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Amelia’s Magazine | Nova Chiu: London Fashion Week A/W 2013 Catwalk Review

Nova Chiu AW2013 by Gaarte
Nova Chiu A/W 2013 by Gaarte

The ethereal eruption of colour and texture at Nova Chiu was a perfect way to end a tiring first day at London Fashion Week.

Nova Chiu AW 2013 by Amelia Gregory
Nova Chiu AW 2013-photo by Amelia Gregory

All photography by Amelia Gregory.

Following last season’s showcase of a light and predominantly print-based collection, the house of Nova Chiu brought the label back to it’s roots of heavy embroidery and embellishments for A/W 2013.

Nova Chiu AW 2013 by Amelia Gregory
Nova Chiu AW 2013-photo by Amelia Gregory

Nova Chiu by Laura Hickman
Nova Chiu A/W 2013 by Laura Hickman

An immensely exciting colour palette was on display – a mix of piercing neons and rich earthy tones, much like ‘The Electronic Super Highway’ by Korean-American artist Nam June Paik, an evident inspiration to the collection. Eclectic blends of material were also used – coloured leather, suede and horsehair blocks with embroideries and beaded trims, giving a three dimensional depth to the clothes.

Nova Chiu AW 2013-photo by Amelia Gregory

Nova Chiu AW by Amelia Gregory

Nova Chiu by Shy Illustrations
Nova Chiu A/W 2013 by Shy Illustrations

The garments coming down the runway were beautiful and meticulously crafted, but I found myself distracted by how bright the set lights were; unfortunately this made all the models skin look patchy with caked on foundation. Lighting aside, design duo Nova Chiu and Jeff Archer impressed with a dynamic collection that featured designs true to the label’s initial aesthetics and that are wearable enough to sell.

Written by Alex Kessler on Saturday February 23rd, 2013 12:08 am

Categories ,A/W 2013, ,catwalk, ,collection, ,colour, ,fashion, ,Fashion Scout, ,Freemasons’ Hall, ,Gaarte, ,garments, ,illustration, ,Jeff Archer, ,Laura Hickman, ,london, ,London Fashion Week, ,Nam June Paik, ,Neon, ,Nova Chiu, ,runway, ,Shy Illustrations, ,Texture, ,The Electronic Super Highway

Amelia’s Magazine | Oliver Spencer: London Collections: Men S/S 2015 Catwalk Review

Oliver Spencer S/S 2015 by Fiongal Greenlaw

It seemed like every man in London had been squashed into the Old Sorting Office for the Oliver Spencer show last Monday. It was bloody packed. My standing ticket didn’t offer me any privileges, as per, so I did my best to position myself behind the shortest person I could find in the hope of seeing anything at all. The lights dimmed and out marched a drumming band who, with huge grins on their faces, energetically played a samba beat for the models to walk to.

All photography by Matt Bramford

Oliver Spencer S/S 2015 by Kate Sloan

Oliver Spencer‘s mantra is if it ain’t broke don’t fix it and this was another season of summery basics, smart tailoring and enticing prints. Cropped jackets were worn with longer t-shirts, featuring graphic designs. Rolled-up trouser legs revealed bare ankles.

Fitted blazers replicated the floral patterns of matching shirts, teamed with contrasting shorts and cravats. Boxy overcoats and suede jackets in ochre gave a 1970s feel; luxe blues and greens provided a modern counterbalance.

Oliver Spencer S/S 2015 by Fiongal Greenlaw

Oliver Spencer S/S 2015 by Kate Sloan

Soft linen jackets and shirts provided a welcome break from the more rigid tailored pieces and I longed to be wearing a loose, floaty Oliver Spencer tunic than the thick t-shirt and jacket that I’d opted for. Checked blazers in vibrant orange, nautical stripes and light knitwear came next, accessorised with retro shades, loafers and large luggage. Whilst not the most outlandish collection, it provided a vast range of wearable separates that would be difficult to get wrong in any combination.

