Dear Pennies & Pens,
So this may seem strange coming from a girl from Ohio who used to live in NYC who now lives in Texas, but, I think I was English in another life. My BFF is always telling me that I must be British because I love tea and I have that sarcastic humor the Brits are known for. That said, it should be no surprise to you that I am quite obsessed with British Fashion and London Fashion Week.
But enough of my babbling, let’s get to the purpose of this post! London Fashion Week happens twice a year to showcase the Fall/Winter and Spring/Summer collections from leading womenswear and accessories designers.
Most of the designers who show at London Fashion Week are English but there is definitely some diversity as far as designers’ ethnic backgrounds. London Fashion Week includes a variety of events like runway shows, presentations, installations, showrooms, and parties.
This past September, London Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2015 collections were debuted to the fashion elite. Below, I’m going to list out 8 designers’ collections that really resonated with me. The designers and brands I’m featuring are the ones who had spot on collections meaning there was not one piece, color, or fabric used that I did not like. With no further adieu, see below!
1. DAKS – DAKS is an iconic British luxury label that offers fine tailoring and accessories for men and women. DAKS was founded in 1894 by Simeon Simpson. Since then the DAKS name has become synonymous with British heritage, style, and elegance. Currently, DAKS is being designed by Creative Director, Filippo.
The Spring/Summer 2015 collection was beautiful, classic, and unique. My favorite look was this bluish/purple/gray top and pants. I love this look because it was fresh, interesting, and wearable. It can be hard to balance the line between wearable art and style and this look gives you both. Check the rest of the collection here: DAKS.com/SS2015
2. Holly Fulton – Holly Fulton was born in Edinburgh, UK and studied at Edinburgh College of Art and The Royal College of Art. Holly has received major awards such as the Swarovski Award for emerging talent in accessories at the 2009 British Fashion Awards and the ELLE award for New Designer 2010.
For Spring/Summer 2015, Holly presented a phenomenal collection that included her trademark graphic prints. The details in Holly’s collection are what made me fall in love with it. I’m normally anti prints because they can go so terribly wrong but game recognizes game with this collection. With this collection, Holly proves that the devil is in the details.
I loved the colors in the collection as well. I love seeing colors on the runway, it brings the show to life. Bravo to Holly on this one because it was pretty #bossy. Check out the full collection here: hollyfulton.com/SS15
3. Jasper Conran – Jasper Conran is a British designer who launched his line in 1978. Since that time, Jasper has created costumes for ballets, plays, and operas as well as expanding his label to include menswear, fragrances, accessories, collections for the home, and a diffusion line.
Jasper is currently celebrating 30 years in the business and was recently appointed Chairman of The Conran Shop. Jasper was also one of the founding members of the London Designer Collections which was renamed London Fashion Week.
For Spring/Summer 2015, Jasper showed a collection that had color, cool shapes, and fun prints. My favorite looks were the printed pieces. These pieces were chic and stylish, the print looks to be painted on and it gives the designs a unique look. I also adored the colors in the collection, there was green, navy blue, chocolate brown, and white. Overall, it was a stunning collection. Check it out here: JasperConran.com/SS2015.
4. Lucas Nascimento – Lucas Nascimento is a Brazilian designer who’s been showing at London Fashion Week since 2011. Having graduated from the London College of Fashion in 2008, his designs are modern takes on classic signatures. Lucas has been awarded the NEWGEN sponsorship by the British Fashion Council to present his collections since 2011.
This season for Spring/Summer 2015, Lucas presented a collection that was full of bright colors with some seriously sick draping and cutting. What I loved about the collection was that it reshaped clothing but not in a way that was too “out there” or difficult to understand.
My favorite look was the first look, it mixed different shades of orange, had cool cutting details, and three different types of fabric. Lucas definitely understands how to use color like his contemporary Carlos Miele. Check out the full collection here: LondonFashionWeek.co.uk/LucasNascimento
5. Matthew Williamson – Matthew Williamson was born in Manchester in 1971. At 17, he was offered a place on the fashion degree course at Central Saint Martins. Matthew graduated in 1994 with a BA in Fashion Design and Printed Textiles in 1994.
In 1997, he debuted his first collection with Kate Moss, Helena Christensen and Jade Jagger modeling pieces from the collection. Since his debut, Matthew has continued to present innovative collections.
For the Spring/Summer 2015 collection, Matthew was inspired by David Bailey’s shots of Marie Helvin in his book, Chasing Rainbows. The collection is about portraying the carefree attitude of a long, hot summer. The collection also portrays femininity and ease of movement.
With cool details like draping, pleating, and waterfall ruffles, it was an interesting collection. What I loved about the collection were the colors and the floral patterns. It was pretty, fun, and chic. Check it out here: matthewwilliamson.com/SS2015
6. Margaret Howell – Margaret Howell was born in Surrey, England in 1969. Margaret Howell is a talented British designer who started her career designing accessories and later menswear. Margaret now designs menswear, womenswear as well as products for the home.
Margaret earned her Fine Art Degree from Goldsmiths College at the University of London. She was previously nominated for Designer of the Year by Grace Coddington. Margaret has stores in the UK and Japan and employs 350 people worldwide.
For the Spring/Summer 2015 collection, Margaret kept the color palette simple by only using black, taupe, grey, and white. However, it was still a visually stimulating collection and you can see where her menswear background comes into play.
Standout looks include an all black ensemble with a Charlie Chaplin-esque hat, an off white long sleeve top and white skirt, and a white collared shirt and gray pants. Check out the full collection here: LondonFashionWeek.co.uk/MargaretHowell
7. Roksanda Ilincic – Roksanda studied Architecture and Applied Art in her native Belgrade prior to earning a Masters degree in womenswear from Central Saint Martins. Roksanda has been showing at London Fashion Week since 2005.
Roksanda’s designs are sold at Barneys, Net-A-Porter, and Harvey Nichols. Roksanda has also amassed a celebrity following with First Lady of the US Michelle Obama, Actresses Amy Adams and Keira Knightley, and Emma Stone wearing her pieces to various events.
For the Spring/Summer 2015 collection, it was all about color, shapes, and draping! The colors in this collection are what caught my eye. There’s blue, red, black, pink, and blue. I loved the way the colors were mixed and how the fabric was draped to create truly innovative looks. I adored the whole collection, it was truly exquisite! Check it out here: roksanda.com
8. Anya Hindmarch – Anya Hindmarch started her label in 1987. Since that time the brand has grown enormously with 58 stores globally. The Anya Hindmarch brand is known for beautiful craftsmanship, understated branding, and exceptional quality. That said, it’s no surprise that the brand counts The Duchess of Cambridge, Anne Hathaway, and Angelina Jolie as supporters.
For the Spring/Summer 2015 collection, Anya proved that “bags have feelings too” as evidenced by the handbag pictured below. The collection was both fun and fresh. It reminded me of all the fun parts of pop culture.
I love it when designers can make me laugh and think with their original designs. This collection will definitely make you do the same. Check it out here: LondonFashionWeek.co.uk/AnyaHindmarch
And there it is. de la Pen…All Pen Everything.
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