Chamilia create exclusive Make-A-Wish Bead

The Christmas festivities are well under way and last week saw the Christmas launch party of the Chamilia ‘Wish’ bead in the sumptuous Corinthia Hotel, Whitehall Place. The party celebrated Chamilia and Ernest Jones partnership with the children’s charity Make-A-Wish International.

All decked in blue and white decorations, the Corinthia’s Court room kept with the theme of this twinkling little blue wish bead of Sterling Silver and Swarovski crystal elements. The crystal elements of which are in the most gorgeous electric blue colour.

In the spirit of Christmas and this time of giving, the Wish bead was created to benefit the charity Make-A-Wish UK to help them in their quest to grant wishes to children aged from 3-17 who are fighting life-threatening medical conditions.  

The Wish bead will be sold exclusively through Ernest Jones and H Samuel and will retail at £55. Chamilia will be donating £12 to Make-A-Wish UK for each bead sold, with a minimum total of £37,500.

At the launch party press, bloggers and celebrities were invited to attend and view the bead whilst enjoying music by DJ Joy Vieli, sipping champagne and a specially created Christmas Wish cocktail of rum, pineapple, cane sugar syrup, aromatic bitters and freshly squeezed lime juice.

A selection of Chamilia jewellery glittered in display cabinets and two bowls full of single Chamilia beads enticed us to try our hand at creating personalised bracelets. The secret is to choose the beads you are drawn to. I was drawn to the Sterling Silver hanging music note. Alas not because I am musically gifted, but more from a longing to be able to sing any note in key.I also loved the shiny iridescent pink bead. Others included the silver bible bead (a sterling silver book style imprinted with the cross), the romantic silver Captured Hearts bead (a filigree of hearts lying side by side) plus a variety of coloured glass and Swarovski elements beads.

Celebrities included Alexandra Burke, VV Brown, Jo Wood, Henry Conway, James Brown, Natt Weller, Meg Matthews, Katie B, Jamie Winstone, Amber Atherton and Made in Chelsea Francis Boulle to name a few.

In the corner was a special Make a Wish white Christmas tree where guests were encouraged to write their own wish on a card and tie on to a branch. My wish? Well my good side asked for a happy and healthy 2013 for all but my naughty side had to add a note for a pair of Jimmy Choo shoes.

The wish bead can be found in store and on the websites:

www.ernestjones.co.uk product code 9810161, called Make A Wish bead

www.hsamuel.co.uk product code 9810234 and called a Hope, Strength and Joy bead

By Karen Grace

Personal Shopper & Image Consultant for Frumpy to Funky http://www.frumpytofunky.com

AIU London hosts sustainable student fashion show

AIU (American Intercontinental University) London hosted its last fashion show of the year in Marylebone Gardens.  As the weather was bitterly cold, thankfully the garden is actually an inside space. Named after the 18th Century London pleasure gardens which once stood in the same spot, the old BBC office has been transformed with an indoor lawn where audiences can sit and enjoy pop up theatrical performances, live music and sports screening.  Happily on this occasion, rows of benches were set up around the catwalk But the garden party atmosphere was still there as the champagne flowed and duo band She and I performed live.

AIU’s December shows always contain experimental pieces and for this year it was to stretch the design students’ imagination to create ‘better quality or greater environmental value’ garments from ‘useless products’ or ‘waste materials’. Titled ‘Upcycle’, the design brief for the students was Reduce,  Reuse and Recycle.   Upcycle was then broken down into three themes: Creative Drape, 3D form and Precollections. The Creative Drape project instructed the students to take a blouse and make it into a new top incorporating the paisley fabric provided.

Designs were a collage of recycled fabrics including no longer worn garments, paisley fabric, plastic bags and old newspaper to well worn leather from old sofas and boots.

