London Fashion Week SS16

Fashion week started for me this year, with the Antipodium Fashion Week Launch party. Bloggers on the Instagram scene attended, Vice's Double Trouble girls and Jackmaster supplied the sounds, and from what I can remember, a bar bill for nearly £200 at a free bar, and a sore head as a reminder. But, it's been over a week since another fashion week has finished for now. And, it most definitely did not disappoint. Spring/Summer usually means one thing to me, lashings of colour and vibrant uses of textures.

Never one to ever disappoint, once a design assistant for Nicholas Kirkwood, Sophia Webster embodies the term colour when it comes to fashion. Her usually quirky sets are always a delight. This year, was no different. Using the ocean, and it's flora as themes, Webster portrays her aquatic vision in a mermaid laundrette. Literal splashes of pinks, blues, purples and metallics being used to make it come to life. Mermaids with and without their fishy tails, lounge about in large oyster shells, and on top of washing machines.

(Image credit - Olivia Palermo) 
(Image credit - The Upcoming
(Image credit - Olivia Palermo)
In keeping with the vibrant colours and metallics, Clio Peppiatt's sci-fi adventure is nothing short of eye-catching. Her collection reminds me of some cross between Tim Burtons 1996 Mars Attacks, and the work of Nadia Lee Cohen. Spaceship and planet motif's are dotted on the garments and fabrics range from Faux fur to leather. 

(Image credit - On/Off)
Another dazzling mentionable collection of the week undoubtably goes to Ashish. This anniversary show marks his 10th appearance at London Fashion Week. Ashish uses his recurrent show trait of using both genders to wear the garments. This trait is most noticeable with one of the male models wearing a slip dress with a naked female body printed on it. This sequinned stamped rainbow bedazzled the audience and with models on skateboards, you can really get a sense of how much fun this probably was to do.



Baby doll dresses were seen in a couple of shows. No one better who conveys the whimsical girly baby doll romantic fantasy then Molly Goddard. Her nostalgic collection featured tulle, tartan and check, and gives models with long dampened hair. Most wonderfully, the models stood in factory form making sandwiches. I do wonder what became of all the sandwiches after.

(Image credit - Chloé Le Drezen) 

Romantic fantasies were also furthered in Mary Benson's "Letters From The Darkest Corners of my Heart" collection. The Fashion East designer teamed with Morten Ussing as her design partner, and together, created a dramatic collection reeking of heartbreak, womanliness and love sickness. Chiffon and tulle textures combined with ribbon writing to convey this feeling. The use of red, black and pink really transmit the sense of passion. The surrealist inspired garments were worn by models with painted on tear drops, or Tatty Divine sunglasses featuring dangly crystal tear drops.

(Image credit - Chloé Le Drezen)
(Image credit - Serge Kerbel)

Another Fashion East designer, Caitlin Price, showcased her second show at fashion week. This South London girl really does do cool as fuck fashion. Sad that the return of her high rise thongs were not featured in this collection, block colours on this luxurious activewear did not fail to impress. Again, cool as fuck. Leave it at that.

(Image credit - Polyester)
(Image credit - ASOS)


The last in my pick of fashion week collections, is the sister brand of Maison Margiela. The gender neutral show of MM6 by Maison Martin Margiela saw clashing textures combined with contemporary fabrics to produce a sort of 70s glam rock display. Notable garments include a bum bag worn as a top, and thigh high sequin platforms. There is almost a impression that the outfits fabulously put together from the dress up box. Playful, youthful, innovative.





Selgascano Exhibition @ The Serpentine Pavillion

I'm not the best with children, I have the maternal behaviour of a rock. I'm the type of awkward person who reacts to a child pulling at the hem of your top, presumably wanting to play or something, and your basic instinct is to pat them on the head like a dog. But by some miracle last Friday, I managed a day out with two of them.

The Selgascano Exhibition at the Serpentine Pavillion in Hyde Park was the choice of destination. The pavilion was created by two trained architects and multi-award winning, José Selgas and Lucía Cano. This quirky designs boasts some amazing colours, and can be best seen in the bright light of day. It also keeps children entertained, with its various entrances and maze like walls.

The venue is there until late October. Do try and catch this spectacular design.

Selgascano - Serpentine Pavillion







The Photographers' Gallery: We Want More

Across two floors in The Photographers Gallery, go and immerse yourself in asking what is contemporary music photography? 

Curated by Diane Smyth, this summer exhibition examines the importance of photography and image making in 21st century music culture across advancing digital technologies, and the relationship between the photographer, the musicians and the fans.

In the fast-advancing field of music photography and image making, digital media can be thanked for the ever changing ways to create and share these. Some photographers are choosing to visually set themselves apart in the contemporary music scene. The exhibition, which supports the music industry, focuses on the dynamics of that. It includes both personal and commercial projects commissioned by the musicians, record labels or publications. These projects are displayed through the various platforms of magazine covers, videos with headphones provided, GIFs on iPads, framed and unframed works.

 The exhibitions varied content is shown across two floors. Firstly, through the performing artists. Where a rigid system once existed for photographers to adhere to certain publications demands, it is now musicians who seek to become involved and creatively collaborate with a photographer who can visually capture the essence of their music. Entering the room, you are greeted face on by four massive Inez van Lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matadin’s portraits of Lady Gaga, shot for her two day ArtRave event in 2013. The portraits range from light and angelic to dark, and chilling. Four much smaller portraits by Ryan Enn Hughes are presented on four iPads of an inconspicuous Katy Perry. Each iPads GIF shows four different costumed characters shot on set of a music video which was based on a child's birthday party. Another example of this musician and photographer bond can be seen in Jason Evans’ dedication to shooting Thom Yorke and Radiohead publicity images from 2001 to 2008. Not only imagery for promotional purposes, Dan Wilton’s 2012 series Stop Eht captures the intimate moments offstage of American indie band The Bots on a small tour of Europe.

Secondly, taking you up a floor, the exhibition shifts perspective, and is shown through through the fans themselves. The intimate works are presented through prints of fans taking on their idols persona, seen in James Mollinson’s capturing of Lady Gaga fans outside a concert in 2011, which is part of his extreme fandom series The Disciples shot over three years. Similarly, Lorena Turner’s The Michael Jacksons, deliberately mimics the publics need to imitate the celebrity form. 

The intimate projects from Gareth McConnell colourfully distorted Ibiza images and Ewen Spencer’s raw UK Garage shots focuses on the crowd caught in the euphoric moments of the music, whilst Deirdre O’ Callaghan of Dazed and Confused snaps drummers engrossed in rehearsals.


An added bonus to the exhibition which finishes on September 20th, is DAZED’s contribution to the Eranda Studio on the Gallery’s third floor. Find a seat in one of the twelve reclining Natuzzi armchairs with foot rests, and enjoy some of the most stand out music videos projected on a screen, handpicked by eleven of the most impressive video directors today. These awe-inspiring music videos shown stir emotions and provoke thoughts, a perfect accompaniment to this visual pop culture feast.

~ Full article on Lurve Magazine available here.


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