If there’s one thing I wouldn’t recommend, it’s being hungover at a fashion show. Although I suspect many of the impossibly stylish fashion folk at last Sunday’s Topshop Unique show were also battling with the previous nights intoxicants still very much flowing in their bloodstream, they didn’t show it. Or perhaps they were as fresh faced as they looked and I am merely trying to make myself feel a little less like an irresponsible teenager who wishes she had listened to her mother’s advice before going out without any dinner and consuming a tragically juvenile mix of cheap wine and tequila. (Except I’m not a teenager and I don’t live with my mum. Just to clarify)
But I digress. I thought it important to set the scene so you can share in my discomfort as I tottered (I was of course wearing heels, on a Sunday no less) to the entrance of the Topshop venue (a cavernous warehouse space in the University of Westminster) where I was accosted by photographers eager to ‘pap’ me. Surprised, I blithely obliged (hoping they couldn’t see the beginning of a sweat breaking on my brow) and tried to look like this happened to me all the time. Needless to say, it doesn’t.
So, it seemed the glamour of fashion week wasn’t merely a myth. And as I handed my ticket to the doorman and made my way into the throng of beautiful people awaiting this much anticipated show, everything we mere mortals see, read or here about fashion shows appeared to be true. Waiters handed out portions of broccoli and stilton bake or fish pie (both of which I politely refused, attempting to explain my delicate situation to the waitress. She was neither impressed nor interested) and glasses of champagne and fruity cocktails. As people air kissed their way around the room to their seats, where a boxed pair of leather gloves awaited every guest, Alexa, Pixie and Kelly strode in to take up their places in the front row.
And so the show began. Long liquorice legs wrapped in glossy black leather sashayed down the catwalk one by one, while loose fitting girly chiffon blouses billowed over the top. Giant pockets added interest to skirts and sweaters which appeared in a muted palette of mushroom grey, buttermilk cream and chocolate brown. Seventies inspired A-line skirts were worn on the hips, hitting just below the knee to create a relaxed, languid silhouette and oversized charcoal jumpers in textured wool and jackets with sheepskin panelling looked appealingly cosy. But it was the long sleeved organza dresses, covered in abstract graphic prints that really caught my eye. The flirty thigh skimming pleated skirts, teamed with a demure high neck and covered arms made these dresses a realistic sartorial choice. In fact, leather trousers aside, the majority of the Topshop Unique show was extremely wearable and could have been lifted straight from the catwalk and into my wardrobe. Thank you very much.
The same couldn’t necessarily be said of the Ann Sofie-Back collection which showed in the same location. Known for designing pieces that challenge our perceptions of femininity and the way women dress, this season’s collection focused on society’s overwhelming obsession with celebrity. (An interesting concept for a week that relies upon a frenzied media circus? Or too ironic for its own good? I’m undecided.) Models wore large white T-shirts branded with pixeled images of magazine titles under oversized mannish blazers. Meanwhile dresses had large pieces missing, supposedly emulating the vintage gown Kate Moss ripped at a party last year – as the catwalk show wore on, so the dresses became more and more non-existent. And in a nod towards Ms Winehouse shirts were splattered with stains reminiscent of blood, which may be one trend I choose to opt out of.
The Junky Styling Show Off on Brick Lane last week was a totally different, and welcome, take on Fashion Week. Unsure of what to expect, I was more than pleasantly surprised when I was ushered into the venue ahead of the spiralling queue to my table replete with complimentary booze. Created by best friends Annika Sanders and Kerry Seager seven years ago, Junky Styling deconstructs charity shop finds and twists them into new tailored pieces. Their autumn/winter collection was an intimate affair, (I was definitely sitting too close to one woman who was getting very excited at the passing models) and had a decidedly couture feel to it. As we were serenaded by a live female artist, a number of different and varying looks were modelled to us at our tables. From a quilted navy bodice to an extravagant dress constructed from numerous trench coats, the pieces were fascinating if not entirely practical. However a taupe pinafore with puffball skirt could have been worn without too many backward glances as could almost all of the menswear. With eco-fashion having its moment in the spotlight right now, Junky Styling are hitting the right note with their recycled clothes. However, I can’t help but feel there is only so much you can do with shirt sleeves and lapels – I’ll be interested to see what these two come up with next year.
Tags: Ann-Sofie Back, Junky Styling, London Fashion Week, Topshop Unique
