D&G Menswear A/W 2011/12
Posted by in Follow The Buyers | Front Row: Contemporary Designers - (Comments Off)Domenico Dolce & Stefano Gabbana obviously have a lot of fun designing their D&G line. Back at il Metropol for the second time this week, the historic home of Dolce & Gabbana shows was given a sportier, more casual feel as the lacquered black catwalk had been replaced with a wooden one that gave the venue a more relaxed atmosphere. During the show we were treated to some of fashions newest up and coming faces strutting down the catwalk thus emphasising the youthful feel of the collection. Collegiate jackets and a kind of preppy finish to the looks was matched with long rise skinny trousers to giving them an american inspired colleague look, emphasised by the Coca Cola logo print and chunky headphones. The melange of candy colours and pounding sound track further drove home the two themes and made for entertaining viewing as Domenico Dolce himself said, the collection was all about “sex and fun”! Which could definitely be seen from almost every angle of the Metropol at this bright show full of blocks of bold colours.
Our womenswear buyer Silvano headed to Zurich last weekend to nominate who he thought should be the lucky winner of the internationally renowned Swiss Textiles Award. With 100,000 Euro in prize money up for grabs, the competition was strong as we’ve been looking through the amazing pictures that he brought back from the show!
The award focuses on international talents that have already had a couple of years experience but are still “up and coming” therefore the prize money can really help some of the industries hottest young talents get the funding they so desperately need in order to grow and expand their business. Previous winners have included Raf Simons, Marios Schwab and last year it was the turn of New York It boy Alexander Wang…stay tuned to see who we liked and loved from the show!
Ooh DSquared what can we say….we love our androgyny with a few sequins too! Soon to be arriving on BUY IT FIRST, we can’t wait!
Happy Birthday from the Roberto Cavalli Show!
Posted by in Follow The Buyers | Follow The Buyers Milan - (Comments Off)Happy 40th Anniversary Roberto Cavalli! No one does the rock infused, boho glam with quite the Italian edge that you have and we would like to congratulate you on a wonderful 40 years of head turning prints that keep fashionistas in the front row coming back for more each season.
We couldn’t resist reminiscing a little about the unique space that NewGen (the Bristish Fashion Council and Topshop’s initiative to support new talent) used to host the shows of some of London’s most exciting up and coming designers. Mary Katrantzou, Michael Van Der Ham, Richard Nicoll and Meadham Kirchoff all used the old Eurostar platform at Waterloo station to show their exciting new collections. From the little breakfast bar in the morning to the champagne and canapés in the evening, we loved the space and attention to detail…especially the stewards in utility jumpsuits and the little golf buggy used to carry weary feet up the ramps to the platform/runway. The space was manipulated by each designer to give it a personal feel from Richard Nicoll’s heady perfume spritz to the pink feathered wonderland of Meadham Kirchoff. With natural light streaming in through the enormous glass wall and a view of some of the surrounding industrial buildings complimenting the space perfectly, the venue encapsulated the energy of a new, young London that is ultimately one of the key factors that keeps buyers, journalists and fashionistas coming back to the capital every season.
It was her first solo showing on the London fashion week stage, and Mary Katrantzou delivered, with the precision and poise of a veteran star.
Katrantzou has made herself a name in the use of hyper-real symmetrical prints, fitted around neat little dresses more often than not. It was the same story for the Spring Summer 2011 collection, yet this time around Katrantzou expanded her repertoire into sharp trousers, structured skirts, trim shorts and chic jackets, all emblazed and embellished with prints of interiors and the work of Guy Bourdin and Helmut Newton.
The result was spectacular. With table tops and window bays; chair legs and floral arrangments encasing the body and opening our perspective. It was beautiful and controlled, soaked in a colour palette of phenomenal harmony.
Mary had the entire room in her capable hands.
By Scott Stephenson
Richard Nicoll’s Sensational Summer 2011
Posted by in Follow The Buyers | Follow the Buyers London - (Comments Off)
Tapping into the senses, Richard Nicoll went straight to the one that is perhaps most neglected at a fashion show: smell. Loaded with two bottles of eau du parfum, one in each hand, a man plumed the line of the runway with a deep aromatic scent. Leaving a subtle note for the models that followed to glide through and disperse.
For Spring Summer 2011 Nicoll turned to “minimal glamour, cautious celebration and the emergence from a period of darkness” as the linchpin of an incredibly bewitching collection. The sense of sight was satisfied with lean lines, approachable transparency (top marks!) and a minx-like movement; all of which were framed in the last light of the setting sun outside.
Through a controlled mix of pleated organza frills, lightweight boucle wools, cool cottons and silk chiffon one got an instant sense of a privileged touch, without any over-indulgence, that so often follows fashion at this level.
Jean Young kept the sense of sound occupied with a smooth mix of rolling music, to which each model walked in pace with.
And apart from the h’ordeuvres and champagne on arrival, our sense of taste was satisfied in the thought that this devouringly delicious collection is a just a taste of what’s to come upon getting the experience to actually wear it.
By Scott Stephenson
Vivienne Westwood Red Label Spring/Summer 2011
Posted by in Follow The Buyers | Follow the Buyers London - (Comments Off)There was a media circus at Vivienne Westwood’s Red Label show as Pamela Anderson was ushered inside. She joined Cat Deeley and Victoria Hervey front row as Erin O’Connor and Hilary Alexander struggled to find their seats before the show started. With a mind bending sound track the models – including it girl Daisy Lowe – stomped the runway with tribal painted faces in an array of clashing prints that ranged from the african inspired to tartan and sequined 70s disco! Everything, however, had the unmistakable Westwood touch with deconstructed shapes and cuts, quirky clutch bags and multi coloured brogues to match!
Fashion Fringe Winner Announced
Posted by in Follow The Buyers | Follow the Buyers London - (Comments Off)
Joining the likes of Erdem and Basso & Brooke, Corrie Nielson was voted winner of Fashion Fringe on Saturday night as new co-chair John Galliano came on stage with founder Collin McDowell to announce the winner of the coveted prize that provides funding and support for new designers….Congratulations Ms Nielson!