Sarah Bergman used her own old leather boots to create sleeves bringing an edgy touch to her Creative Drape white cotton gown. Rakayla Robertson was inspired for her 3D Form top by a stack of newspapers found on a bus, not wanting to throw the paper away. She also transforms a sweatshirt into a pair of low crotch harem style pants with the sleeves as the trousers legs. Catherine Calderon removes the sleeves and cuffs from her striped shirt and re-uses them as part of the bottom of her trousers.  Shirt sleeves with the cuffs are also used as trouser legs in Amelie Scharfetter’s dip dyed outfit.

Menswear was included in the show with discarded coffee bags being Zaira Xitlalitc Agular’s choice of fabric.

(Taylor Scopes Upton & Emma Louise Murray)

Award winning designs of the night were:

Taylor Scopes-Upton’s pristine white arctic parka outfit from the Precollections category earning a cash prize from Vilene Freudenberg

Emma Louise Murray’s Creative Drape gown. Recycled plastic bags were glued over the dress fabric giving texture and a pair of embellished white jeans draped around the shoulders as a shawl.

Emma was awarded an internship at Lipsy plus a Lipsy dress.

Inspired by Gareth Pugh, Make up created by the Session Hair was of dramatic white geometric shapes on eyelids and over eyebrows whilst the hair style by Electric Hair was sharp sleeked back pony tails.

Proceeds from the event will go to the FSSA Zambia, funding for Secondary School Assistance in Zambia.

Images provided by AIU London

By Karen Grace

Personal Shopper & Image Consultant for Frumpy to Funky http://www.frumpytofunky.com

Red or Dead 30th Anniversary

This year saw street style fashion brand Red or Dead reach its 30^th anniversary. To celebrate, they held an exhibition tracking their journey from a humble market stall to the glamorous catwalk scene. 

The exhibition featured a selection of their past iconic designs, plus their latest Pearly Queen capsule range especially designed to mark the pearl anniversary milestone.

Alas the exhibition was on for only one weekend, but never fear, here are some of the highlights:

1980’s – the Early Years

With little money but a lot of talent and enthusiasm, Wayne and Geraldine Hemingway set up a stall in Camden Market, selling Geraldine’s handmade designs and Wayne’s vintage finds. Moving on to Kensington Market, Geraldine’s designs were spotted by Macy’s New York who wanted them NOW! Excited to get the commission and definitely not wanting to turn it down, they needed more help to ensure the order was ready on time and so Red or Dead was born in 1984.

After injecting street fashion life into the Dr Martens work boot, Red or Dead launched their own footwear range in 1986. Their Watch shoe (so called because of the watch face mounted on the front) was a hit with teen band Bros and of course their fans.

1990’s – the Catwalk Collections

The 90s saw Red or Dead blossom year after year with collections in fun quirky patterns and prints.

Their first catwalk collection, Space Baby, saw a repeated image of baby’s head wearing a space helmet. The Space Baby print also sky rocketed on to a pair of transparent Dr Martens and plastic jean style jackets.

Food shopping hit the fashion aisles as their Shopping collection saw prints made up of  popular British brands’ logos and designs such as the Refresher sweets, OXO cubes and Assorted Biscuits. Wearing this you’d never forget what to buy!

Who would have thought that wearing a dress with a picture of an old man pulling a face would be a must have fashion item? But that’s what happened when Red or Dead made the Uglies into a beautiful Gurning print for their Mad in England collection. The Gurning print was named after a Gurner called Treacle who was found through the Uglies modelling agency. Treacle is shown distorting his face into a typical gurn expression – projecting his lower jaw forward and upwards and so covering his upper lip with his lower lip.

Inspired by Vladimir Tretchikoff’s painting ‘The Chinese Girl’, Red or Dead gives this ‘Green Lady’ a makeover in shades of deep blue and call their collection the ‘Blue Lady’. Her portrait graced many living rooms in the 70’s, and here she adorns a range of romantic and nostalgic evening wear.

Other collections on view included the Butterfly, New York Skyline and the Guru print of paisley overlaid with religious guru cut outs.

Red or Dead takes a short break from the catwalk until 2004 when they make a comeback with their Save the Allotment collection

2000’s – New ventures

The 2000’s see Red or Dead entering new ventures with Specsavers, Schuh footwear, Bank clothing, Seaspray swimwear and even Raleigh bikes.

