LONDON FASHION WEEK
Spring/Summer 2024:
ERDEM, Simone Rocha, Molly Goddart,
JW Anderson, Roksanda and Edward Crutchley
With the Focus Squarely on Textile Surface Design, LFW Showcased a Range of Tactile Patterning – from Digital Prints of Opulent Country Houses at ERDEM to Graphic AI-Generated Nudes at Edward Crutchley.
At Erdem
Image Credit London Fashion Week and Vogue
As New York Fashion Week drew to a close the fashion brigade and their entourage hopped across the Atlantic to London Fashion Week … and brought with them just a few supermodels. Remember them? The ones who wouldn’t get out of bed for under £10 000 a day? Somewhat more mature – but as statuesque and glamorous as per a few decades ago, these icons strutted their stuff on the catwalk, to huge aplomb: Cindy Crawford in a semi-transparent Versace dress, Linda Evangelista in a sequinned Valentino halter neck dress, Kirsty Turlington in a sleek silver Fendi and Naomi Campbell looked ravishing in a slashed metallic emerald Alexander McQueen dress.
As for the design extravaganza, the heavyweights of British fashion were well represented – the likes of JW Anderson, ERDEM, Simone Rocha, Roksanda, Edward Crutchley, Molly Goddart, Phoebe English, David Koma, Simone Rocha, Burburry and Sinead O’Dwyer presented exquisite collections, many of which featured extraordinary patterning. Famous Scandi brand Holzweiler also made an entrance this year – a quality newcomer to LFW, that’s for sure! All in all, it was great to see London Fashion Week firing on all cylinders.
We invite you to sit back and enjoy our selection of the best of the best of the shows.
Image Credit Yahoo Life
The Supermodels reunite for London Fashion Week
ERDEM
Watch ERDEM’s show here:
Season after season Erdem Moralioglu has the uncanny ability to press exactly the right buttons for the zeitgeist, and this time around was no different. Just as we’re longing for exotic escapism, for that shabby chic nostalgia of bygone days, he gives us opulent prints, flouncy voluminous skirts and inspired colour combinations. And to top it all off, he added a hint of haphazard recycling to the mix – again, totally in sync with the current mood for conscious sustainability in our wardrobes.
The late Scottish aristocrat and model Stella Tennant’s grandmother Deborah ‘Debo’ Cavendish (who married the Duke of Devonshire and lived at Chatsford House) was the inspiration for the collection, according to the designer. And an English affair it was! The collection celebrates her love for 50s silhouettes – ballgowns, skirts, opera coats, her penchant for bug jewels – dragonfly brooches and tiaras, and for Elvis Presley in a decadent rhinestone-embellished emerald green leather jacket.
The fabrics have an endearing threadbare quality to them, misprints of country houses are juxtaposed with huge florals, patchwork and quilting sit side by side, cute little co-ord bra-lets and pencil skirts are finished off with a 50s style cardies draped nonchalantly over the shoulders, lacy transparent skirts and chinzy ballgowns tell a story of eccentric opulence. The colour combinations, too, are a thing of wonder: shocking pink, black and emerald work beautifully together, as do the classic black and white and autumn shades.
A standout collection is Erdem’s SS 2024 tribute to Debo, and most certainly one for the already-converted Erdem groupies, but it will also speak to a brand new set of (younger) fans who will be seduced by the effortless glamour, the romance and ‘now’-quality of this offering.
At Erdem
At Erdem
At Erdem
At Erdem
At Erdem
At Erdem
At Erdem
At Erdem
At Erdem
ROKSANDA
Watch a snippet of Roksanda’s show here.
Most uncharacteristically the queen of colour-blocking kicked off her show with a non-colour – black! A demure black couture coat with a tall draped architectural headdress … and she instantly got everyone’s attention.
And after the black spell came a palette of enchanting shades – from cobalt blue to tangerine, lime to lavender. A lovely touch to this collection is her tribute to her native Belgrade, the tall hats inspired by the priests in the monasteries.
These dresses, asymmetrical and statuesque, with features like only one shoulder, are simply marvel-worthy. They’re fit for any classical Greek goddess – and will most certainly make any mortal feel celestial and empowered- Draped, voluminous, slashed, sculptural and fluid – this is Roksanda Ilincic territory, and indeed Roksanda at her very, very best.
