LFW:
The Round Up
Well, well, well. After what could be described as a body shattering, non-stop Fresher's week (I'm a second year, but I just wanted a second round of it all. Don't judge.) I think it's safe to say that I'm all partied out and in need of a lot of green tea and the gym. My classes at university started back on Wednesday of this week with a module called Audience & Brand Experience, but before we were given the brief for it, our course tutor Cat gave us a little presentation on what we should expect to receive from and give the course as second years. Let's just say that it had me feeling incredibly guilty that I hadn't really given it much thought. And that I was seriously lacking motivation to do anything productive lately. But that isn't exactly something that I wasn't already aware of. I'm not proud of it, but it's all going to change, don't you worry.
The only downside to Fresher's week - other than the amount of money I've spent in the past 10 days - is that it coincided with the start of LFW and carried on through NYFW and MFW. So this meant that I didn't really have a lot of time to get my act together and catch the shows as they streamed online. I was feeling extremely out of the loop, but I've sorted that and now I'm ready to give you my opinion on some of the collections.
In previous seasons, I've just chosen quite a few shows and given comments as they've happened each day, but seeing as it's a little different this time round, I'm just going to choose the shows which particularly wowed me. Plus, the majority of you will have already seen most of the shows and not want a repeat of it all. Oh, and to prevent the risk of overloading you with information, I'll do each Fashion Week in a separate post; so make sure you look out for those over the course of the week. First up though, London!
Macaroon pastel shades, soft trench coats and embellished sheer fabrics; that's the trio that sums up Christopher Bailey's S/S'14 collection for Burberry Prorsum. Compared to previous seasons where we've seen hard hitting and edgy accessories to accompany our outfits, the following season see's the Burberry woman take a step back and fully embrace her femininity and inner zen. Trench coats are obviously still present (it wouldn't be Burberry without them), but in a softer and slouchier fit - you won't find a waist belt in sight. If I'm honest, I think it's refreshing and has me excited for those chilly Spring mornings where all you need is a coffee in one hand and an oversized coat on your back to fend off the weather's bite.
Dark, silky smooth opulence was the trend at the JPB show in London; with organic draping and modern shapes taking centre stage, coloured in black, white and an additional shade of baby pink. It was a little gothic, but nothing too dramatic. The exaggerated and oversized sleeves lent a little varsity feel to the looks and helped to keep it fresh. All in all, the JPB woman is going to be one to envy in London come Spring 2014.
Ah Peter Pilotto - you never disappoint, do you? Warm fiery shades of orange, yellow and red, contrasting with the other side of the collection in cool and muted greens, blue and pinks. It was a delight to watch and had me feeling a little more optimistic for Spring. Florals were present of course, but not in the obvious way like we saw in the SS'13 collections. If you're a regular follower here at VdM, then you'll know how strongly my dislike for florals in Spring is. We can think of new and innovative ideas in every other aspect of fashion, yet florals are still there when it comes to designing for Spring? Mind. Blown. I can feel myself going off on a tangent here, but the point is, Peter Pilotto did me proud with this collection. Bravo.
Brogues, buckles, laces; these were the images magnified and printed onto the SS'14 collection at Mary Katrantzou. Embellishments, lacquered layers and frilly top pieces featured heavily and for such a girly collection, I have to say I'm in love with the result. The end dress on the right of the image above is, without a doubt, my favourite piece. It's just stunning. There's no other way to explain it. The embellishments seem to be a thing for SS'14 collections in London this season, with Burberry doing something similar. Every girl loves a bit of glitz and glamour though, so I doubt anyone will be complaining about that being a trend next season. One thing the collection made me think of though, was the shape and in some ways the print on the strapless thigh-high dresses - they resemble the Alexander McQueen 1999 spray paint dress. I doubt I have to explain what I mean by this, considering that the show is probably engraved into everyone's mind if you have an inch of respect for McQueen.
Other than this though, Mary Katrantzou did a fab job designing her collection for Spring 2014 and even has me wanting to pick up a few printed pieces for next season. Who knew that could happen?
Photo Credit: vogue.co.uk - edited on Polyvore by myself here.