And what is next for Red or Dead? Their story doesn’t end here, it’ll probably continue well into their Ruby and Golden anniversaries but until then:

Happy Pearly 30^th Red or Dead!

www.redordead.com

By Karen Grace

Personal Shopper & Image Consultant for Frumpy to Funky http://www.frumpytofunky.com

Art Meets Fashion with Each x Other

Paris based art and fashion brand Each x Other believes clothes should be timeless, genderless and ageless in style. However, this doesn’t mean that they play safe or use a neutral colour palette in order to accomplish their unisex look. In fact the opposite is true as the brand embraces and invites creative talents of the contemporary art world to participate in the making of the designs.

Their brand statement says it all: 'Each x Other is a publishing house for ideas using clothing as a canvas and a platform'.

This ensures every collection becomes an exclusive limited edition due to collaborations from artists, poets, musicians as well as avant-garde craftsmen and fashion designers.

One of the artists asked to make a statement is Robert Montgomery; a London based Scottish artist/poet renowned for his black billboard posters with white letters.  His poetic words are printed on pieces ranging from the discreet lettering around the collar of a crisp white shirt to the bolder letters splashed on jeans and sweatshirts.

From his first major work using solar power and LED, the words ’ The people you love become ghosts inside of you and like this you keep them alive’ is found on the Poetry Collar shirt– wear this shirt and it’ll definitely be a conversation piece. His’ All Palaces are Temporary Palaces’ is emblazoned in black on a white tank top.

British sculptor Douglas White works with found objects and breathes new life into them as sculptures such as the blown out tyres looking magnificent as his black Icarus Palm. For the SS13 collection he uses recycled cork to bring texture to a short trench coat and a biker jacket. Plus it is a great waterproof fabric.

London based French writer and artist Alize Meurisse designs the crinkled leather trench coat and her prints are displayed on sweatshirt and slim jeans.

Italian artist Daniele Innamorato’s colourful splashed and dripping paints artworks are emulated on to slim jeans, knits and the sleeves of denim shirts.

French artist and writer Thomas Lelu uses various painting techniques and has designed the striped straight jeans, bright blue Tuxedo jacket and pants along with the unique t-shirts printed with words from his art : ‘Be the Change’ ‘It Doesn’t Exist’ ‘I Just Want to Get High’ and ‘My High Score is in Heaven’.

Underground French fashion designer Naco Paris goes dotty on tee shirts and jeans. He also updates the nautical stripes on biker jackets, jeans, sweatpants and tops. Plus makes a statement with his slogan ‘Art is Money and Money is Art’.

Other artists include:  American street artist Alec Monopoly with his Monopoly tuxedo man; American photographer Peter Eaton Gurnz, Amsterdam born photographer Ari Marcopoulos and American digital artist Asa Mader.

The brand is set to launch in the UK in January at Selfridges, Harrods and on www.net-a-porter.com

By Karen Grace

Personal Shopper & Image Consultant for Frumpy to Funky http://www.frumpytofunky.com

Hartnell to Amies: Couture by Royal Appointment

If you love vintage couture then this is one London exhibition not to be missed.

The Hartnell to Amies exhibition at the Fashion and Textile Museum in Bermondsey is a retrospective of London couture created by Norman Hartnell, Hardy Amies and milliner Frederick Fox.  It showcases a range of works by these iconic designers who stole the fashion hearts of both British Royalty and socialites and who, with the Queen’s patronage, managed to re-establish Britain as an international fashion centre after WWII.

Up until the 1920’s it was the Parisian designers who reigned supreme, but Hartnell was hot on their polished heels when he opened his first London salon in 1923.

Highlights of his earlier designs on display are:

The romantic embellished silk satin wedding dress for Oonagh Guinness in 1929 - inspired by Botticelli’s paintings and the sparkling evening dress embroidered all over with gold pailettes - worn by H.M. Queen Mary c.1935.