At Roksanda
At Roksanda
At Roksanda
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At Roksanda
SIMONE ROCHA
Spring was most certainly on Rocha’s mind when she conceived of this collection! Oversized fabric-constructed rose roses – some so sizable they are the entire miniskirt – gave way to realistic roses with buds, petals and long stems as the show progressed – these often placed under sheer fabric for effect, with plenty ribbons and extra-large bows for good measure.
Swirly embellishments that resemble old-fashioned cake decorations were seen on transparent organza blouses, shirts and crinoline skirts. Silver metallic foil trousers, shorts, jackets (some artfully slashed to reveal the sheer fabric below) and silver bags contrasted wonderfully well with the translucent fabrics they’re paired with. Many of the ensembles were grounded in rather clunky, solid pieces of footwear – trainers, platforms and even the controversial crocs made their debut.
Pastels of sky blue, ballet pink, beige, grey and soft green and primary reds, blacks and whites vied for position across both men’s and women’s ranges. It was the men’s pieces that stood out in what is a beautiful collection. Elegant co-ords – a camel shirt and trouser suit embellished with huge bows, and a mustard PVC safari made us gasp with joy!
At Simone Rocha
At Simone Rocha
At Simone Rocha
At Simone Rocha
At Simone Rocha
At Simone Rocha
At Simone Rocha
At Simone Rocha
MOLLY GODDART
Molly Goddart’s signature frothy tulle skirts have had a few reincarnations; frilly and effervescent they still are, but the silhouettes have somewhat evolved this season: some are maxi, some super short, some come with a dropped waist, others are ruched, many are dirndl-shaped, others still have a distinct 1920s feel to them rather than the trademark 1950s nipped-in-the-waist looks we’ve seen in previous seasons.
Sheer corseted tops and bra-lets rubbed shoulders with semi-transparent lingerie, Goddart’s beloved cardies were buttoned at the top framing these. Hand-knitted twinset ensembles were paired with plaid skirts – just adorable! Many of the washed-out prints have an endearing vintage quality to them, they look like they’ve seen many parties in their lifetime! This is a collection of pieces that are bound to become one’s best friends.
At Molly Goddart
At Molly Goddart
At Molly Goddart
At Molly Goddart
At Molly Goddart
At Molly Goddart
At Molly Goddart
JW ANDERSON
Watch JW Anderson’s show here:
A collection with a definite sense of playfulness and ‘street’ about it! Pops of colour – turquoise, cobalt, emerald, pillar box red, sunshine yellow in bright PVC, crochet knits and cotton made up the eclectic range of hoodies, trapeze dresses, ‘bandage’ dresses, trench coats, cargo pants and feather-embellished bombers, most of which were fashioned across different colour ways. The bolder shades often gave way to soft pastels, which are equally covetable. The designer summarises his offering as “Finding the strangeness in the mundane” – very apt indeed.
These fun pieces are solidly anchored in ‘sensible’ footwear that ranges from heavy 70s style clogs to flat sandals and moccasins. All-in-all, it’s a collection that is unmistakably JW Anderson – both forward-thinking and thought-provoking – while being cognisant that fashion should never be taken too seriously.
At JW Anderson
At JW Anderson
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EDWARD CRUTCHLEY
Watch Edward Crutchley’s show here:
Allegedly Edward Crutchley prompted AI to design a collection entitled ‘Medieval people on a fashion photoshoot in the style of Steven Meisel.’
Of course the designer had a hand in getting these designs honed and onto the runway, and the result is pretty awe-inspiring. Mostly in a graphic black and white combination – with a few exceptions – these graphic digital prints and knits have a medieval feel to them, with their harlequin and trapeze-shapes, tiered frills and stripes. (Even the runway soundtrack had decidedly medieval vibes!)
Meisel’s 90s influence is also loud and clear in the flamboyance of the broad-shouldered jackets and sportwear.
At Edward Crutchley
At Edward Crutchley
At Edward Crutchley
At Edward Crutchley
At Edward Crutchley
