Fall 2012 Couture: Monday 2nd and Tuesday 3rd July

To be honest, with all the work I have on, I completely forgot couture week was starting and shamefully I didn't keep good track of the resort shows! Once I went on Style and Vogue and saw the collections beginning though, I knew I had to post about a couple of them straight away. 

On Monday, Versace kicked off Couture week with an absolutely stunning collection as always. She painted the picture of the modern warrior woman, engulfing female strength, with a very Versace array of crystals, sculptural designs and an overall sexiness. There were complex constructed A Line trenches and the most amazing dresses handcrafted to perfection.

I was surprised that my favourite collection from Tuesday was not Chanel as I thought, but the Armani Prive collection. It has a very midnight vixen feel with colours in navy, lilac, black, silver and ombre versions of these. Involved in the designs was a futuristic perspective, but on a muted level that still allowed complete elegance. The embellished pieces were the most stunning and the sculptural but soft shapes were gorgeous. 

The Ragged Priest.

In my quest to discover how a more sustainable and eco friendly future can be produced for the high street, for my own interest and my dissertation,  I came across a brand in Topshops Oxford Street store named the Ragged Priest. Of course I was instantly intrigued. I loved the whole edgy, deconstructed punk look it portrayed and wanted to know more about this brand 

My friends from work told me a few facts. The Ragged Priest is a UK Vintage company from down South that reworks vintage garments. This means that every piece in the Topshop range may look similar but each was unique in its design. When I researched more I found out their brand traded in two areas; Vintage products and reworked Vintage. Though they wouldn't be the first store to reconstruct designs from old, they stand out from the rest because they rework to follow current trends rather than just sticking to the era of the product. When I conducted research for a project last year, it was evident that some people could be reluctant to buy more sustainable second hand or recycled products because they were not necessarily trend driven and didn't allow them to fit into the latest styles of the high street. Perhaps this proposes an interesting idea to be considered for a eco future for major high street brands? When attending Lovebox festival this weekend many wore the ragged Priest brands or copies of this style showing that something more sustainable could be highly accepted to the mid market customer. among their celebrity customers include Rihanna, Jessie J and Florence Welsh which perhaps indicates that celebrity endorsement has helped with the rise of the brand as well as its amazing, original style. 

Here are a few pictures from the Lookbook that I hope you enjoy as much as I do. It was a pleasure to see some of these products up close and personal at the weekend as part as trend research for work. 

Victim Fashion Street

I love a bit of DECONSTRUCTION and EDGINESS and whilst researching at work the other day, I happened to come across this wonderful label called VICTIM FASHION STREET

The brand is the creation of Taiwan born designer Mei-Hui Liu who is completely self taught and started making a name for herself in the 1990s in the likes of Portabello and Brick Lane. Later on, however, she did step into the more formal side of the industry by completing a course at the American Academy in Paris followed by observing art and design in Italy whilst travelling. 

Mei-Hui Says:

 'Aesthetically, I suppose it’s what you’d call decadent romance cut with a very sharp edge and a dose of haphazard embellishments. People tend to say that I’m one of the early pioneers of the sustainable fashion movement because I was one of the first to make recycling and up cycling a key part of my brand identity. But, above all else, it’s got to embrace opulence even if it is ethical.”

She is known in particular for her antique Victoriana fabrics being juxtaposed against new, more modern ones from recent eras to create this mix and match, deconstructed effect; very rock and roll. Recently, she used union jacks with lace and haberdashery for a real Britannia vibe. Her next collection plans to be eccentric and passionate for AW12. 

Chanel Resort 2013

Starting with the eloquent Versailles in Socialist France as a theme, Karl Lagerfeld continued his Chanel Success story by injecting a MODERN DAY MARIE ANTOINETTE appeal into his Resort 2013 Collection. He is the only one I know who could take such an elegant theme and juxtapose it with a HIP HOP edge and what can be described as PASTEL PUNK ROCK.It takes a genius to convey so many ideas and yet complete a collection that is still true to a brand, has a strong aesthetic and is still conceptually clear. 

So how did he ensure all these ideas came together perfectly ?

Lagerfeld took Eighteenth century details and casualized them. He looked into new ways to develop them with fabrics you wouldn't expect for such an elaborate theme such as CHAMBRAY AND PLASTIC.

At the same time, it was still incredibly FEMININE, THEATRICAL AND BALLERINA LIKE. With his presentation at the famous fountains, it was definitely a pleasing day for the fashion crowds and Lagerfeld once again excelled himself. 

Claire Barrow

When flicking through Glamour magazine I came across an article about Graduate Fashion Week which I am attending on Sunday 10th June. The name 'Claire Barrow' came up as a one to look out for having apparently being influenced by Street art  and gang culture to design leather pieces and this immediately sparked my curiosity. I've always been interested in designers that can interpret graffiti culture in a way that looks stylish and tasteful.  Not only is she a one to watch but fans of her work include Rihanna and Jessie J .

Claire paints the designs onto the leather and has become a sensation in the fashion industry, alluding back to true British Punk Rock fashion. 

Bekah Jenkins as a Sea Siren in Flare Magazine

This shoot is responsible for making me excited about my ocean fashion theme for going back to uni and has rekindled my inspiration.

The shorts and the dress in the first two images are absolutely phenomenal and I can't get over them. Designs featured in this article come from Calvin Klein, Peter Pilotto  and Marc Jacobs to name a few. Very excited by it all and very inspired

Georgia May Jagger for Elle Brazil April 2012

In a celebration of all that is British, Jacques Dequeker shot Georgia May Jagger for Elle Brazil in some of Londons finest ensembles to create that punk look that is a huge part of our heritage. Think Vivienne Westwood with leather, denim, sequins and flannel.