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

Ekaterina Kukhareva by S/S 2013 by Shy Illustrations
Ekaterina Kukhareva by S/S 2013 by Sheilagh Tighe aka Shy Illustrations.

Ukranian born Ekaterina Kukhareva is a Central Saint Martins knitwear graduate, about whom I knew nothing before this show, staged on Sunday at Freemasons’ Hall. Her psychedelic take on St Tropez high style was inspired by Brigitte Bardot, with geometric patterns gleaned from Egyptian hieroglyphs and applied to complex woven jacquards and intarsias in a range of light weight resortwear.

Ekaterina Kukhareva by S/S 2013 photography by Amelia Gregory
Ekaterina Kukhareva by S/S 2013 photography by Amelia Gregory
Ekaterina Kukhareva by S/S 2013 photography by Amelia Gregory
Ekaterina Kukhareva by S/S 2013 photography by Amelia Gregory
The designs took on a retro 60s feel in sugary shades of pink and lilac teamed with a lovely denim indigo blue. Acidic purple and orange made for a particularly eye catching combination when used for a trouser set, worn with swinging beaded earrings and contrasting blue and orange platform sandals. Somehow the briefcase that the model swung at her side seemed out of place: I can’t imagine many people wearing this to the office. Even more stunning was the knitted maxi dress that featured a huge intarsia pattern: a bright fuchsia cross across the bodice and a bold zig zag design down the centre of the skirt. The American stars and stripes appeared to have influenced the pattern on a cutout pink white and blue swimsuit and the matching beach cardigan that it was worn with. It’s not often that you see an entire range of outfits created from scratch using home spun fabrics: there were some stunning designs to be found within this aspirational collection.

Ekaterina Kukhareva by S/S 2013 photography by Amelia Gregory
Ekaterina Kukhareva by S/S 2013 photography by Amelia Gregory
Ekaterina Kukhareva by S/S 2013 photography by Amelia Gregory
Ekaterina Kukhareva by S/S 2013 photography by Amelia Gregory
Ekaterina Kukhareva by S/S 2013 photography by Amelia Gregory
Ekaterina Kukhareva by S/S 2013. All photography by Amelia Gregory.

Ekaterina Kukhareva by S/S 2013 by Shy Illustrations
Ekaterina Kukhareva by S/S 2013 by Sheilagh Tighe aka Shy Illustrations.

Categories ,Brigitte Bardot, ,Central Saint Martins, ,Ekaterina Kukhareva, ,Freemasons’ Hall, ,Goddess in St. Tropez, ,Intarsia, ,Jacquard, ,knitwear, ,lfw, ,S/S 2013, ,Sheilagh Tighe, ,Shy Illustrations, ,Ukranian

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Amelia’s Magazine | Baartmans & Siegel: London Collections Men S/S 2013 Presentation Review


Baartmans and Siegel S/S 2014 by Hannah Smith

Bright and early on the last day of London Collections: Men, I raced to Covent Garden to catch Baartmans and Siegel‘s S/S 2014 presentation.


All photography by Matt Bramford

The design duo presented this season’s wares in an unused shop on Earlham Street. Inside, their eight models stood on breeze blocks in front of stark white walls, enveloped by a jungle of plants. With A/W 2013′s collection of Arctic-worthy puffas and parkas ingrained in my mind, this was clearly a cohesive move towards spring and summer fun.

I’ve talked about the merits of a presentation vs. a catwalk show before, but this was the perfect example. If these models were to have walked past a lightning speed, you’d never get a flavour of the expert craftsmanship and hidden details that go in to a Baartmans and Siegel collection. You’re also made acutely aware that models are told to Blue Steel into your camera, which can make for hilarious results. I never, ever know what to do after they’ve shot me a look. Sometimes I nod, sometimes I smile, sometimes I pretend to fiddle with the settings on my camera; I’ve even been known to do a little bow or curtsy, which is incredibly embarrassing.

SS14′s ‘South Pacific Aviation‘ sees Wouter and Amber seek subtle inspiration from the joys of adventure and exotic escapism. With elements of military and utilitarian uniform, a resounding feature of a Baartmans and Siegel collection is always a strong focus on the beauty of textures. Rich silks, brushed cottons, jersey, perforated suede, wools – you name it, they make excellent use of it.

Basics like tees and tailored shirts came in off-white, but were dominated by a sea of varying blues and blacks for a masculine effect. Most forms of the jacket were given the B&S once-over; a bomber with silk sleeves, a trench with zip details, an elongated Harrington and parkas in paisley Broderie Anglaise.

Polos and t-shirts were layered in a loose, nonchalant way. Mesh tops added another texture, contrasting with the softness of jacket materials.

Slick, wet-look hair styles, shades and Sauconys added an extra modern dimension to Baartmans and Siegel‘s firmly established classic aesthetic.

Categories ,Baartmans and Siegel, ,Blue Steel, ,bomber, ,Covent Garden, ,Earlham Street, ,fashion, ,Hannah Smith, ,Harrington, ,LCM, ,LCMSS14, ,london, ,London Collections Men, ,Matt Bramford, ,menswear, ,military, ,parkas, ,Saucony, ,South Pacific Aviation, ,SS14

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