For the finale, the drummers switched to a more uptempo tune as a busty carnival dancer led out the models; the final line-up featured a bevy of samba beauties. It was prime timing as World Cup fever sweeps the nation, but it felt a little forced; as the dancers rolled and twirled and cavorted with the crowd, the models looked a little stiff in comparison and I was left wondering if this was really the best gimmick. I’m hoping my rhinestone-encrusted bikini and feather head dress that I ordered shortly afterwards arrives in time for the World Cup final, though.

Written by Matt Bramford on Tuesday June 24th, 2014 9:08 am

Categories ,Carnival, ,catwalk, ,fashion, ,Fiongal Greenlaw, ,Kate Sloan, ,LCMSS2015, ,london, ,London Collections Men, ,Matt Bramford, ,menswear, ,Oliver Spencer, ,review, ,Rio, ,SS15

Amelia’s Magazine | Ong-Oaj Pairam: London Fashion Week S/S 2014 Catwalk Review

Ong-Oaj_Pairam_by_Novemto_komo
Ong-Oaj Pairam by Novemto Komo.

Having already done a preview interview with Brighton University graduate Ong-Oaj Pairam I was pretty excited to see more of his collection, which was inspired by Drew Barrymore in ET. But whilst the moon shaped invite may have promised great things in terms of reference the final outcome was not what I expected, by a long shot. Original inspiration be damned, this was a sweet collection of party dresses with a slight 80s vibe. Models wore their hair loosely curled and brushed to one side, shirt dresses were pulled in tight with skinny belts, and delicate lace butterflies bounced around on waists and hemlines. I particularly liked matching embroidery and print that appeared in spikes of red and blue across a twosie shorts suit and on both shirt and pencil dresses. Drew Barrymore may well have grown up to to be this well dressed, but this was not how I remember her back in the day.

Ong-Oaj Pairam SS 2014-photography by Amelia Gregory

Ong-Oaj Pairam S/S 2014. All photography by Amelia Gregory.

<a target="_blank" href="http://www.vimeo.com/74458346" rel="noopener">http://www.vimeo.com/74458346</a>

Written by Amelia Gregory on Saturday September 21st, 2013 11:14 am

Categories ,80s, ,Brighton University, ,catwalk, ,Drew Barrymore, ,ET, ,London Fashion Week, ,Novemto Komo, ,Ong-Oaj Pairam, ,review, ,S/S 2014

Amelia’s Magazine | Osman: London Fashion Week S/S 2013 Catwalk Review

Osman S/S 2013 by Krister Selin

And so it was to Osman to ‘close’ my fashion week, as it were. It was getting late on the Tuesday and, frankly, I couldn’t be arsed to trek to Somerset House. I had a heap of work to do and the thought of going all that way to watch models walk in front of me twice for five minutes was almost too much to bear. In the end, I decided to go, obviously; I’m so glad I did.

Osman S/S 2013 by Antonia Parker

I had a rubbish seat but enjoyed watching people skid on Kuoni-sponsored A3 Osman lookbooks as I waited for the show to start. The catwalk had been adorned with a huge black rope, crossing above the bit where the models come out and trailing up both sides of the catwalk. Osman‘s got a bit of a reputation for putting on a good show and I liked the drama that this backdrop was already creating. There was a lot of fuss on the catwalk before proceedings began – Corinne Bailey Rae was one of many guests that had photographers in a flash bulb frenzy. But it was Osman‘s unique and vibrant colour palette and fashion-forward sense of shape that would really get the crowd going.

All photography by Matt Bramford

Incredible hues of pink and blue appeared before us. Osman Yousefzada always has a crafted ability to whet our appetites for the next summer while the current one is slipping away from us. Strong and dynamic shape was this season’s key theme – angular cuts were aplenty. Kimono shapes with a modern twist were teamed with high-waisted shorts, followed by tailored coats that curved to reveal more short shorts.

