I always get a little nostalgic when London Fashion Week rolls around… It takes me back to the days when I lived in the jolly UK and passed by the glorious white tents and watched as the glamour-pusses made their way past the gatekeepers into the lively shows. London isn’t always getting oodles of accolades from the fashion press, with Paris, Milan, and New York reeling in the highest of accolades… But, one can’t discount the creativity of the designers who show in London. Rarely “playing it safe” these designers are noted for comingup with strange silhouettes (at times) and collections with a punk-ishfeel – but who better than the English to re-invent that signature style, since of course they started the whole punk era themselve
s.
So what about the London collections then? Color was less than prevalent with black and other somber colors ruling the catwalk. Julien Macdonald, a British fashion name stay, stuck mostly with dark ink tones and deep and subtle metal but injected a smidge of color with some emerald and cobalt pieces. Shoulders were structured, dresses were shru
nken up, slits were borderline indecent, and tops/tunics were ripped up and deconstructed. A nice added touch was a glimmering shattered mirror effect on the gown shown here! Definitely a severe collection and not for the mild mannered… This is the true taste of Julien Macdonald.
Paul Smith is another big name when it comes to British fashion. When it comes to this “King of stripes” collection I was not at all disappointed in the sheer supple-ness of the fabrics shown and the quintessential autumnal colors like rust and olive with pops of pink and turquoise that sweeten up the military-inspired deal (gee wonder where he got inspired??). Who wouldn’t want to bundle up in one of these fabulous funnel-neck collared coats? Or better yet, wrap up your legs in these phenomenal cable-knit tights that come in a full gamut of colors and look simply perfect with tie up ankle boots. What can we learn about styling from Mr. Smith?
1. Don’t be afraid to throw together “like” colors. You see here the subtle bronze pattern in the coat is made more noticeable by donning a pair of tights in a similar hue.
2. Cinch the waist. A fabric such as the one shown above could border on 
masculine, however a slim belt at the waist forms an immediate fem silhouette.
3. Pump up dark hues by interjecting a bright color. Those clunky booties are WAY more interesting with pink shoelaces (not to mention immediately more current). Don’t be afraid of color.
4. I know you’re all waiting for this one… Yes, you can mix patterns especially those in the same color family. In this instance, Mr. Smith caught my eye by throwing on a sassy leopard print muffler. Love it!
Ah! How I love the shape of this look pictured to the right. Again, the masculine undertones of the color have been juxtaposed against the most girly shape – the circle skirt, and a buttoned up cardi with fun beads at the shoulders dare I say a cheeky way of re-interpreting the sturdy golden, draped braids that make up the British military uniform? The whole of this look is punctuated again with those pesky socks – this time worn with closed-toes. On this model I think it works, however if I put this whole outfit on and gave the old anklets a whirl, my short legs would only look stumpier and no one would appreciate my stellar skirt and darling sweater because of my silly socks. Remember my fashionable fans, not always do the runway looks work for everybody. You’ll only hit the height of style if you learn what shapes work on you… You can still try out all the new trends but you MUST formulate it to your bod or it simply WILL NOT work. Cheers!
