It’s that time of year again and with New York and London already under our belts, AW13 fashion week season is well under way. Whilst us mere mortals are desperate for an excuse to shrug off our coats right now, the fashion world is already thinking about what we’ll be wearing next winter.
With interest in British fashion at an all-time high, this season’s LFW was one of the most hotly anticipated and it didn’t disappoint, proving to the world we truly deserve our status as a ‘fashion capital’. Caroline Rush, chief executive of the British Fashion council has called it “the perfect storm”. As well as the likes of Burberry and Mulberry reigning supreme as usual, there were plenty of emerging designers flying the flag that have been getting the fashion pack very excited. Christopher Kane, for example, is the first British designer to sign a deal with luxury conglomerate PPR (Gucci, YSL) since Alexander McQueen in 2001 and his extensive collection reflected this recent move. AW13 also saw Rihanna’s first foray into design with her collection for River Island and Tom Ford’s return to the catwalk after years of showing his collection in very limited, private viewings which brought the international buyers flocking.
The Autumn-Winter collections are always opulent and luxurious with plenty of coats to die for. This season seems to be being dominated by 90s throwbacks, punk influences, masculine tailoring with a twist – rounded shoulders for example, and the idea of the ‘Hitchcockian woman.’ Traditional fabrics like plaid and wool meet metallics, fur, prints and texture – lots of it.
Unfortunately we’re not all lucky enough to be rubbing shoulders with A listers on the ‘frow’ – some of us have to a degree to study for – so here’s a quick rundown of the highlights and some of the key styles that we’ll see filtering into our favourite high street stores by next Autumn.
Mulberry
The Best of British: it’s all about making tradition feel new at Mulberry and with inspiration taken from the woodland, fabrics were rich in colour with a very autumnal feel. Capes came in the softest leather, jackets had shapely sleeves, skater skirts were worn over cropped wide legged trousers, classic checks were transferred onto metallic and mohair fabrics and there was just a little bit of fur. All in all a very feminine take on the tomboy trend.
Burberry Prorsum
‘Trench Kisses’: another iconic British brand; Christopher Bailey managed to take the classic Burberry style and yet again rework it into something completely new. Romance met safari with animal spots and heart prints appearing on shirts, coats, shoes and bags. The collection was toughened up by rivets and red patent, but the semi-transparent skirts and coats were the stand out pieces. Watch the show with live music from Tom Odell here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NuNZ2JUpYOo
Tom Ford
Despite his famous clean cut suits, there was no minimalism to be found here. Uncompromising in his clashing of colours and prints, not everyone will enjoy this. Called ‘cross-cultural and multi-ethnic’, it was bold, bright and exquisitely detailed with fur, animal spots and sequins galore.
Erdem
Increasingly appearing on the red carpets and worn by the likes of Kristen Stewart, Erdem is now a bonafide fashion force. The use of black in this collection showed a different side to his usual feminine style, and texture played a big part with velvet, feathers and sheer panelling. His florals remained and the flashes of neon reminded us it was still very much Erdem, just with a sexier, more demure twist.
Topshop Unique
Our beloved Topshop is not just seen as the student’s uniform anymore. 90s influences came in oversized silhouettes and there was a bit of a grungy edge to the whole thing. Black ruled the runway to begin with (seen a lot elsewhere too) but gave in to lighter colours. Digitalised florals, shearling, fur, fine knits and patent skirts were topped off with a dose of sequins to finish.
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One’s To Watch:
Christopher Kane
You can be sure to hear a lot more from this Central St Martins graduate in the coming years – Vogue says he’s heading for “superstardom”. His collection was eclectic and managed to be urban and tough whilst still elegant. Not sure about the camouflage though.
Rihanna for River Island
There was a lot of buzz surrounding this show and it’s sure to be a high street hit but I’m personally not sure it really delivered. The pieces were simple and wearable, with a lot of skin on show. If you want Rihanna’s wardrobe you’re in for a treat.
Felder Felder
Is a designer duo that has impressed the fashion elite this season. Vogue called it a “texture fest” and “a feast for the eyes” with a “calf-hair panelled cashmere and wool-blend trench coat… ribbed latex macs… Embossed velvet, patent-leather and quilted organza.. a boucléd-velvet trouser suit in a creamy caramel hue.”
Elsewhere Matthew Williamson and Sass and Bide brought spring colours to winter; JW Anderson (who we can get our hands on in Topshop) went clinical and Roksanda Ilincic went pink. Sister by Sibling went knit crazy; Peter Pilotto revived the Spanish Renaissance with his embroidered patterns; and Meadham Kirchoff and Giles went gothic. Take a look at vogue for full collections.
Key trends:
– Mix textures and prints from fur to latex, knits to sequins. Wear them all at once!
– Skirts are skater (trousers optional) or pencil
– Trousers are cropped and tailored
– Coats are oversized
– Florals, Metallics and Checks
– Leather still rules the roost.
– Colours to look out for: black, rich reds, yellow, light blues and pinks.