Fashion Week
54 postsGod bless Hunter Gather. Their 10.30am show on Sunday morning was accompanied by a tasty breakfast buffet, including smoked salmon bagels, granola, and some toxic looking charcoal cleanse drinks. I avoided these. My body is no temple. [slideshow_deploy id='6434'] The aesthetic was firmly '70s, with flared, shimmering denim jeans and longline shearling jackets (there's that shearling again). The music was appropriate to theme, with James Taylor playing over the show. I... ...READ MORE
Saturday was my busiest day at LC:M, and I was seriously feeling it by the evening. With nine shows to see, it was an early start and a late finish - but it was really, really fun. [slideshow_deploy id='6342'] Berthold commenced the day, with incredibly architectural, minimal pieces in monochrome. The models' hair was slicked into a Flock of Seagulls, gravity defying wave, the only nod to a curved line... ...READ MORE
After Superdry ably began proceedings on Thursday, it was time to get my teeth into some shows. First up was Cambridge Satchel Company, a very British bag brand that famously has its roots on Julie Dean's kitchen table. [slideshow_deploy id='6337'] The latest collection is inspired by travel and the globe, with matte, brushed textures on the leather, suggesting durability and reliability. The colours were sumptuous, with deep burgundies and near-black... ...READ MORE
Superdry opened its first store in 2004, in Covent Garden. A little under a decade later, and SuperGroup plc, of which the distinctive American/Japanese collision is a part, had an annual turnover of £242.5 million in 2013. The 2014 figures are yet to be released, but the brand is evidently thriving. Their show on Thursday evening at their huge Regent Street store helped kick off this season's London Collections: Men. Though... ...READ MORE
For the third and final day of Fashion Week in Stockholm I wore my wardrobe's new hero piece, a shirt dress by The Fifth Label. Heralding from Australia, The Fifth Label was founded by young design talent Amy Hicks, who looked to create a brand that included high quality basics, that felt luxurious, but were still priced accessibly. The collection is made up of easy-to-wear minimalist pieces that retain a... ...READ MORE
And then there was light! Finally some respite from the downpour which did not heed for the full duration of Day 1. The second day of Stockholm Fashion Week was glorious, and by this stage familiar faces from around the world had arrived for a day packed full of Swedish design. Day highlights? Without a doubt the spectacle of the Cheap Monday show hosted in a community swimming pool... ...READ MORE
In true Fashion Week style it decided to chuck it down for the duration of the first day of Stockholm Fashion Week - what a way to greet the international guests hey? Fashion Week is not all glamorous - you spend a large portion of the day huddled into a queue that snakes around the show space, hoping a merciful (and dry) PR lady will hurry it up, so you... ...READ MORE
In many ways Ida Sjöstedt is the antithesis of Swedish design - it's bright, gaudy, sparkly and as in your face as they come. Forget feminism for a second, this is the world of the Disney Princess come Katy Perry, and go figure the Scandis lap it up - who wudda guessed it hey? For SS15 Sjöstedt is the "Queen of F*cking Everything". In a 70's inspired, throw-back-Thursday themed... ...READ MORE
Traditionally, J Lindeberg's chief competition at Stockholm Fashion Week is Tiger of Sweden, but with Tiger's debut show at London Collection Men, J. Lindeberg was left wide open for comment and criticism, free of comparison from their competitor. AW14 saw a departure for J Lindeberg from their preppy, golf-inspired roots to something darker and more edgy. Leather was introduced as a primary fabric, to introduce a rock 'n' roll aesthetic that... ...READ MORE
In many ways Filippa K epitomises Swedish design. Clean lines, muted tones, subtle details and sumptuous fabrics have been the backbone of Filippa Knutsson and Patrik Kihlborg's brand since their debut collection in 1993. The Celine of the Swedish fashion scene, theirs is the effortless and uncomplicated aesthetic for which Scandinavian has become renowned. For SS15 womenswear, Filippa K loosens up an otherwise strict colour palette of black, grey, navy and... ...READ MORE
