Mary Katrantzou Showcase at LFW

Last night my boyfriend and I attended an exclusive Mary Katrantzou showcase at Somerset House. He very sweetly said he would come with me seeing as it was Valentine's Day & I love fashion. Vodafone hosted the event on the eve of London Fashion Week as a thank you to some of their lucky customers, and they certainly put on a good show!

I wasn't really sure what to expect before we got to Somerset House, as the only information we got in advance was that it would be a Mary Katrantzou showcase, the location, and the time. When we arrived it became clear that the showcase would be taking place in the British Fashion Council courtyard space, and that we'd be sitting in the same very seats that the fashion elite would be sitting in over the next five days. 

The event was introduced by Caroline Rush - Chief Executive of the British Fashion Council. She quite rightly praised Katrantzou for her innovative, gorgeous designs, and neatly described that the showcase would display Katrantzou's SS12 and AW12 collections, interspersed with a video from Mary, and a peek backstage to see the hair and makeup crews special secrets. Now, I must admit, I was a little disappointed not to be seeing a fashion exclusive, but it wouldn't have made sense for Vodafone customers to see Katrantzou's new collection before the industry specialists. I was just very grateful to be watching another fashion show where I could try to absorb all possible information and experiences. 

During the video of Katrantzou in her East London workshop, she was describing her collections that were shown, and even though the collections had been seen before, it was fascinating to hear her speak about her work. She is obviously incredibly passionate about her work, sassily describing her SS12 collection "nature versus nuture... tulips and under the sea vs manmade metallics", and her AW12 collection as "taking something mundane and turning it into the basis for evening wear". Here are my favourite looks from each collection:

SS12

AW12

Not only were the designs fantastic (although my favourite Katrantzou collection so far is her SS13 one), but Vodafone did make a real effort to make their customers feel like Vodafone VIPs. On arrival we were handed a glass of prosecco, and at each seat was a Mulberry designed LFW tote bag with a special Nails Inc. LFW nail varnish inside, along with Label.M dry shampoo. 

Unfortunately I didn't manage to get a great shot of my outfit, but I wore a Topshop marine blue and black print dress, an orange Zara coat, navy suede heels from M&S, along with my favourite Links necklace. Please excuse the dodgy red eye adjustments on the photograph!

Below is a better picture of the dress I wore, and you can get it here for just £26! I'm definitely going to try and get a few better snaps of my outfit for the Issa AW13 show tomorrow - I just get a little camera shy!

Last night was really great for getting more experience being at the side of the catwalk, & I really hope I get the opportunity to see many more shows - I've definitely got the bug! I'm aware that last night's showcase was equally a treat for Vodafone customers as it was a dress rehearsal for the BFC courtyard space. 

LFW got off to a great start today, and I was particularly impressed with Zoe Jordan's collection (she officially opened LFW) - it was fun, wearable, and very marketable. Tomorrow I am of course very much looking forward to attending the Issa AW13 show with my beautiful Aunty, but I'll also be keeping a very close eye on the David Koma show in the evening, as I was lucky enough to see his SS13 show in September. You can read that post here! And of course, I am far too excited to see Katrantzou's new collection on Sunday!

Happy LFW everyone! I really hope that you enjoy it as much as I intend to!

Love Lucy x

Pre-London Fashion Week Hype

LFW has nearly arrived! Only two more sleeps until the fashion elite descend on the capital and make their judgement on what our British based designers have to offer the fashion world. I for one am far too excited! Although I'm not an experienced enough blogger to be part of the LFW "press" (although this didn't stop me from at least trying to get a Press Pass!) - I have once again hit lucky in some of the Vodafone VIP LFW competitions. I really hardly ever win anything, but for this fashion week I am extremely lucky to have won tickets for an exclusive pre-LFW Mary Katrantzou showcase (my boyfriend has been wonderful in agreeing to come with me on Valentine's Day!), and then the Issa AW13 show on Saturday evening.

I really can't wait to go to Mary Katrantzou's showcase tomorrow night. Her SS13 collection was her most exciting yet - more commercial but still with her wonderfully unique explosions of pattern and colour. I am intrigued to see where she's going to go next, and I wish her Sunday show was being streamed live, but alas, I shall have to wait!

I am equally as excited for the Issa show, and have been a huge fan of Daniella Heylal ever since Kate Middleton wore that dress in her engagement announcement photographs with Prince William. I'm interested to see how Daniella can mix it up whilst keeping her signature style of gorgeously feminine fitted dresses. 

Other shows that I'm eagerly awaiting are: Felder Felder, PPQ, David Koma, Mulberry, Temperley London, Unique, Christopher Kane, Erdem, Burberry Prorsum, Anya Hindmarch, Meadham Kirchhoff, and Ashish. Luckily quite a few of these shows are being streamed live; have a look at the LFW schedule to see exactly which ones: www.londonfashionweek.co.uk If you're favourite shows aren't being streamed, then your next best option is to keep a close eye on the Vogue website, as they show each outfit of each show, and write short but sweet reviews about each collection: www.vogue.co.uk

Which shows are you going to/most looking forward to? 

Love Lucy x

Fashion Forward 2013

The British Fashion Council is one of the most supportive in the fashion industry. They are keen to foster talented UK based designers, who might not otherwise make it in a tough industry. Each year they award three designers a "Fashion Forward" grant to enable them to develop their collections and to establish themselves within the fashion world. Previous womenswear recipients of the grant include Erdem, Meadham Kirchhoff, and Mary Katrantzou - all of whom are continuing to wow the industry. This year's winners were announced on Thursday, and I must say that I'm incredibly excited about one particular recipient: David Koma.