Osman S/S 2013 by Krister Selin

The collection progressed with embroidered love heart patterns. The same bold silhouettes were decorated with this beautiful design, having a slightly religious effect on certain dramatic overcoats. Brightly coloured hearts brought black garments to life while complimenting the blue and pink numbers.

More drama came later with Osman‘s unique forms: scooping necklines, wide sleeves, geometric patterns on tops, thick strips of fabric wrapped around models’ shoulders like shawls, sexily revealing only the collarbone.

Osman S/S 2013 by Antonia Parker

Less rigid looks followed with flowing skirts and fabric casually slung around models’ necks, but never without a hint of structure – tapered and cropped trousers defining many looks.

A few all black numbers heightened the drama towards the end – I particularly liked an all-in-one cape worn like a hood over skin-tight shiny trousers and a racy dress cut all the way up to the hip with bondage-like corsetry.

My favourite look was the penultimate outfit consisting of a white upper half with fabric draped all the way to the floor, following the model as she swaggered. It had all the qualities of Osman exuberance – femininity, drama and masses of sex appeal. I bet Osman fans new and old can’t bloody wait to get this stuff on come next year.

Written by Matt Bramford on Wednesday September 26th, 2012 10:16 am

Categories ,Antonia Parker, ,BFC, ,Blue, ,Bondage, ,catwalk, ,colour, ,Corinne Bailey Rae, ,embroidery, ,hearts, ,Krister Selin, ,Kuoni, ,London Fashion Week, ,Matt Bramford, ,Osman Yousefzada, ,pink, ,review, ,S/S 2013, ,Somerset House, ,SS13, ,Tuesday, ,Womenswear

Amelia’s Magazine | Pom-pom circumstance

When you think of the humble pom-pom you think of children’s clothes, order buy of gigantic sombreros for tourists, generic unsightly snow boots and poodles with dodgy haircuts. Experimenting with pom-poms always seemed to be a bit like tequila shots – one was fun, two was adventurous, any more was way overboard and enough to make you gag.
NOT ANY MORE! Somebody somewhere decided it was time to wrench those pom-poms from the cheerleader’s sweaty grasp and boom! Stick them in the right places and we’re in love – and it turns out you can have hundreds of them!

They might have come to our attention bobbling out all over the catwalks in fashion week and with the high street following suit, but this is a look that could be even cheaper for the creative recessionistas amongst you. Make your own! Check it.
If you ever find yourself sat staring into space on the tube, you could be churning out a whole lot of pom-poms instead. Worn the right way I think it’s a really easy and fun accessory to jazz up an outfit– this cute Peter Jensen ring as a prime example:

We’ve seen some girls wearing them in their hair, which make a nice woolly alternative to bows, and of course the contentious scrunchie.

BIGGER:

BIGGEST:

THE KITCHEN SINK:

Don’t be wearing those in the cinema mind you.

It’s amazing that something so simple has been culturally reinterpreted so often over the course of history. That might sound grand but something that’s gone from dangling off the edges of sun hats in Central America, to being mass marketed to children all over the world to making on the Paris catwalks is pretty unique. Yikes, Pom Pom international even reckons they can promote world peace. Maybe that’s one tequila too many. Sporting them could almost seem a throwback to childhood, a fashion revival harking back to the days of hats and mittens (I’d like to say ‘and snow and toboggans’ but let’s face it, it doesn’t snow THAT often).
The last thing we can learn about pom-poms is from cheerleaders everywhere, who if nothing else, seem mind-bogglingly happy. Why? POM-POMS!