Moving on to the 40s, the garments are less flamboyant due to wartime rationing of fabric, but both Hartnell and Amies used their skills to ensure style and design were not affected, including  practical tailored suits which  emphasised the feminine silhouette.

Highlight by Hardy Amies:

A Prince of Wales checked fine woollen suit worn by Hollywood actress Mildred Shay. We think of slogans/words on attire as a fairly new trend but look closely at the lapels and you will see ‘Made In England’ featured into the exposed selvedge. 

Celebrating the end of the war, the 50’s designs showed a return to the generous use of fabric and glamour. Poster copies of Norman Parkinson’s photographs adorn the exhibition’s walls and immortalise both Royal Couturiers as they pose with models wearing their 1953 spring collections. The originals were commissioned by British Vogue to celebrate the year of Queen Elizabeth’s Coronation.

The exhibition moves on to the swinging 60’s with shorter cocktail dresses; the groovy 70’s with maxi evening dresses and the power style of the 80’s.  For the 80’s, Raine, Countess of Spencer lends her Aimes monochrome abstract floral silk evening dress with its enormous puffed sleeves - so on trend at the time. Whilst Sarah, Duchess of York lends her twinkling Aimes strapless evening dress looking delicate in an off white William Morris pattern. Also on display is a pale blue suit with wide shoulders and deep yolk collar in white with a tie front - replicating the Aimes original worn by Lady Diana Spencer for her engagement photographs.

We must take our hats off to milliner Frederick Fox who has designed hats for the Queen, the late Queen Mother and Diana Princess of Wales. On display are over thirty of his creations plus a specially recreation of the silk crepe hat worn by the Queen for her Silver Jubilee in 1977.

The exhibition is on until 23 Feb 2013 so you have plenty of time to see it.  More details can be found on www.ftmlondon.org/exhibitions

Images credit: © Norman Parkinson Limited/Courtesy Norman Parkinson Archive.

By Karen Grace

Personal Shopper & Image Consultant for Frumpy to Funky http://www.frumpytofunky.com

Sorapol SS13 - Euphoria

Sorapol SS13 collection Euphoria tells the tale of Catherine, a wealthy socialite who has it all. But she dreams of a world without struggle and where fantastical extravagance is commonplace. This is when she discovers Sorapol who welcomes her to Euphoria.

Taking place in the stark concrete building of an underground NCP car park, an impressive sleek panther motorbike revved down the runway as though he had just stumbled on to the show.

Enter the first model in a Barbarella-esque flesh coloured body suit stripped of one leg and one sleeve. A long skirt billowed behind like a parachute on a rocket re-entering the earth’s atmosphere – clearly a message to say Sorapol had landed and Europhia begins.

The sci-fi and asymmetry look extended to the footwear as one thigh high silver ‘foil’ leather boot (on the bare leg) was teamed with a silver ankle boot on the pant leg. 

Rather than strutting, the models staggered down the sparkling white powder lined catwalk as if intoxicated from taking so much Sorapol Euphoria.  Their faces were hidden by gauze masks designed by illustrator Achraf Amiri who used Illamasqua make up to mimic a few past and present celebrities. The masks help Catherine morph into her celebrity idols.

The Elizabeth Taylor model wore a mint green peplum dress which was amazingly ‘normal’ amongst this theatrical collection.

The Olsen twin models looked legless (literally) in their matching pant suits designed with just one pant leg.  Reminiscent of Clockwork Orange the twins wore embellished colourful bowler hats.

The Naomi Campbell model glowed in a fluorescent orange chocker and neon orange beads embellishing a split lilac gown.

The finale gown, worn by the Marilyn Manson model, brought a darker rock’n’roll style with a black floor length leather skirt shimmering here and there with metallic blue and a lace up  bodice adorned with a V-shaped double neck electric guitar splattered with violet pink and blue.

Like Euphoria the collection was larger than life and the colour palette bright and vivid. Catching a moment at the end of the show, designer Sorapol Chawaphatnakul explains that he sees the realistic world as dark and this collection transforms Catherine into the colourful world of Sorapol. Take Sorapol and you become your own superstar!

