The first day of London Fashion Week kicked off with an unfortunate dose of unpleasantness, a bomb went off in the London Underground. It was later confirmed to be an act of terror and it highlights the feeling of confusion we live in. Fashion in itself, especially when viewed at the higher levels of fashion week is a fantasy, an expression of art and luxury. This contrast heavily with a crude bomb being let off, injuring people and forcing us to face the grim reality that these acts have become almost common in our existing world.
As fashionistas, magazine editors, photographers and models flew into London, there was a general feeling of unrest amongst fashion’s elite. Nonetheless, the show must go on and nowhere is better at handling that with a stiff upper lip than London.
Alice Archer
At Alice Archer there was truly a great deal to lift your spirits up. Beautiful is truly the first word that came to mind when I first saw these pieces. Extraordinary was the second.
The summer collection was inspired by a trip to an organic Sicilian lemon farm.
The colours are vivid and the patterns truly come to life as though popping out of the fabrics.
The designer introduced a new technique of printing hand drawn oil paintings over her famed embroidery. Embroideries featuring cherries, strawberries, grapes and lemon are set against delicate, feminine pieces.
The effect is truly mesmerising.
Markus Lupfer
As always, Markus Lupfer provided a lovely dose of fun and charm. His woman for SS18 is the modern day super busy woman, the woman who is too busy living life to worry about mundane things like sleeping.
This woman is all about travelling and attending parties whilst looking her best of course. In these pieces, different patterns and colours live in harmony whilst monkeys swing from vines across dresses and blouses.
The sunglasses are an added playful touch to an already extravagant affair. Different colours feature across the collection, all available to be chosen according to the mood of the day.
This collection is the perfect choice for fashionistas who think fashion and life are all about fun and excitement. One thing for sure - the Markus Lupfer woman will not be bored.
MM6 Maison Margiela
The MM6 presentation had a powerful vibe, an entry into the exciting Margiela world. Models played the part of shop mannequins, sometimes abandoning their rigid posture to pose, turn or interact slightly.
The presentation was held at a large shop that was converted into a showpiece for this event. The walls were plastered with slogans, doodles and scribbles, a street take-over. The pieces present functional wear but of course, with that MM6 flair the brand is renowned for. Basic pieces take on different forms of expressions.
There is a sense of past styles being reworked and in fact, materials from the archives were repurposed and combined to create these pieces. The colour palette is mainly monochrome with some dimmed down denim pieces. Clean looks with lots of flair and purpose.
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