Meet Peggy

I was lucky to have made it to the Kinder Aggugini show this season in London. They had chosen a beautiful yet reduced venue, which was crammed. Luckily for me, I found a friend who couldn't make it to the show and I was happy again. Kinder is one of my favourite designers showing in London because I always love how he manages to create refined collections that still transpire his rebelliousness. For fw11 he said to be inspired by early 50's French fashion and Japanese designers of the 80's. As a result the collection made a point of juxtaposing from-hugging garments with sculptured jackets and coats, which created very interesting silhouettes. My favourite item was a cashmere mix coat dyed in a type of yellow degradé that seemed almost unfinished and had details, such as the gathered neck and the drawstring, which reminded me of sportswear or parkas.

As he did last season, Kinder commissioned hats from the genius Stephen Jones. This time they were sort of mini versions of top and fedora hats made of red, blue and green plastic and accompanied by veils. Once again, a great fusion of traditional and contemporary style (or "the fictitious marriage of Coco Chanel and Sid Vicious", as he described himself). There was also a rather elegant punk reference throughout most of the show, which, again, contrasted with the sparkly heels cuffed at the ankle that might have easily belonged to Dorothy.

I'm off.

[Pictures: soVIPzone, Style.com]

London's strongest new-comer

On Tuesday night I was one of the lucky few to attend the Thomas Tait fw11 show. And I mean lucky not only because I was invited but because I got to see closely a great designer in the making and his creations. In a charming hidden away venue in the heart of London the Canadian designer, who recently finished his MA at Central Saint Martins was won this year's Dorchester Prize, showed a collection that was as minimalist in cut as it was intricate in cut. It is said of Tait that he doesn't use shortcuts to make real his vision. Instead, he spends long periods of time focusing on impeccable pattern cutting. This showed in the architectural shapes of skirts, which combined folded wool and pleated silk, and the coats that filled the attendee's mouths after the show. I was also particularly taken away by the backless night gowns, which revealed a pleated trail so dynamic it seemed to have life of its own, and the shoes —suede slippers and ankle boots and minimal leather stilettos cuffed at the ankle.

I couldn't help but to think of Napoleonic clothing. Tait seemed to have taken 18th century France as inspiration and approached it from an avant-garde tailoring point of view. The colour palette reminded me of Céline's hit FW11 collection, as Tait restricted himself to black, navy blue, ivory and white.
Have a look at my video of the finale below. The clothes are even more stunning in movement. (And, for a spot of fun, have a look at the pictures on Style.com, I am in the background on the left!)

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[Pictures: Style.com]

Burberry Prorsum fw11

It is probably fair to say that Burberry's show during each London Fashion Week is the highlight of the event. That's not to say everyone else isn't as good but no show is as big and covered as Burberry Prorsum. For fw11 Christopher Bailey chose a new venue in Kensington Gardens. If you attended or watched the show online you were probably as amazed as I was with how beautiful the park looked even on a grey rainy day. To compensate for this Burberry delivered a collection mostly based on coats. Bailey has clearly realised the power he acquired over outerwear when he became the king of shearling and he's not going to let go easily. This time he reinterpreted the trench in thick woollen fabrics and and bold shades of orange and cherry red as well as the brand's iconic checks. The collection was very much in line with the menswear shown in Milan a month ago . We also saw exquisite white jackets and coats covered in rabbit fur and tied to at the waist with leather bows. It was a softer more gentle collection than last winter's yet it retained that feeling of empowerment that wearing a Burberry coat gives.

As it could be expected, plenty of celebrities turned up to watch the show from the incredibly long front row. I was, of course, thrilled to see Rachel Bilson and Kate Bosworth arrive. I wasn't too keen on Bilson's long Burberry anorak for the event but she'll have to be excused, for she lives in ever-sunny LA. Bosworth, on the other hand, casually strolled in and posed for pictures in an unbelievable gold studded pencil skirt accompanied by that biker jacket we all want watching the colour of the skirt. She was, as I see it, the best dressed of the event. Even outdoing Lily Donaldson and Alexa Chung. The last attendee to report was, of course, Anna Wintour. Being a Brit at heart, she could hardly miss this!

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[Pictures: Courtesy of Buberry]

LFW fw11: Print Heaven

It makes me excited to see so many good collections being talked, blogged and tweeted about. London has been reclaiming its place in fashion ever since the return of Burberry and it seems to me that this season is making clear the city's got its place back. Jonathan Saunders was probably the one collection I was most disappointed not to have tickets to. His fw11 line was all about contrasting the traditional and the innovative. The classic prints were remade into cool and exciting graphic motifs for the silk skirts and shirts, which came in bold combinations of tangerine, turquoise and neon green. I loved how the two combined made the classic pencil skirts and blouses dynamic and fresh. Saunders also introduced menswear this season, which was also very much talked about. Read more about that soon on Fashion, Frankly.