By Karen Grace

Personal Shopper & Image Consultant for Frumpy to Funky http://www.frumpytofunky.com 

Maison Martin Margiela with H&M

We may be counting down the days to Christmas but there is also an earlier date we need to circle on our calendar. And that date is Thursday 15 November, when the new H&M designer collaboration with French fashion house Maison Martin Margiela goes on sale.

This collection is a re-edition of iconic pieces from MMM’s archive which have been reproduced in updated shapes and materials. The key features for both the men and women collection are oversized, ambiguity, transformation and turning the process of tailoring into a look. The colour palette is kept classic with shades of white, black and nude accented with glamorous splashes of red, blue and silver.

For the Women

Oversized – Pea coat, blazers, trousers, turtle neck jumpers are supersized and baggy giving that just borrowed from the boyfriend look.  Accessories also get the oversized treatment with an enlarged key ring necklace and an extended oversized metal watch strap and frame as a belt.

Tailoring Processes – the tailor’s pattern cut becomes the design for jacket and trousers whilst the classic white shirt takes on a circular pattern cut shape.

Ambiguity – is that girl just wearing a bra?  No it’s the nude body with integrated black bra. Trompe l’oeil print transforms a high necked jersey dress into a low cut sequined dress. Clear Perspex wedges on footwear create the illusion of an invisible heel.

Transformation takes place when the duvet becomes an oversized cosy padded coat, the glove an evening coin purse, and an enormous candy wrapper a shiny metallic clutch bag. But it also comes in the guise of two dresses, one long and one short, fused together to create one dress and a knitted socks sewn into a sweater.

For the Men

Oversized - Does my bum look big in this? Well the enormous bum bag definitely does.

Tailoring process - Jackets show fused details of tailoring, an overcoat has inverted lapels and large loose basting stitches are visible around sleeves and shoulders. The sheepskin coat is reversed revealing the shearling wool and inside seams on the outside. Denim jacket and jeans are also turned inside out.

Ambiguity - Trompe l’oeil appears as a shirt on a sweater, confetti on a t-shirt and untied black bow tie on a white shirt. The weekend bag is disguised as a guitar cover.

Transformation - several car coats are deconstructed and reconstructed into one mismatched coat; several leather belts are transformed into a stripy leather jacket whilst jeans, denim waistcoat and footwear are painted white.

Once again H&M are bringing affordable designer labels to the high street, so treat yourself to an early Xmas present and start queuing up early on 15 November.

Look Book images by Paul Wetherell

Campaign shots by Sam Taylor-Johnson

By Karen Grace

Personal Shopper & Image Consultant for Frumpy to Funky http://www.frumpytofunky.com 

Umberto Giannini’s new Frizzi says ‘Damp is the Enemy’

Most of us feel our spirits fall when we've washed; blow dried and curled or straightened our hair to an inch of its life only to step out into a fine mist of rain. This is the worst kind as the normally hero umbrella is no match for this sneaky precipitation that can float around the air and creep inside our brollies to lightly dampen our hair resulting in a fine halo of frizz marring our perfectly smooth locks.

But as I stepped out into this mist to start a heavy schedule of press days, one group of people were overjoyed with the weather and couldn't have hoped for better.

No they were not a mist worshipping cult but the Umberto Giannini team who were eager for the chance to show off their new Frizzi hair product range and the weather gave them the perfect scenario.  Arriving on the scene I was happy to see them and praying they could perform a miracle on my now fuzz ball hairstyle.

Miracle Worker with Argan Oil

Speaking of miracles, their hero product is called ‘Miracle Worker with Argan Oil’ and is described as the guardian angel in the fight against frizz. Paul Gooch, Artistic Director of Umberto Giannini, says ‘The two products that truly transform the behaviour and appearance of frizzy hair are silicones and Argan oil. If you could only have one product to fight frizz this is it’.  This little angel is a blend of silicone and argan oil to protect, gloss and seal the hair (silicone) as well as restore and smooth (Argan oil).