Those of you who have read my blog since September will know that I attended the David Koma SS13  show at London Fashion Week. If you'd like to see my entry about the show then have a look: London Fashion Week: David Koma SS13

His SS13 was a truly stunning collection. His trademark contouring was perfection, his theme was energetic, and his colours bold. He is a designer that plays with shapes and structure, and this innovation has made him a truly deserved recipient of the BFC Fashion Forward grant. To see Vogue's photographs of his SS13 collection, click on the following link: www.vogue.co.uk

The BFC are obviously supportive of his work, and here are a few of my guesses as to why:

SS10

AW10

SS11

AW11

SS12

AW12

SS13

His collections have all been eccentric and exciting, however his SS13 was the most marketable yet. So with the Fashion Forward grant who knows where he could go next? Unfortunately, I don't think I'll be lucky enough to make it to the AW13 show, but I'll definitely be keeping a very close eye on the collection.

I wish David, and the other two recipients - Holly Fulton and Michael Van Der Ham - all the best of luck for their AW13 shows. 

What do you think David Koma's future holds?

Love Lucy x

London Fashion Week: David Koma SS13 courtesy of Vodafone VIP

Today I was fortunate enough to attend the David Koma SS13 show at the prestigious Somerset House in London. I was lucky to win a pair of tickets through Vodafone VIP - as I am not (yet) blogging royalty this was one of the few ways I was ever going to see a show at London Fashion Week!

Somerset House is the heart of LFW, and I could feel fashion pulsing through its veins as I walked through the Strand Entrance. Bright colours, vertiginous heels, and eclectic fashion lovers busily buzzed around the gorgeous courtyard, all desperate to breath in every particle of the fashionable air! Gushing as this paragraph my seem, this is truly how Somerset House feels during LFW, and it is clear to see why London is often thought of as the fashion capital of the world.

Skirt: Topshop

Top: Zara

Belt: Viyella

Cape: F&F (bargain!)

Bag: Dooney and Bourke

Sunglasses: Ray-Ban

Shoes: Boutique in Islington, London

I did feel as though I should have been braver in my fashion choices for the day, and if there is a next time I will definitely try a more exciting outfit! Although, I do love my shoes!

My prize included exclusive access to the Vodafone VIP lounge, where we were treated to nibbles, champagne, watching David Koma's show from a VIP viewing platform, and the opportunity to chat to Colomba Giacomini (one of the hottest stylists around).

Pre-show my companion and I nabbed the chance to talk with Colomba. I was with my boyfriend's Mum, and Colomba complimented her on the gorgeous coat she was wearing - describing it as 'very Stella'! Big style points! She asked Colomba what she would suggest for women who were slightly older, and was delighted to find that she was spot on by going for a simple palette, such as black, and then adding one statement piece to set off the look. For a girl of my age she suggested that I could be more bold, perhaps trying out the clashing print trend that can often be difficult to pull off. But most encouragingly she revealed that next season is less about trends and more about colour, prints, and textured material, such as brocade. She was also refreshingly human when she said that it doesn't matter if you wear something that doesn't quite work, after all it is only one day of your life, and there is always tomorrow!

Now for the show! 

David Koma is a Central St. Martins graduate - one of their finest. He burst onto the fashion scene after graduating in 2009, and being awarded the Harrod's Design Award for his graduate collection. His collections have always celebrated and explored the female form, and he has become known for his contouring and sculpting. It can possibly be said that his previous collections are very 'fashion' and not so 'commercial', however, although SS13 saw his signature structured pieces, this time it was possible to see his catwalk creations walk straight into the shops.

The feeling before the show was expectant; this is a designer who always places so much time and effort into his concepts, and this consideration is greatly appreciated amongst the fashion elite. His front row was graced by Pixie Lott and her boyfriend Oliver Cheshire. The atmosphere was primed for an evocative show.

It was clear from the first outfit that David Koma's show was inspired by female tennis stars: unsurprising considering that Maria Sharapova has recently been snapped in one of his creations, and that her chewing gum brand, Sugarpova, was one of the sponsors. It was also apparent that his collection was given a 60s twist, with the gamine models, bright colours, and extremely high hemlines. Overall, it is a fabulous concept, and extremely relevant considering the recent success of British tennis and sport over the last few months.

Koma's creations screamed power, prowess and strength. The short and structured recreations of the classic tennis dress looked fierce coming down the runway. They were given a fashion twist through the use of layered organza over stiff under-material, and also through the use of strong colours. Special sporting references included the tennis-net-like material used on some of the dress, and the tennis racket handle shoes (made in collaboration with Alain Quilici). It was a wonderfully chic homage to sporting women and strong women alike, and Koma could not have released a more appropriate collection considering that the nation is still pining after the end of the Olympics and Paralympics.

The collection looked particularly spectacular during the finale of the show, when the audience could see Koma's creations altogether, and could see the story that they told.

So, here are some of my favourite looks from the show, (taken from Vogue's website as my camera simply isn't good enough!):

David Koma's show was an absolute triumph. I have a feeling that his tennis-influenced dresses will be copied by many a highstreet store - as was his peplum design from the AW12 show back in February. The show, combined with Colomba's advice, inspired me to inject some more colour into my wardrobe, and I can't wait to hit the shops to try out my new found enthusiasm for trying something new!

Thank you Vodafone VIP, and thank you David Koma. It truly was a wonderful experience!

Love Lucy x