Stockholm Fashion Week is a mere few weeks away, but prior to the event, the Swedish Fashion Council showcased an equally exciting foray of talent - the Rookies. Earlier this week twelve new menswear, womenswear and accessories design talents were selected to present their collections to an audience of buyers and press, with one designer awarded the "Swedish Fashion Talent of the Year". Previous winners include Dagmar and Uniforms for... ...READ MORE
Fashion East epitomizes why London is one of the most exciting capitals for nurturing new design talent. Every season the intimate menswear installation invites guests to interact with the designers and their collections, offering a sneak peak to the headlines of Collections to come. Edward Crutchley You're not really supposed to pick favourites, but I'm afraid Edward Crutchley stole the show for me in his East meets West fusion of... ...READ MORE
Scandinavian designers are having a bit of a moment on the London scene, with Tiger of Sweden departing from the Stockholm Fashion Week calendar to find it's place in the British capital. There were three Scandi designers on the schedule for LCM SS15, but they could not have presented aesthetics that were more different. Astrid Andersen who hails from Denmark showcased her signature streetwear aesthetic, whilst COMMON channeled a refined... ...READ MORE
No but seriously, where? There are several shows on the Collections calendar that pull in a serious fan base. No queue (other than Burberry) makes for this ilk of street style fodder. Key designers who traditionally draw an entourage of die hard groupies are KTZ and Nasir Mazhar, but this season the streets of The Old Sorting Office and Victoria House respectively were left somewhat barren - so where did... ...READ MORE
There was a whimsical undercurrent at several of the LCM shows this season, with Matthew Miller and Craig Green leading the way in sombre romanticism. Miller is no stranger to collections with a political agenda, but this season the designer's "Anti War", "Anti Social" and "Anti You" collection departed from the angry skinheads we saw at AW14 and channeled a subtler message to his audience. The theme for SS15 was... ...READ MORE
A quiet romanticism descended upon the warehouse space above The Old Sorting Office where earlier during Day 1 of London Collections: Men we heard pulsating music for the likes of Topman Design. Jonathan Saunders needs no fanfare, his golden touch is applied with a subtlety that best suits an intimate presentation setting where attendees can admire his attention to detail and intricate graphic prints. Saunders showcased his SS15 menswear collection... ...READ MORE
Fellow GiM, Lizzie, has been doing a great job at keeping you updated with what the Collections attendees were wearing on the streets of London. Fashion Weeks always draw out the best (and most eccentrically) dressed from the wood works and LCM was no exception. So now that you know what everyone else looked like, here's a quick post about what I wore. Day 1: As Reiss' instagram representative on... ...READ MORE
[slideshow_deploy id='5197'] And for the final time (well, from LC:M, anyway), it's Lizzie for Girl in Menswear. It's been a real trip, and I've loved every second. I hope my pictures have given you some insight on the crazy, creative, colour-saturated world that is fashion week. Before I get on to today's pics, a quick run down of the catwalks I was lucky enough to see. Check out my Instagram for... ...READ MORE
[slideshow_deploy id='5168'] Lizzie again, and Urban and Casual is the name of the game today. Day 2 at London Collections: Men's has proven to be just as eclectic and inspiring as Day 1, with shows including KTZ, Huntergather, Duchamps, Kit Neale and John Smedley, to name but a few. Full disclosure; the clientele in attendance were as disparate of dress as the themes of the shows. So, yes, I did see David... ...READ MORE
[slideshow_deploy id='5141'] Well, fancy seeing you here?! Lizzie Nash here, acting as unofficial streetstyle photographer and cultural commentator for Girl in Menswear at London Collections: Mens this week, while Sophia schmoozes all the bigwigs and sinks champers at the shows. Day one went off with as much style, swagger and attitude as you'd expect from any fashion event held in London. For continuity, each day I'm focussing on a particular... ...READ MORE