Written by Jonno Ovans on Monday May 18th, 2009 6:13 pm

Categories ,accessories, ,catwalk, ,knitting, ,pom-poms, ,trend

Amelia’s Magazine | London Fashion Week S/S 2012 Menswear Day Catwalk Review: James Small

James Small S/S 2012 by Milly Jackson

I arrived at the James Small show pretty early – such is the bonkers London Fashion Week schedule that some shows overlap and then you’re left with huge gaps in your day. I joined the small but perfectly formed queue and waited for a pal to arrive. The show was delayed, prescription I was informed, because of the knock-on effect of late-runners throughout the day. The queue eventually began moving a mere 20 minutes late, and just as we were about to be let in, we were halted by an impossibly gorgeous PR girl. Her colleague came over and whispered ‘Kate’s imminent, we should hold the queue‘. Now, I don’t know if it was the pint I’d just enjoyed or the onset stir-crazy sensation I was experiencing after 6 days of shows, but I started sweating profusely. It couldn’t be, could it? ‘Calm down, Matt’ I internally repeated. It can’t be. She wouldn’t. It might be a code word. It might be Kate Adie.

Kate Moss by Antonia Parker

Eventually, after much discussion, it was decided that we should be allowed in because this mysterious Kate hadn’t yet arrived. We were escorted individually up the grand staircase of the Freemasons Hall, this Vauxhall Fashion Scout venue, and assigned seats on the front row. Seating was heavily policed, and I enjoyed the personal escort, but it was taking bloody ages and another show downstairs was set to take place pretty soon afterwards. Jaime Winstone, looking incredible with a silver grandma up-do and vertiginous heels, entered the room and was seated with little fuss. Now I love Jaime Winstone, but if ‘Kate’ was a codename for Jaime Winstone, I was about to go berserk.

Kate Moss by Claire Kearns

Kate Moss by Gilly Rochester

The personal escort service soon turned into a scrum; somebody had clearly realised that it just wasn’t practical. I let out a huge sigh as I said to my friend ‘Well, Kate clearly isn’t coming.’ ‘What?’ my friend replied, ‘she’s over there!’ I turned to my left to study the front row. Somehow I had missed the arrival of Meg Matthews, Sadie Frost, Annabelle Neilson, James Brown, Jamie Hince and… Kate Moss. Kate FREAKIN’ Moss!

All photography by Matt Bramford

There was little fuss as I struggled to fight the urge to jump out of my seat, leap across the catwalk, gather Kate up in my arms and force her to take my hand in marriage. It all happened so quickly, and of course, now Kate had arrived, the show must go on.

James Small S/S 2012 by Gabriel Ayala

It was tricky to concentrate on the show knowing that My Kate was mere feet away, but being the consummate professional that I am, I took up my camera and started to study the clothes, being carefully to take a picture of Kate in between each look. The fashion on offer was actually great, and I don’t know why I was thinking that it might not be. The secondary venue at Fashion Scout is actually much nicer – a dark wood arch divides the old stone room, dark wood lines the floor and majestic chandeliers hover above the revellers. Models appear almost out of nowhere. You do lose sight of the models as they bound through the arch, unfortunately, but this ensured enough time to snap Kate excessively.

James Small S/S 2012 by Sam Parr

Hysteria mounted thanks to the special guests: Kate and her entourage whooped and cheered every look and wolf-whistled translucent shirts, which sent roars of laughter through the room. Last season’s sharp tailoring continued this time around, but had been given a more casual feel for the discerning gentleman who manages to looking devastatingly cool without any real effort during the summer months.

James Small S/S 2012 by Milly Jackson

Small’s mainstay silk shirts had been jazzed up with the aforementioned translucency, and romantic florals with an air of Liberty were the most aesthetically appealing pieces in the collection, particularly a shirt/shorts combination with identical print. I’m not sure I’d get away with it, but the model did with aplomb.

Small‘s sharp tailoring was dressed down with white ankle-high sports socks and Vans in varying colours – when I read this on the press release I wasn’t so sure about it, but seeing it in the flesh allowed it to make sense. Rich colours: plum and royal blue, and luxe materials: silk and velvet, made this collection Small‘s most sophisticated yet. Retaining an edge above his competitors with leopard print and camouflage short shorts, it’s Small’s sharp cuts and sophisticated tailoring that really set him above the rest. That and his stellar front row, of course.