Day After Day Extreme Taming Spray

But for today the UG team decided that the best course of action to heal my wounded hair and get it fighting fit to face the enemy Damp was the product ‘Day After Day Extreme Taming Spray’ with weatherproof formula. This acts like an invisible shower cap to repel moisture and humidity and holds your heat styled hair (it is heat activated) for up to three days.

After spritzing, my hair was straightened with irons to seal in tamer’s powers. Protected  with my ‘invisible shower cap’ on I was sent out to face the enemy Damp and I must say there was not a frizz in sight.

The range also includes shampoo, conditioner, hair mask with argan oil, styling spray, and serum and blow dry cream.

All Frizzi products are available from Boots stores and Umberto Giannini salons.

Price starts from £5.29

By Karen Grace

Personal Shopper & Image Consultant for Frumpy to Funky http://www.frumpytofunky.com  

Javari Sneaks into Fashion

If you’re in Covent Garden this month then don’t miss Javari’s exhibition on ‘Sneaking Into Fashion’.

The exhibition ‘Tracks the Trainers’ Journey Through Popular Culture’ shows the sneaker in all its fashionable glory ranging from the classic comfortable styles to the more outrageous and not so practical designs.

Old Timers

The  oldest sneaker on show are the Ked Champion shoes (1917) which are said to be the world’s first sneaker, earning the nickname due to their rubber soles being so quiet that you could sneak up on someone.  Looking quite conservative in an all white canvas upper.

Pop Art

(POW sneaker)

Not taking life too seriously are the playful Pop Art sneakers:  the wide toothy grin on the heel of Peter Max for Randy (1969), the yellow Converse School bus sneaker (1988) and wowing us with a ‘POW’ is Pierre Hardy’s Powerama sneaker which was inspired by the 1960’s pop artist Roy Lichenstein.

(Be and D)

Does my foot look big in this? The Be and D Big City Sneakers SS12 gives the humorous illusion of the flat boot as a glamorous pink stiletto – very slimming indeed.

Celebrities

(JAYZ’s Supra Muska)

From Pop Art to Pop Stars the sneaker has a large fan base: JAYZ’s Supra Muska Skytops Goldsilver (2007) designed by pro-skateboarder Chad Muska was worn by Jay-Z in Rhianna’s Umbrella video, Beyonce’s heeled Isabel Marants and spicing up the trainer’s history is the high Buffalo Wedge trainers (1998) worn by Mel B at the Brit Awards.

Designers

(Vivienne Westwood Tracey)

For lovers of the classic fashion brands there is the white Gucci tennis trainer of SS1980 posing with its green / red / green signature web. This was the first luxury designer functional sports shoe. Instantly recognisable by its colourful stripes is the Missoni X Converse SS11.

Vivienne Westwood’s Tracey heeled sneaker (2003) caused a bit of a stir with Adidas due to the three coloured stripes on the side similar to their signature look and later had a  fourth diagonal stripe added across them.

Outrageous

The more outrageous designs include the Nike Pigeon (2010) by Print Club and The Jaws of Chance 2010 courtesy of Cristina Gutian. Nike Pigeon was produced to highlight the demise of Pigeon Racing.  The more disturbing Jaws of Chance with its mini pair of antlers, fur and hoof represents the speed and strength of a young deer mixed with bittersweet memories of an entire life.

Sculptural Art

(Jeffrey Campbell)

Looking sculptural is the heel-less wedge Ascension sneaker (2012) by footwear designer Jeffrey Campbell. Campbell aims to capture the essence of streetwear with vintage and catwalk style.

Puma X Hussein Chalayan Urban Swifts SS13 shows the speed at which we travel through our breakneck modern lives by using 3D latex mounds on the heel making the shoe look stretched and distorted through speed.

(chewing gum)

Footwear artist Kobi Levi is renowned for creating art in his collections. The Chewing Gum heels shoe (2012) captures the unfortunate moment of when you step into some chewing gum. Here he has made the stretched piece of chewing gum to form the high heel of the shoe.

