LONDON
FASHION WEEK Fall 2015 Trend Report
February 20th-24th, 2015
MODA Written by Fashion Writers:
Edtited by:
Alexa Carlson Emma Leuman Alyssa Sage Phebe Myers
Paige Schultz, Fashion Editor Marissa Monett, Fashion Editorial Assistant
February 20th DAY ONE
By Emma Leuman Restoring warmth to the frozen tundra, designers on Day One of London Fashion Week combated the cold with their luxurious yet functional collections. At Daks, vibrant, cherry-red hues brought vivacity to the runway, appearing starkly in head-to-toe looks and subtly in petite doses of intricate floral prints. Strategic, chic layers allowed looks to be fall-appropriate, with leather jackets and accessories providing the perfect shield for brisk autumn temperatures. Sass & Bide created a coldweather shield in a more innovative fashion with heavy embellishments, armor-like accessories and thicker textiles giving the collection’s ensembles a heavier feel.
Jean-Pierre Braganza (photo from Style.com)
Jean-Pierre Braganza also played with red, but in dark burgundy and wine-colored tones. Placing particular emphasis on fur accents, heavierw fabrics and leather, the designer’s collection featured carefully crafted looks with waterfall draping adding dimension to certain looks. Though not warm enough to withstand the biting winds of the fall and winter seasons alone, luxurious outerwear and cold-weather accessories balanced the pieces out to give consumers a way to dress both stylishly and practically.
Top: Sass & Bide, Jean-Pierre Braganza, Sass & Bide; Bottom: Daks (photos from Style.com)
February 21st DAY TWO By Alexa Carlson Following the NYFW runways, London presented a fresh aesthetic, allowing the fashion city to capitalize on their reputation for unconventionality on its second day of fashion week. Trends on the runways stretched across a variety of style spectrums, but each collection possessed a strong theme, highlighting the unique perspective of each designer and the city. Concerning color, many labels interpreted autumn/winter color palettes as light, pretty pastels while others opted for darker, moodier shades. Emilia Wickstead’s detailed and well-crafted pieces kept her pastel palette from feeling just “pretty.” Her powder blue jumpsuit with meticulously placed pleats and deep V neckline gave the lighter hue strength. Holly Fulton’s take on pastels came with inspiration from Breakfast at Tiffany’s, evident in the Holly Golightly pixie bangs that the models sported. Opposite of the pastel trend, various shows ventured toward a darker side. Julien Macdonald’s glam looks were a major hit, showing up on celebrities at a few of LFW’s award events. Kim KardashianWest tried out a jumpsuit with daring open-knit-stitched design at the BRIT awards while Taylor Swift rocked an edgy emerald gown with black lace detailing at the Elle Style awards. Art offered inspiration to several shows on Day Two, including Mother of Pearl. In sportswear form with accents of mesh, the pieces displayed artistry through the antique floral prints crafted by the designer herself. In true London fashion, all of the runways that featured large vintage floral prints were able to youthfully spin the conventional design through rich colors, sporty tailoring or assimilating it with other patterns. Julien Macdonald (photo from Style.com)
Top: Julien Macdonald, Emilia Wickstead, Mother of Pearl; Bottom: Julien Macdonald, Holly Fulton, Julien Macdonald (photos from Style.com)
February 22nd DAY THREE By Alyssa Sage If the runway ensembles that debuted at New York Fashion Week didn’t confirm the resurrection of 70s silhouettes, styles and prints, the looks at LFW have firmly established the resurgence. The Autumn/Winter ‘15 collections introduced on Day Three were interspersed with clashing bohemian prints, shearling accents and statement outwear. Preen offered an urbanized perspective on hippie chic by coupling the brand’s signature design elements—highlysaturated tones, silk dresses, bohemian floral prints, lumberjack checks and vivid print clashing—with edgier details like intricate embroidering, ruffle-lined tuxedo pants and bold latticed lacing. However, the highest praise was generated by statement outerwear, which included clashing checks, color-blocked fur and an abundance of shearling accents. Topshop Unique adhered to nearly every major trend established from the New York runway shows, reminding us that the British retailer’s trendy reputation isn’t credited without merit. The show essentially served as a recap of Fashion Month thus far, as it featured various 70s-inspired silhouettes, shearling/faux fur accents, thigh-high slits, plaid, versatile cable knits and tweed pieces. Other memorable ensembles were the chic patent leather skirt and black fur coat combo and a baby blue corduroy skirt suit. Matthew Williamson opted for a more abstract approach in its conformance to the bohemian trend. Extracting inspiration from astrological emblems, the brand coupled silky, draped silhouettes and folkloric prints with a color palette inspired by zodiac gemstones, providing a wellrounded juxtaposition to conclude the third day of LFW. Topshop Unique (photo from Style.com)
Top: Topshop Unique, Matthew Williamson, Topshop Unique; Bottom: Preen, Matthew Williamson, Preen (photos from Style.com)
February 23rd DAY FOUR
By Emma Leuman Year after year, the concept of femininity is juxtaposed with various elements of fashion, allowing designers to make a statement with their work. Though at times it was emphasized in an understated manner, the notion was embraced this season in non-traditional ways. Instead of exuding sex appeal through body conscious silhouettes and exposure of skin, designers incorporated bright, feminine colors and paid attention to waist-accentuating details. Antonio Berardi transitioned florals into fall, using textiles that highlighted the print in stunningly bright hues. Colorblocked by pattern, the print added a twist of modernity to an otherwise girlish charm. Erdem took a page out of this book as well, but its prints were more abstract with colors that adhered to a warmer palette. Another brand that took the opportunity to bring color into a cold-weather wardrobe was Burberry Prorsum. Continuing from last season’s showing, Burberry’s colors had a 70s feel, with paisleys and vintage florals evident in their clothing. Yet the feminine vibe didn’t stop with these florals. Designers required that the waists of their ensembles be cinched. Christopher Kane utilized trendy cutouts to show off the models’ figures, demonstrating another avant-garde way to highlight femininity in a subtle yet effective manner. Antonio Berardi (photo from Style.com)
Top: Burberry Prorsum, Erdem, Burberry Prorsum; Bottom: Erdem, Christopher Kane, Erdem (photos from Style.com)
February 24th DAY FIVE By Phebe Myers The last day of London Fashion Week brought shows without huge names or enterprises; rather runways focused intently on the art of creation as their main allure. The root of London fashion is the artful juxtaposition of mod and punk tied together with a Burberry trench coat, which was perfectly executed in the runway shows on this day. CFDA Fashion Icon Award winner Rihanna is a fashion inspiration to many. For Marques’ Almeida’s Fall 2015 line, the collection looked as if it had been stolen from the famed singer’s closet. Brightly decadent, yet de-constructed, the label showcased overwhelming fabrics in highly saturated hues. Deep purples and opulent reds made the collection feel refreshingly modern, and the bright, muppet-like fur that has graced the runways for a few seasons was spotted here as well, but in longer versions. Another big trend seen in the Marques’ Almeida show was the mixture of brocade fabrics, which was gloriously done. Radiant fabrics were also on display at the Christopher Raeburn event, which felt futuristic with the mixture of punky space-age jumpsuits and elaborate bright orange capes topped with giant fur. The presentation also featured trendy coats in textured tweed and colorblocked capes which gave a nod to mod. London fashion has taken a seat in years past with the renewing strength of American fashion labels taking over, but as the presentations put on today by these younger, burgeoning labels show, the best of London fashion is still to come. Marques’ Almeida (photo from Style.com)
Top: Marques’ Almeida; Bottom: Christopher Raeburn (photos from Style.com)
MODA