British menswear is the current talk of the town, with London Collections Men kickstarting this weekend. The UK menswear market has grown by 12% in the last five years and continues to rise at an astonishing rate. Traditionally British womenswear brands are capitalizing on this growth by expanding into the men's market, with the likes of Whistles and Joseph launching robust men's collections this season. London is intent on being... ...READ MORE
[slideshow_deploy id='4926'] It's that time of the year again folks! Yep, in less than a month London Collections Men will kick off the SS15 show season, sending us all into a flurry of street style images, blurry instagram finale videos and trend reports galore. It is around this time that I tend to swot up on what my favourite British menswear designers that presented last season, as it preps me... ...READ MORE
[caption id="attachment_4380" align="aligncenter" width="650"] Finale at Toni Maticevski: Australia Fashion Week 2014[/caption] I am going to fess up now. I know very, very little about Australian Fashion. In fact, when I was Down Under I'm pretty sure I lived in a uniform of We are Handsome cossies and micro-denim shorts, paying little attention to what else was available for those more fashion forward than I. But of course Ozzies are... ...READ MORE
Say what you like about Hedi Slimane's appointment at Saint Laurent, but the brand has been reinvigortaed with relevance and is flying high on the repercussions of the Creative Director's arrival. Today something similar happened at Louis Vuitton, as Nicolas Ghesquière debuted his first collection for the fashion house. Ghesquière replaces the acclaimed Marc Jacobs bringing with him a wealth of experience acquired from 15 years at Balenciaga, but unlike Slimane, Ghesquière's... ...READ MORE
You will have most likely seen the Medusa like woolen constructions of Rei Kawakubo's AW14 MONSTER collection for Comme des Garçons, but perhaps have yet to glimpse the more wearable garments of the fashion houses Comme Comme line. Showing to an intimate audience at Paris Fashion Week, this was a show that shied away from PR frenzy in favour of presenting exclusively to buyers and a handful of photographers and... ...READ MORE
Ok, ok, I know Dolce & Gabbana are the antithesis of Girl in Menswear dressing, theirs are the ostentatious show-stopping pieces for the most womanly of women, but even this girl (with her love of sartorial styling) cannot resist featuring their whimsical AW14 collection. Dolce & Gabbana create collections overspilling with beauty and excess, so it seems only natural that AW14 should be themed around the fantastical world of the... ...READ MORE
As promised, here are a few of my shots from the London Fashion Week presentations I managed to get to. I love a runway show, but there is something special about getting to interact with the models and get right up close to the collections. MARKUS LUPFER When I walked into Markus Lupfer my first reaction was "what happened to all the sequins?" With lashings of sparkle adorning the likes... ...READ MORE
Anya Hindmarch and Moschino have caused quite a stir in the realms of food-themed-fashion this week. At London Fashion Week, Hindmarch's models travelled the catwalk by conveyor belt, accessorising with all our British supermarket favourites; Digestive biscuit wallets, washing up powder clutches, a Kellogg's Corn Flakes tote and a cereal-sister brand Frosties oversized handbag. Meanwhile, Jeremy Scott's debut collection for Moschino on Thursday was themed around our state-side fast-food and confectionary... ...READ MORE
Here's a little secret for you. Most fashion bloggers have jobs or are studying too, it's quite unusual for a blogger to be able to take five days out of their schedule to attend shows and presentations, unless they work in publishing/fashion/are freelance, and consequently get to double up for their day jobs. In my case, I work for a Scandinavian brand that was presenting in a showroom during London... ...READ MORE
There's something very special about viewing a designer's menswear collection, and then soon after seeing what they have up their sleeves for the ladies. London Collections Men has given a fantastic platform for menswear, but as London Fashion Week draws to a close I find myself wishing I could see both the men and women take to the catwalk together (just once) for a complete look at the designer's visions. At... ...READ MORE