Written by Matt Bramford on Wednesday September 28th, 2011 12:41 pm

Categories ,Annabelle Neilson, ,Antonia Parker, ,catwalk, ,Claire Kearns, ,combat, ,fashion, ,Floral prints, ,Freemasons’ Hall, ,Front Row, ,Gabriel Ayala, ,Gilly Rochester, ,illustration, ,James Brown, ,James Small, ,Jamie Hince, ,Kate Moss, ,Leopard Print, ,liberty, ,London Fashion Week, ,Meg Matthews, ,menswear, ,MenswearSS12, ,Milly Jackson, ,review, ,S/S 2012, ,Sadie Frost, ,Sam Parr, ,Silks, ,tailoring, ,The Kills, ,Translucent, ,Vans, ,Vauxhall Fashion Scout

Amelia’s Magazine | Pom-pom circumstance

We’ve seen some girls wearing them in their hair, which make a nice woolly alternative to bows, and of course the contentious scrunchie.

BIGGER:

BIGGEST:

THE KITCHEN SINK:

Don’t be wearing those in the cinema mind you.

Written by Jonno Ovans on Monday May 18th, 2009 6:13 pm

Categories ,accessories, ,catwalk, ,knitting, ,pom-poms, ,trend

Amelia’s Magazine | Maison Martin Margiela 20 at Somerset House

Illustration by Donna McKenzie

Regular readers of Amelia’s Magazine will know that we covered the Maison Martin Margiela 20 exhibition last March, when it showed in fashion capital Antwerp.

But, since it’s moved to our very own fashion capital, we thought we’d have another look, and get some of our wonderful illustrators involved!

Somerset House is quickly becoming a fashion hot spot, with the rehoming of London Fashion Week and the recent SHOWstudio sessions. It’s clear why, too – it’s bloody beautiful.

This is the third outing for the Maison Martin Margiela exhibition, after seasons in Antwerp and Munich, so actually it’s the label’s 22nd anniversary this year, but who cares? I’ll use any excuse to have a poke around a fashion archive.

Illustration by Louise McLennan

The exhibition, set in Somerset House’s lower galleries and you’d be forgiven for believing, if this building wasn’t centuries old, that the space had been purpose-built for this nostalgic trip down Margiela memory lane.

All but a couple of the rooms are white-washed in typical Margiela fashion, and while the exhibition allows us to explore the history of this conceptual and inspirational label, it still give nothing away about the elusive man himself.

Illustration by Amy Martino

Instead of being a chronological or nostalgic display, the aim of this exhbition is to explore the key themes of Maison Martin Margiela, including the inspiration behind each collection and the techniques used.

So it is the quirks that have made this brand truly unique that are given most attention. We begin with a look at the anniversary catwalk show, amongst a lot of polystyrene models, whilst mooching along a row of rather battered Tabi shoes.

Illustration by Donna McKenzie

The bulk of the exhibition explores varying collections and what made them stand out alongside so many other fashion designers of the time. Flat-pack clothing, XXXL oversized pieces, painted garments, narrow tailoring, the trench coat, and the re-visioning of old garments. We also see the evolution of Margiela’s elusivity – first it was a slash of paint across a model’s face, then a blindfold, and then the infamous sunglasses (which I was so tempted to lift I had to walk around with my hands in my pockets. Damn I wish I’d bought them – what a collector’s item).

Illustration by Farzeen Jabbar

One room is devoted to archive footage, film and photographs from across the collections – the room is dark and has white lounge chairs for you to kick back and revel in some of the most iconic fashion images of the last two decades.

Illustration by Zarina Liew

Whether you like fashion or not, I’m entirely convinced that you will love this exhibition – it breaks the boundaries of typical gallery design and it is incredibly inspirational – Go See It!

You can read a full review of the Antwerp exhibition (which was exactly the same exhibition, I promise) here.

For the all important details, visit our listings section.