Gold

And last but definitely not least is the Nike Zoom Victory Elite Spikes Volt Collection which won two Olympic gold medals this year with a little help from Mo Farah. The high tensil strength Nike Flywire cables wrap around and under the foot to provide a personalised fit.

Jaravi Sneaks Into Fashion: 18-28 October in Covent Garden Piazza. For more information go to www.javari.co.uk/exhibition

By Karen Grace

Personal Shopper & Image Consultant for Frumpy to Funky http://www.frumpytofunky.com  

London Fashion Week SS13

DAY ONE

Fyodor Golan (Designer duo Fyodor Podgorny and Golan Frydman)

Vibrant Royal blue with pristine white makes a dramatic entrance. The tailored and structured styles restrict the models movement but look chic and elegant embellished with peplums, lattice designs, beads and sequins. One white porcelain corset is adorned with broken Victorian patterned china.  Midway, the colour palette changes to oranges and ambers with lighter fabrics of loose flowing chiffons and organza fabrics in prints of swirling autumn leaves. Collaborations included the organic face sculpture jewellery by Yunus & Eliza and architectural hats by Zara Gorman.

Zoe Jordan

A relaxed carefree collection of short skirts, crop tops, t-shirt dresses in pale pinks, blues and tangy oranges with the more tomboy slouchy tees and joggers.  Prints range from a subtle cracked stone to the brighter sunset stripes. Standout pieces are the poppy red suede maxi dress and the stunning but oh so impractical red suede bikini.

Corrie Nielsen

Nielsen’s collection blossoms into deconstructed floral sculptures of petals, sepals and stamens in the form of voluminous ruffles, peplums and large loosely tied knots. Sleeves varied from the wide bulbous to slit like pods keeping the arms held securely to the side. Usually opting for darker colours, this collection sees shades of vanilla, peach and blush. Headwear by Emma Yeo showcasing her SS13 Lucidus Lilum collection inspired by the Japanese mountain Lily continues the floral theme.

Krystof Srozyna

Architectural elements are the key feature. Prints of viaduct etchings stretch the length of trousers and sleeves elongating the arms and legs, and ornate Greek columns adorn the lapels of short jackets and hug the sides of pencil skirts. Shoe collaboration is with Italian shoe designer Daniele Michetti

Felder Felder

The collection shows a fragility as the confident and sexy leopard print has really changed it spots into a print of broken butterfly wings. The chiffon fabric flutters lightly, some embellished with clusters of chiffon butterfly wings whilst thin soft leather and suede tailored pieces keep the collection anchored. And no girl should be without the Bailey’s bottle holster!

DAY TWO

Ji Cheng

Inspired by tea this is a sweet blend of Eastern inspirations and Western tailoring. The high side slit of the mandarin dress is there but not the collar, preferring an asymmetric cut. The colour palette is neutral with accents of green tea and the tailoring is softened with an infusion of gauze reminiscent of the muslin tea bag.  As a nod to the Chinese tea pickers, the models wear conical shaped hats made of bamboo.

Jasper Garvida

It’s the 60’s with a touch of the Mary Quant and the Vidal Sassoon hairstyles. Colour palette is monochrome black and white with accents of silver and beige. Patterns are abstract leopard print and geometric designs, some embellished with tiny round mirrored pieces radiating a disco vibe. The key feature which definitely couldn’t be ignored on the day was the oversized shell like discs adorning one dress and skirt – especially as they clashed noisily with every move the models made.  Not to be worn for a clandestine rendezvous.

Omar Mansoor

More renowned for his glamorous and elegant evening wear, Mansoor has taken a walk on the edgier side and created a boho daywear collection.  What is not different is his attention to detail. Here he concentrates on intricate and delicate lace work and fine knitwear layering.

Bernard Chandran

You do a double take at the Bernard Chandran show as the front and back of each outfit contrast with each other in cut and design.  You see simple on one side, detailed on the other; short length on ones side, long on the other– reflecting that there are two sides to every story and especially love.

