Alternative Fashion Week – Day 1

So here I sit, trying and lets not be unjustly kind flailing to put my last few hours into words that will entertain, make sense and ultimately bring you back tomorrow to read the next installment. I apologies in advance for what may appear at times to be an unjustly critical view. Enough twittering I digress, today I was sat front row (Anna Wintour couldn’t make it you see) at ‘Alternative Fashion Week’. Firstly a big thank-you up to the Alternative Arts Foundation who put this event on and who were lovely enough to let me gate crash! Live music played by ‘the really tight corsets’ gave a friendly atmosphere to the normally haughtily, ‘out of your league’ fashion event and lead to quite a crowd gathered round the catwalk. A showcase of 14 up and coming designers prepped their alternative models that came in assorted shapes, sizes and stages of tattoo covered-ness in a custom built changing area (read - big white tent) outside Spitalfields market. Both girls and guys shimmied down the catwalk in various states of undress to a crowd eager to see what they will be wearing not next season but today, tomorrow and yesterday. Trendless fashion is the key to this event with style and individuality being applauded over correctly identifying the new black! Now I shown, to some extent at least, that I can place words in a coherent order so it must be time to explain what I actually saw. Hang on, just one more thing, the shows followed in quick succession one after the each other with barely a minute for me to scribble down notes so please excuse the briefness of write ups.

Chantal Gibbs – Jones collection was the Hummingbird Bakery personified and let me just say, it was delicious! Pink lips, tight curls, puffed sleeves, pastel frosting and not a packed of sweet’n’low in sight, these were pure unadulterated cupcake cuties complete with candy and cup cake carriers. Okay so it’s not my thing and after the fourth 50’s style print dress I did feel a little nauseated but I cannot deny the market appeal of a women licking butter icing off her finger.

Lisa Tran presented us with an underwear selection that would make any man cum in his pants with a flash of purple satin. I wouldn’t go so far as to call it bondage lingerie but the multi strap panties definitely suggests the wearer has more than one use for her Hermes scarf. In keeping with the current idea of underwear as outerwear she also showed long line bras with embroidery that is too beautiful to be kept under wraps.

Sini Moilanen, um yuck! Okay so here is where my opinion could lead to trouble it wasn’t bad it was just dull, when I agreed to attend alternative fashion week I was expecting something different to the Topshop concessions floor. This collection was supposed to represent evolution yet it contained nothing more than a few oversized jersey dress things covered in a splatter of paint and she used lilac, I could never be friends with someone who enjoys lilac!

When I heard over the PA that this collection was influenced by the documentary ‘Grey Gardens’ I sat up a little straighter, camera poised to capture something truly fabulous. Alas Anna Wilkinson seemed to have chickened out of full blown Beale Mania – the head scarves were there, there was a bit of clashing print but in general it was just a random mix of vintage clothing. This leads me to the rather strange question of what did she actually design? According to my press release she was ‘heavily influenced by old textiles and traditional hand knitting techniques’ so my guess is that her items were cleverly hidden between moth eaten garments found down her local charity shop.

Chloe Haywood amused me with her collection of hats, fascinators and hair accessories that ranged from a windmill-spinning flower thingy to a pile of Lego’s big brother – Duplo!!!!! Now before I begin a rant on Duplo (and how it has been left forgotten at the bottom of the toy box when it should have pride of place in the nursery’s of our children!) I would like to praise Chloe for the wear ability she brings to a market that has been taken over by Lady Gaga’s lobster wearing antics. I will be putting my order in for the slinky fascinator when payday comes around!

Half naked, hot man wearing a skirt? No I’m not discussing Marc Jacob as he unfortunately always remembers to put a shirt on before taking to the stage but a collection done by Richard Evans-Lacey. Described as ‘London kilts for the man about town’ this was a rather enjoyable and definitely alternative to those crisp, well-cut suits that Mrs Prada insists on sending down the runway. They came in zebra, camo, tweed, floral and even British flag varieties with useful pockets for your phone, cigarettes and lipstick in my case – are these really just for boys?

City and Islington College showed us their take on the classic housewife’s apron, it was fun, cute and badly made, oh god who am I to criticize the last thing I sewed was pair of curtains that aren’t quite straight! So not as durable as your wax covered Cath Kidson variety but they defiantly tempted me to do some cleaning which is more than anyone else has ever managed to do.

Laura Theiss seems to have a rather deluded sense of what makes a strong female, her collection depicting the journey of a Japenese Samurai in to a modern day woman was not quite to my taste. It was kind of like when you first learnt to make pom poms and you had them attached to everything you owned combined with up do. No that’s not fair, it was pretty good if you look past the multicolored balls of wool, the items were extremely detailed and combined with a simple outfit could definitely work.

When ever I see the word opulence I must admit to getting rather excited, my mission to find the perfect brocade trousers has not yet begin completed and I was hopeful that Beatrice Korlekie Newman could help me. Unfortunately no trousers to tickle my fancy but the webbing and beading detail made her collection the beautiful baby of Mark Fast and Dries Van Noten, a surprisingly winning combination.

How many times can one re work the lbd? In the case of Kensington & Chelsea College 10 plus room for more. A patchwork black satin number that wouldn’t have looked out of place in a Junya Watanabe collection walked next to a creation that involved what looked like a complex set of pulley’s. It was heavy on the corset dresses with full skirts but even with this parade of black I was impressed and entertained.

Sketchers and I are never in the same room by choice and when they are on the feet of models that just so happen to be at my eye level I have to admit I find it a little distracting. That said Olga Shishkina’s use of metallic organza really was a joy to behold, with a color pallet of green, grey and dusty pink she created both beautiful shapes and fluid movement. It was a real ‘collection’ that covered all aspects of the wardrobe (if we ignore below the ankles) and finishing with a fantastic maxi dress does wonders in my eyes.

Where ever Charlotte Haggerty grew up was disappointingly monotone, her press release promises sensory overload but I have to say I was not over whelmed. It was a collection of printed dresses, leggings and tee’s but thankfully with an amazing fringed black jacket to save me from total boredom.

Lady Lucie oh how I love thee, this jersey-loving girl has been converted to a latex loving lady! No scary gimps suits here instead an adorable purple prom dress complete with cream bow, black and white polka dot skull number and mint green leggings with pink stars, braces and just in case you were a little disappointed about the lack of sex appeal - nipple tassels! Black, white, green, blue who knew latex came in such rainbow of colors! Hooray for skintight my trackies have officially been binned!

Heidi Wikar reminds me of a bright yellow umbrella that I once had – it was literally my sunshine on a rainy day! Never have I wanted a waterproof jacket so much, her array of light weight, weather resistant items we breathtaking. The way they caught the breeze as the girls walked, the abstract quilting and pops of color all got me rather excited, plus the whole collection fits into a 20kg rucksack!

Is it obvious which one was my favorite? Haha, urgh I am running out of well interesting things to say and it’s only day 1, tomorrow I maybe begin an ‘out of 10’ system! Also I believe this assignment is going to be detrimental to my bank balance with many of the designers having stalls at the Spitalfields market!