And it seems prints are the trend in London. Also on Saturday, Clements Ribeiro showed their extremely interesting take on prints. The design duo, who, if you care for some gossip, are also a couple in real life, focused on the fusion of prints rather than on the variety. I found very intriguing how they managed to create a kind of degradé between a leopard and a more traditional brocade pattern and then back to leopard again, all of it trimmed with ultramarine blue silk. I love how designers are starting to use technology more and more to create new ways of doing print. And I loved how Clements Ribeiro made a point out of their prints, leaving their clothes in a slightly secondary role.

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[Pictures: Style.com]

LFW day 1: Paul Costelloe

On Friday morning I rose early to attend the Paul Costelloe show, which opened the fw11 season in London. The strong 70's influence was combined with heritage elements of British clothing the likes of tweed and checked wools. These were coloured in bright metallic greens and pinks as well as the odd mustard, orange and gold. Costelloe's was a very playful collection that fit right into the city's fashion sense and opened way for a week of exciting shows.
Have a look at the whole collection here.

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Drape me for the summer

During the last London Fashion Week there were a few shows Giulia and I attended and really enjoyed but never had the time to post about. Krystof Strozyna is one of them. This Central Saint Martins graduate won the Harrods Design Award in 2007, the same year he finished his studies in the famous uni. The award allowed him to display his collection at Harrods, exposing his work to the press, which gladly received it and promptly featured it in countless editorials. His SS11 collection coincided with the launch of his diffusion line —Krystof. Both collections share the designer's signature sculptural lines, chunky wooden jewellery and the search for a modern and understated elegance. For his main line, an overall muted colour palette was illuminated by neon violets, greens and fuchsias and a modern, almost futuristic take on flower and animal prints. The draping of chiffons and silks was exceptionally well done and contrasted beautifully with the raw-looking lace that made up skirts, dresses and leggings.

I couldn't find pictures from the diffusion line (apart from those on my lookbook) but I encourage you to keep a look out for it. It has an incredible range of day-to-night dresses in nude and black featuring Strozyna's famous drapery as well as some very versatile minimalistic separates. Enjoy our video of the main line finale!

Check out the rest of our LFW SS11 videos here.
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[Pictures: Krystof Strozyna, lottie-loo.blogspot.com, blog.krisatomic.com]

LFW memories

It was only about a week ago but it seems as if London Fashion Week was ages ago. One of the best things about the whole experience was getting to bump into old friends. Tala (from MyFashDiary) was amongst those. All three of us shared our first year in London at LCF together some two years ago. It's nice to see that as we grow inside this insane industry you still come across familiar faces that keep you sane. Do check Tala's blog, her LFW coverage is exceptional!

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[Picture property of soVIPzone]

Icebreaker

As we waited outside the venue in the Freemason's Hall, Giulia, Tala (from MyFashDiary.com) and I kept wondering what the Masha Ma SS11 show would be like but we also reiterated how promising the collection seemed to us from just a few images we had seen beforehand. The line self-proclaimed itself as a new way of dressing up that put the focus on the look rather than on separates while still giving each of them its own practicality.
If anything, the collection made a point of white being self-sufficient despite the odd smoky print, the dashes of silver and strokes of nude and baby blue. The designer's cutting skills were proved excellent by creating the most interesting shapes and layered compositions that showed a futuristic vision less subtle than announced. Cropped and sculptured fitted skirts were paired up with loose fitting silk shirts and tops.

Giulia and I were enamoured by the silver cropped trousers of slashed pockets and the printed sheer blouse that became a trail at the back, belted in silver over a white pencil skirt. Enjoy our video of the finale. We can't wait to see what's in store from Masha Ma for FW11.

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[Pictures: Christopherdadey.com]

mal d'Afrique

Last night I was lucky enough to attend the SS11 Kinder Aggugini show. I first found out about him very randomly when his last summer collection came out and I was instantly attracted to his strong tailoring skills, his use of prints and his intelligent quirkiness. As I sat in the BFC show space of Somerset House going through the press release I became even more excited. The SS11 collection was announced to be inspired by 'Travels in the Interior Disctricts of Africa', the travel diary of a Scottish explorer, Mungo Park, in his journey through Africa. And Aggugini delivered. The first looks, three piece Saville Row linen looks gradually gave way to flashes of animal prints and eventually culminated in one-piece printed silk crepes. A representation of Mungo Park's journey from being a mere British colonialist to becoming part of Africa.