Written by Matt Bramford on Monday June 14th, 2010 1:06 pm

Categories ,Amy Martino, ,antwerp, ,Birthday, ,catwalk, ,Donna McKenzie, ,Elusive, ,london, ,London Fashion Week, ,Louise McLennan, ,Maison Martin Margiela, ,Munich, ,Polystyrene, ,Showstudio, ,Somerset House, ,Tabi shoe, ,XXXL, ,Yellowbirdmachine, ,Zarina Liew

Amelia’s Magazine | PPQ: London Fashion Week A/W 2013 Catwalk Review

PPQ A/W 2013 by Jodan Webster
PPQ A/W 2013 by Jordan Wester

We waited – for what felt like hours – in the notoriously inevitable ‘PP-Queue’, but as the gorgeous PPQ party girls of all decades strutted down the runway at the BFC Courtyard Showspace I forgave all.

PPQ AW 2013 by Amelia Gregory

Design duo Percy Parker and Amy Molyneaux kept true to PPQ’s signature youthful vibe for A/W 2013, but perked things up with luxe tailoring. The colour palette was delightfully eye scorching with vibrant bursts of neon pink, banana yellow and lime green. References to various eras were made throughout the show; 60s fitted pea coats, loud 70s style graffiti print on off-the-shoulder dresses, 80s stretch velvet bodycons and 90s cut out features were all liberally featured. The models were uniform in huge tousled beehives, held delicately together with a chunky black ribbon.

PPQ AW 2013 by Amelia Gregory

Although the show was refreshing, some of the combinations were rather too garish for my liking: the neon duchess silk dresses paired with black organza felt too much like American-Prom disaster. Nonetheless, construction and tailoring were immaculate throughout.

PPQ AW 2013 by Amelia Gregory

Accessories were en-pointe in this collection; a variety of colourful heels, dramatic wide brim suede hats and luscious boxy weekender bags – personal dibs on the black one. I couldn’t have asked for a more titillating way to end the first day of London Fashion Week.

PPQ by Chloe Douglass
PPQ A/W 2013 by Chloe Douglass

PPQ AW 2013 by Amelia Gregory

All photography by Amelia Gregory

Written by Alex Kessler on Wednesday February 20th, 2013 4:56 pm

Categories ,1960, ,1970, ,1980, ,1990, ,60s, ,70s, ,80s, ,90s, ,Amy Molyneaux, ,BFC Courtyard Showspace, ,bodycon, ,catwalk, ,Chloe Douglass, ,Colour Blocking, ,Jordan Wester, ,lfw, ,London Fashion Week, ,party, ,Percy Parker, ,ppq, ,Prom, ,runway, ,Somerset House, ,tailoring

Amelia’s Magazine | Mark Fast: London Fashion Week S/S 2014 Catwalk Review

Mark Fast S/S 2014 by Krister Selin

Mark Fast‘s S/S 2014 outing at Somerset House on Saturday was a far cry from what he delivered last season. Gone were floor-sweeping full feather skirts and asymmetric capes. This season Fast returned to his figure-hugging, unforgiving knits that captured imagination and intrigue.

All photography by Matt Bramford

In my honest opinion it had all gone a bit Julien Macdonald, so I was glad to see this triumphant comeback. The Black Swan-esque skintight caps were banished and made way for enormous, backcombed, haphazard, grungy hair dos – the theme for this rave of a collection. Hedonistic techno, grunge and bright blue skies in teen shows of the 1990s all had a part to play in this collection. Acid greens and pale blues were combined to form super tight separates worn with knickers. Neon yarns had been whipped into a frenzy to create Fast‘s unique bodycon dresses, styled with chunky patent boots and black tight socks. Each piece was SO tight that it left me wondering if Fast had actually woven them around the provocative models.

Mark Fast S/S 2014 by Krister Selin

It was a colourful journey from black to the aforementioned acid greens that made way for pale, luxury blues, referencing the ‘water colour flashbacks’ of said 1990s television. I can’t put it any better than the show notes, that read that this collection was a mash up of ‘The Craft crocheted, Kurt and Courtney knitting and Aaliyah underwater’. It was an matchless mix of calm and chaos, and it looks like our love affair with the 1990s will continue for some time yet.