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The CNC guide to London Fashion Week’s highlights

The CNC guide to London Fashion Week’s highlights

London Fashion Week

This season London Fashion Week gave us an insight into the trends for S/S 22. In a nutshell it was a return to colour, fantasy maximalism and subverting gender norms in clothing. CNC highlights the key moments from London Fashion Week…

 

Molly Goddard

 

London Fashion Week
Credit: Courtesy of Vogue.

 

Molly Goddard brought her colourful, playful and babydoll aesthetic back to the runway. Reminiscent of her Central St. Martins graduate collection, which she explained in a Vogue interview before the start of the show “was all based on blowing up the dresses I had when I was a child”. A mash of texture, acidic tones, single layer tulle dress (think THAT Villanelle dress) was the feeling of the collection. A more casual aesthetic was utilised styling a relaxed jean with a ruffled top and pussy bows. An unusually wearable collection that can be integrated into any wardrobe, especially the comfy transitional knits that remind us that autumn is coming, but allows us to linger in summer with the colourful palette. Looks were accompanied by ballerina pumps with ribbons winding up the leg, completing the fantasy doll style. 

 

Emilia Wickstead

 

London Fashion Week
Credit: Courtesy of Vogue.

 

Set in the enchanting, manicured grounds of Gloucestershire’s Badminton Estate, Emilia Wickstead’s S/S 22 collection played with androgynous dress, sorbet colours with complementary prints and a touch of the surrealist. Inspired by the 1961 film, Last Year at Marienbad, the collection had all the glamour of the golden era of film. With dresses carefully tailored to showcase a new statuesque silhouette that draws all the focus to the bodice. A shift for the new erogenous zone to focus on the waistline, a trend seen on other runways from the likes of Chet Lo. Emilia Wickstead showcased this new form of waistlines being elongated with a dropped waistline and crumb catcher necklines around the bust to further exaggerate the line. There was a romance in the collection symbolised through the use of the rose motif. 

 

Erdem

 

London Fashion Week
Credit: Courtesy of Vogue.

 

Celebrating the 15th anniversary of the label, the spring ready-to-wear collection graced the colonnades of The British Museum. A demure collection was presented with large flower prints and matching co-ords of the dress and hat. The garments were an exploration of the use of pleats, fabric layering and to create dimension and create and enhance a stylized silhouette. The collection was inspired by the lives of two women Edith Sitwell and Ottoline Morrell, as Moralioglu explained backstage to Vogue in an interview, saying that when he imagined their clothing for an evening stroll across Bedford Square, he was “really fascinated with these two women—both six foot—who knew each other, and donated to the British Museum”. The narrative was conveyed through the garments with the strength in the silhouette contrasted by the softness of the fabric selection and delicate nature of the print. 

 

Harris Read

 

London Fashion Week
Credit: Courtesy of Vogue.

 

Enter into the magnificent fluid world of Harris Read, for the S/S 2022 ready-to-wear collection.

 

For the designer’s debut runway show at London Fashion Week, held at dusk at the impressive Serpentine Gallery, a display of 10 monochromatic looks with exaggerated ruffle features, a flared trouser and of course the now synonymous oversized circular headpieces to frame each look, took centre stage. Each garment was created utilising repurposed bridal and groom’s wear sourced from Oxfam. The result, classic black tuxedo jackets cropped to frame that chest, which gave way to the veil inserted carefully into the jacket creating a powerful, yet delicate silhouette. More characteristic with framing the face, the veil was used to frame the body and was complemented by the sharpness of the tailoring. Deconstructed details continued with lace applique fashioned into a top, mimicking the muscular form. The audience were serenaded by singer Kelsey Lu, who wore a full tulle, off the shoulder gown. Yet conversely from tradition, the train cascaded forward with layers of ruffles with the tapering towards the back.

 

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