LFW

Where New York brought us monochrome and minimalism, London brought explosions of color and fluid lines. Not bad, seeing as we’re known as the city where it always rains. The shows exuded Brit cool, with styles ranging from the eclectic Kensington globetrotter to the Shoreditch street style eye candy. Personal favorites were as follows:

Let’s start with my fellow Serb (REPRESENT), Roksanda Ilincic. The Belgrade born Londoner continued on point and turned out a show inspired by another female artist. This time around it was Julia Dault, an artist known for painting on out of the ordinary surfaces such as pleather or spandex, and sculptures of plexiglass and Vinyl. It’s obvious how easily this can translate onto the runway, and Roksanda showcased trimmed down silhouettes in electric color combinations, and geometric prints paired with almost industrial metallic belts. Congratulations, Roksanda you’ve made the Balkan’s proud once again. 

Moving on to the quintessentially British, there’s Burberry. His move into the position of Burberry CEO (not just a pretty face, eh) has given him unlimited creative license, and he’s taken us to a British field full of flowers for summer. Bursting with color, the models sauntered down the runway in flowing dresses often tied with sheer fabric, like one would tie a bouquet. Personally, the standout piece was a lilac coat tied with a teal belt that was as soft as the echoing of James Bay’s voice in the show’s background. 

 Another iconic UK brand, Pringle, continues to take strides into the future for S/S 2015. With over 200 years of history, you’d think Pringle would have lost it’s contemporary edge by now. But Nicosia boldly took the collection forward, continuing to play with 3D printing and new-wave fabrics. Inspired by water, the fabrics were translucent and effervescent, but tailored to a minimalistic design. Although the clothes wouldn’t be out of place in a movie about a future Eden-like society, it stayed true to Pringle’s heritage in undergarments with a few lingerie-inspired on top.

One of my favorite shows this LFW was Mother of Pearl. Another designer known to collaborate with artists (expectedly, really, she is a close friend, and the ex-partner of Damien Hirst), Maia Norman really came into her own this season. She kept the sporty edge MOP has become known for but added ladylike embellished accents and showcased prints not only drawn from artist Chris Moon, but also of her own creation. You know that girl you sort of know who always seems so unrealistically cool and perfect? This is what she’ll be wearing for the season. 

Mary Katrantzou became known for her eccentric prints, so it was quite a surprise to see such a subdued color palette in her new show. However, what Mary’s lost print-wise she’s gained in structure. The collection is the work of a designer come into her own. Inspired by the earth’s tectonic plates, the clothing was edgy, fresh and crisp (all the things I like). We’ve always known Mary was a creative genius, with unrivalled sources of inspiration, and S/S 2015 has just gone to show she can be versatile as well. The collection may have been muted, but there’s a bright future ahead of this lady. 

So, can we talk about Erdem?! I don’t even know where to start. This collection was so me that I don’t understand how I didn’t think of it first. It was dark, it was riche, it was sexy and yet it was graceful. Inspired by biologist Marianne North, emerald greens sprouted from almost every piece and evoked a British aristocrat exploring the Amazonian Jungle. There was a Victorian note in some of the pieces, mixing the wild with the proper, taming the chaotic feathered pieces and chiffon appliqués. Erdem Moralioglu, I bow to you. You’ve made one blogger very, very happy. 

Overall, a perfectly British LFW. Cool and airy with the occasional pop of color. Next week, the recap of Milan (can't you just wait to see what I say about Moschino)