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.

I'm off.

[Pictures: Style.com]

Introducing: Kamola SS11

When I think back, one of the best things about taking my first course at LCF was to meet all these people who would go on to do very different things in the industry after university. Kamola is one of those people. She first attended the prestigious Instituto Marangoni before moving to London and spending the last three years laying the foundations for her namesake brand and putting together her first collection for FW10.

Kamola has, since then, been brought on by On|Off at their numbernine store and showed her SS11 line. Last weekend, I was lucky enough to attend their preview where I had the rare treat of choosing what I wanted to see on the model! The collection is quite simply a breath of fresh air. Kamola has shifted from the femme noir body-con she did for winter to a very modern aesthetic based on structure. She cleverly played with angles creating interesting looks like the side-slit silk shorts paired with the asymmetric printed top. My favourite part of the collection, however, were the exquisite prints. Kamola personally handpicked them in Uzbekistan (her home country) where they are all handmade with silk. The result is extraordinary on the inside of the garments. The collection is completed with a beautiful colour palette (soft yellows, apple greens and pale pinks) and selective silks and chiffons, which play with the concept of a structured sexiness in the most contemporary manner.

Check out the rest of the SS11 collection and the FW10 line at Kamola's website.
You can buy Kamola online at Lila Boutique, Not just a label.
I'm off.

[Pictures: Kamola, soVIPzone]