I particularly loved the black linen dresses with the degradé leopard details, the tiny blue cheetah prints, and the Stephen Jones hats made of cardboard and plastic but that suited the vibe of the collection completely and which looked surprisingly chic.
The music, a kind of rocky version of traditional African songs and the African inspired 'I want candy' version for the finale kept people moving to the beat and rounded up the best show I have seen at LFW so far.

To make the whole experience even more perfect, I got a third row seat by some very elegant Italian ladies (thank you to the Kinder Aguggini people!). As the show was about to start the ever magnificent Anna dello Russo walked in (cherry hair-do included) and so I made it my goal to run up to her at the end of the show and take a picture. This is the (blurry) result. What a perfect experience!

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[Pictures: Style.com, my own]

LFW Day 3 - What we wore

Today was a much more relaxing day. We only had a fashion show (Masha Ma, post to come) and a fashion presentation and then it's nothing until 8.30 this evening when I'll have the pleasure of attending the amazing Kinder Aggugini show! Can't wait. This is what we wore today. It seemed to go down quite well with everyone as many pictures were taken and we were interviewed for ELLE Korea's website. Hope you guys like it as well.

Iñaki -Tom Ford sunglasses, Folk shirt, Adolfo Domínguez parka, YSL belt, Acne jeans, Carolina Herrera shoes.

Giulia -Top Shop boutique jacket, Uniqlo top, Zara skirt, Castañer wedges; YSL ring, Chanel bag.

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Minimalism In London

Yesterday morning (9am on a Saturday) I went to Somerset House for the Daks SS11 show. After queuing for a bit and happily find out that I could actually take (quite a good) seat the models started coming out. Light weight garments in crisp whites and dashes of mustard fit in perfectly in the brand's concept of a British traveller traveling through India. The minimalist clothes, very much in the line of what we saw in New York, mixed the masculine and the feminine -pleated skirts and prominent shorts with boyfriend jumpers and maxi dresses made like a men's shirt. An elegant and timeless collection that went perfectly with London's morning sunshine.

Later that day Giulia and I were supposed to attend the Osman show but were unable to because of lack of organisation, which was a shame. The collection, also in the same of simplicity we spoke of before, relayed almost completely on the shape. Trapeze dresses and tops, circular tails and some really good classic tailoring of straight lines. The colour palette went from earthy linens to muted neon silks but progressively gave way to more black. All in all, a modern with a tiny bit of drama and a stroke of elegance.

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[Pictures: Vogue.co.uk]

LFW Day 2 - What we wore

Today was really intense! Mostly because we had quite a few shows to go to and because we missed a lot of them due to the monumental lack of planning when sending out invites. But he had a good day. It started with the (great) Daks show, about which you'll see a post tomorrow, and the British weather smiled on us in the shape of sunshine. This is what we wore today.

Iñaki -Zara blazer, H&M shirt, Adolfo Domínguez tie, Uniqlo trousers, Massimo Dutti desert boots, Louis Vuitton folder.

Giulia -Miu Miu coat, Zara dress, Miu Miu shoes, Chanel bag.

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LFW Day 1 - What we wore

Giulia and I are finally back in London! We said a quick ciao in Milan on Wednesday but we properly caught up today for the kick-off of London Fashion Week. Alas, our lack of sleep made us miss Paul Costelloe and Maria Grachvogel but we will have a look at them online. We'll be reporting as much as we can starting tomorrow.
We have realised we rarely show you pictures of ourselves so to celebrate that it's fashion week (our version of Christmas) we'll post the pictures of what we wear every day to the shows. This is day 1.

Giulia - Top Shop boutique jacket, Ella Moss dress, Castañer wedges, Chanel bag.

Iñaki - Zara jacket, Uniqlo shirt, Zara trousers, COS shoes, YSL bag.

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Bring on LFW

With fashion month approaching I can't but start getting excited. Especially about the SS11 shows that will take place in London. I always enjoy LFW because everything feels so fresh and different from any other fashion week. These are the designers that surprised me the most or that I simply loved last season and whose spring lines I can't wait to see. Who are you dying to see?

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[Pictures: Style.com]

Introducing: Irwin & Jordan

Last London Fashion Week, Laia (the beautiful girl in the header) and I paid a visit to the LFW showrooms at Somerset House. We were surprised by how boring most collections were and quickly decided to leave led by disappointment. As we did, a few camel and grey pieces caught my attention from inside a room labeled 'Irwin & Jordan'. It turned out to be a very young British brand which defines itself very aptly as a mixture of "Savile Row tailoring, contemporary cuts and heritage fabrics". Their FW10 collection is, in fact, all of that. Jersey, leather and lace mix with unbelievable tailoring and beautiful silk creating very interesting juxtapositions. The restricted colour palette makes the line cohesive but doesn't limit diversity. Nudes, greys, camel and black are mixed the odd navy and metallics to, again, create super interesting results.

