING ISSUE THE LFW ISSUE FIND LONDON RUNWAY: LONDONRUNWAY.CO.UK @LONDONRUNWAYMAG INFO@LONDONRUNWAY.CO.UK

BACK COVER: UNIVERSITY OF WESTMINSTER BY FIL MAZZARINO