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!)

I'm off.

[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.
I'm off.

[Pictures: Laia Bonastre, Irwin & Jordan]