My favourite pieces were the amazing grey suit on the right (make it for men, please), the lace pieces and the grey jersey dress with the leather front that I'm holding at the bottom left. Laia and I also loved the metallic sequinned tunic I seem so amused about. We emulated all the I die's and it's perfection's Giulia would have screamed had she seen a piece so her.

Check out their awesome SS10 collection on their website for more comfortable edgy clothes where you can purchase them as well.
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[Pictures: Laia Bonastre, Irwin & Jordan]

London showrooms

It seems Emma Watson was not the only one that had slipped into a dress from a season ahead at NYC's London Showrooms event this week. Amongst the SS10 Marios Schawb's and Preen's I found one of the Erdem that we featured earlier on soVIPzone along with one of the cool art deco-inspired Holly Fulton dresses that we also adored from LFW. But it was one of those cool orangy-brown Peter Pilotto dresses that truly put a smile on my face; specially after yesterday's post. It's kind of exciting to see so many pieces being worn ahead of time but at the same time it worries me because this speeds up the pace of fashion even more. I'm pretty sure wearing seasonal clothes is still pretty fashionable. Or at least it should be.

'

[Pictures: Style.com, Vogue.co.uk]

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London Highlights

London fashion week seemed like a reaction to NYFW. New York was pleasing and the renowned names delivered but American fashion tends to be rather homogeneous. London is anything but. For FW10 many designers chose to morph their signature styles into unaccustomed looks that resulted in very a refreshing variety (Note how Matthew Williamson refrained from making glitzy garments). soVIPzone's favourites (Antonio Berardi, Marios Schwab and Christopher Kane) were far from disappointing. My legs still wobble at the sinuous lines of Schwab and Giulia is still gasping for air after Berardi's peek-a-boo lace and Kane's embroidered leather. Peter Pilotto surprised me, there is something commercial yet fascinating about his clothes and the way he uses fabric. I was baffled by how much I enjoyed Holly Fulton's pop-art-deco prints. I'm not a big graphic print fan, you see. Who were your favourites?

[Pictures: Style.com]

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the three Burberry musts

I know these are tough times we live in but I can't help but say it again: Burberry was a tad disappointing. If any of you remember this menswear collection when you watched the show today, you know what I mean. There were plenty of beautiful coats and jackets but I wasn't surprised or moved or even disgusted. It was rather unoriginal to create two identical collections for men and women, no matter how the inspiration might be the same. But I still love Bailey and there were three specific aspects about his collection that really captivated me.

1. Chunky cropped jackets - Shearling is all the rage for FW10 and I get the feeling we're going to be seeing a lot of these jackets in a few months time. Did anyone else notice Mary-Kate's big smile when she saw the first of these?

2. Sexy orthopaedic shoes - Models seemed to be struggling with the booties a couple of times but these Burberry shoes look as cool as they look tough. I smell loads of Jak & Jill.

3. General fluffiness - It amazed me how many visually pleasing textures can been achieved without using fur. I just wanted to stroke the model's arms. (Sorry if it sounds somehow pervy).

[Screen captures from live.burberry.com]

Did you like Burberry?

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voler pour Hakaan

Sometimes the meaning of a certain act isn't defined by the act itself but for its subject. This was the case of the Roitfelds' flying directly from NYC to London only for the Hakaan show. As an objective fact it could be considered one of many diva moments during fashion week. But looking at the collection it becomes only obvious why Carine and Julia wouldn't miss this show for the world. I can proudly announce that the Hakaan FW10 collection is soVIPzone's LFW favourite so far. Take a look at what we'd love to see on the famous Rédactrice en chef and her beautiful fille.

[Picture credits: Style.com, Vogue.com]

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Britishness flash

I know for a fact that if I said I am not big on celebrity Vogue covers many people would give me their nods in agreement. But this is not such time. I saw Alexa Chung on the cover of the March issue of British Vogue and I somehow could not come up with a consistent complaint or any obvious flaws. On the contrary, her casual coolness (or reality chic, as Vogue likes to call it) brings in a freshness that we haven't seen in many months by injecting a more contemporaneous feel that escapes the tacky pastel covers. (Also, check her out on the Pepe Jeans ads, where she looks freakishly like Anja Rubik's evil twin).

Following the like of fashionable Britishness, I was glad to read (also on British Vogue —they were on fire today) that many LFW shows will be streamed live. Woop! Click here for the whole fashion week schedule and get your pens ready for some heavy reviewing. Giulia and I are still trying to be the physically but nothing is yet confirmed. I am pretty excited about Bailey this season, don't ask me why. I can't wait for the 23rd!

[Pictures credit: Vogue.com]

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