I wrote a few posts in the run up to London Fashion Week about the new (debatably more commercial) arrivals to the catwalk this season. Unlike New York, London has limited the high street attendance to Topshop Unique, preferring to showcase contemporary and premium brands during their catwalk calendar. However, Hunter, Joseph and Whistles all pulled in a crowd for their LFW debuts and here's how it went down. Hunter... ...READ MORE
If you're worried that the "boy" trend will be no more for AW14 girls, fear not, I've scouted the New York Fashion Week shows to give you the best designers serving up a slice of the sartorial for next season (so far that is!). Photos borrowed from neverunderdressed.com (sadly I didn't make it over to the Big Apple). Keep up to date on Bloglovin | Follow me on Instagram | Like me on Facebook ...READ MORE
As I am now a Stockholm resident, it only seemed right that I did a post on each show I made it to during their Fashion Week. I actually had to cut my Stockholm Fashion Week diary short by a day as neighbouring Copenhagen Fashion Week overlapped with it. In between work, I managed to get to a few of the shows in my free time. Here is my roundup... ...READ MORE
Filippa K epitomises what it means to be a paired back, minimal Scandinavian fashion brand. She is the Nordics' version of Michael Kors or Stella McCartney, presenting beautiful tailored pieces and refined shapes and lines that are softened by luxurious, feminine fabrics. The brand's core values are "style, simplicity and quality", and for AW14 the designer delivered a tight collection of outerwear, tailored trousers, wool pleated skirts and roll-necks in... ...READ MORE
DAGMAR is known for looking to the Art Deco movement for colours and patterns for their collections, but for AW14 the fashion house drew inspiration from the Godfather of Cubism, Pablo Picasso. The brand has had a great year, with their AW13 line getting into prestigious multi-brand retailers such as Net-a-Porter and Harrods - if ACNE Studios paved the way for Swedish brands on an international stage, then DAGMAR will almost... ...READ MORE
MAYLA was founded in 2010 by designer Marlene Abraham, but for a comparatively young brand MAYLA is a Stockholm Fashion Week veteran. The brand is best known for their feminine silk dresses and blouses, and for being favoured by Sweden's princesses and more latterly local actresses. MAYLA's collections draw inspiration from cult-films and their heroines, last AW14 we had Hitchcock's "The Birds" and SS13 "Breakfast at Tiffany's, and for AW14 the... ...READ MORE
Cheap Monday is the brainchild of Stockholm designer Örjan Andersson, who felt that their was a gap in the market for affordable denim in Sweden. In 2005 the brand extended its offerings from jeans to full a collection of casual clothing, and in 2008 H&M bought the brand. Last season, their Stockholm Fashion Week show was the most hyped on the schedule, with artificial snow dusting the audience as ethereal models zig-zagged... ...READ MORE
If everything is hunkydory, it means everything is going fine . It's going well, but not spectacularly, nor terribly either. Hunkydory's AW14 collection exemplified the brand's name - it was a pleasant, collection of wearable pieces for a young clientele, but it hardly blew you away (nor perhaps intended to).Loosely themed around Ziggy Stardust (Bowie kept cropping up in various guises at Stockholm Fashion Week), the show was set in... ...READ MORE
I really like Carin Wester. She is a champion of the androgynous aesthetic and always presents a clean look made up of interesting shapes and distinctive prints. Every Scandi in town owns one of this seasons fox-tail print dresses, and her SS14 collection of voluminous bomber jackets, wide lapelled suit jackets and boxy shirts will inevitably be worn with equal enthusiasm. This season though, Carin Wester has elevated herself above... ...READ MORE
WHYRED market themselves as a brand that marries art, music and tailoring - like so many fashion brand these days, they've elevated themselves from "fashion brand" to "art collective", offering consumers a lifestyle in addition to clothing. The Swedish brand create collections for both sexes, often featuring unisex pieces and sharing fabrics, prints and cuts across their menswear and womenswear lines. WHYRED has had a turbulent few years, yo-yoing financially... ...READ MORE