DAY THREE

Ekaterina Kukhareva

Think Brigitte Bardot in her heyday 60s and her St Tropez lifestyle. Colours are bright pastels and patterns geometric shapes and stripes. From swimsuit to maxi dress, all are of finely knitted jersey in different weaving techniques including pleats and ribs. This is definitely a capsule wardrobe to carry on the fun from beach to evening.

Eugene Lin

Here Lin chooses to express the erotic but twisted manipulation of the Greek goddesses Hera, Athena and Aphrodite as each try to persuade Paris that they are the fairest one.  He cuts his pieces to appear distorted as if in a state of undress. Trench coats are deconstructed into dresses, playsuits and tops with strong emphasis on belted waists. Panels of wild and chaotic digital prints on body con dresses and leggings mimic the goddesses’ tense and erratic mood and show the golden apple – the start of all the trouble.

Luna Sky

Inspired by the sophisticated lifestyle of the 50s Luna Sky features evening gowns and cocktail dresses with Swarovski crystals, sequins, delicate lace and fringe detailing. Her love of the Japanese cherry blossom Sakura is there as laser cut flower details, some sparkling with crystal stamens. Lemon yellow and peach may have been popular in the 50s but it was the more defined blue and teals that caught my eye.

DAY FOUR

Craig Lawrence

Using cutting edge materials such as Japanese Kyototex metallic yarns in his knitwear techniques, Lawrence enables his garments to glisten as if wet.  This season he adds long optic fibres to help create the reflective light for a phosphorescent underwater world- Some curved and stood out like a sea anemone, others softer like swaying sea grass.  Column tiered dresses mimic the fluid shape of the glowing jellyfish and the textured knits the spiky urchins. These pieces were made to be in the spotlight and outshine all others.

Pam Hogg

It’s ShowTime!  Pam Hogg’s pieces are not the most wearable for your average girl in the street, but that doesn’t mean her collection is not to die for.  Titled ‘Save Our Souls’ the show started with a model clad in bandages followed by nurses flimsily dressed to give any man a heart attack. The style changed to a combination of futuristic nurse and air hostess look with zips galore, and from clinical white to a rainbow of metallic colours. There was also a bit of the Showgirl glitz with sequins and tulle. At the end it was Hogg’s love of the Victorian crinoline skirt that wowed everyone. Here in its skeletal state baring all that is underneath. Save our souls? I think we’re doomed.

DAY FIVE

Nova Chui (Designer duo Nova Chui and Jeff Archer)

This is one glorious way to show off your holiday snaps! Using images from their travels, the designer duo created digital enhanced landscape prints for their fabrics.  Scenes of mountains, forests, streams and sunsets are brought to life in vivid colours. Scrunched and ruche neon organza adds texture but also a camera filter effect as it partly covers the prints. These prints add fun and ensure that the minimalistic and classic look of the collection is not taken too seriously.

Ashish

This season the Ashish girl is a maths geek and so a fashion prime number. There’s a numeric print on oversized wonky boyfriend shirts and denims. Sequin tops are completely backless revealing her sexy side.  Trousers are half and half: one leg sequined whilst the other is matte; one leg skinny whilst the other is palazzo style.  The achieved style is a random just thrown together look but as a maths geek, is it calculated?

Jena.Theo  (Designer duo Jenny Holmes and Dimitris Theocharidis)

The title may be Hell’s Angel but this collection is heavenly. Prints of tattoo designs and the odd spider add a touch of toughness, but nothing to overwhelm the elegance and femininity of the collection. Corset style tops of ethereal organza and digital prints look soft and feminine.  Glass beading and sequins bring glamour to diaphanous latex and fine leather as well as the usual silks. A quirky sense of fun is shown in the cowhide short skirts. Of course the denim is there and although you’d need a slim figure, am loving the skinny fit denim jumpsuit. Hand-rendered tattoo print and abstract works are of the artist O.Two

By Karen Grace

Personal Shopper & Image Consultant for Frumpy to Funky http://www.frumpytofunky.com