Fashion Month. New York, London, Milan and Paris.
I would find it difficult to believe that you could be unaware of these absolute fashion capitals, and the much-anticipated fashion weeks.
It is when designers and ‘houses’ hold runway fashion shows showcasing their new seasons to all who wish to attend- commonly journalists, celebrities and fellow fashion industry names. These collections influence the trends for the future season. The shows are often just that-shows. They can be extravagant with dramatic backdrops, like Chanel’s faux Parisian rooftop set. They are quite literally a performance. And they are quite literally the place to be.
Fashion Week has always been what attracted me to fashion so much. The allure and glamour.
If you make the front row, you’ve made it.
During each week in the different cities there are an abundance of shows. Of course, you have the big names such as ‘Prada’ and ‘Vivienne Westwood’, but it is also a time for upcoming designers to come out of the works. It is the perfect opportunity to showcase their work to the media and buyers.
There have been many iconic moments this SS20 season.
Whether it be J Lo in the revived jungle dress, or Michael Kors honouring 9/11 and American classics in his New York show. There were plenty.
Kaia Gerber in 'Alexander McQueen' PFWIf you have read my previous blog posts then you would know my advocacy of more sustainable fashion.
Dior did just that.
Well, Dior as a brand has always been inspired by flowers in their design even going back to Christian Dior. This season was no different- featuring nature-inspired motifs on the majority of garments.
The garden was a central feature as it always had been- but this time with the motive of sustainability in their show. The woodland set was lined with trees that had all come from nurseries in France, Germany and Italy that were unable to survive in their environment and needed urgent care. Dior said that their show was also in keeping with its zero-waste policy and sustainability commitment, with the rest of the set being completely recyclable and plastic-free.
It was positive in attracting attention towards the climate crisis that we are facing.
Alexander McQueen also channelled sustainability for their Paris show.
Sarah Burton used lace trimmings, and organza from previous collections to embellish this season’s new pieces.
The whole show was magnificent. I mean, did you see the dress that Kaia Gerber was wearing down the catwalk?
Exquisite.
Burton’s focus for the show was a personal touch. Everything wrong about the immediacy of fashion in this era, she tackled.
She reverted back to hand craft techniques like beetling and got every staff member at McQueen to hand embroider on two of the dresses. She was attempting to make a stand against the immediacy and production of fashion now, and Burton wanted people to have the ‘’time to make things together, the time to meet and talk together’’.
I loved her idea of incorporating community into high-fashion and really stripping it back to its original roots- handcraft and taking your time.
Life drawing sketches of Central Saint Martins students were featured as patterning on a few of the garments, the team at McQueen stitching into them. Burton primarily used linen from Northern Ireland and linen made from flax grown at a female-owned farm. Embroideries of endangered flowers were seen on a silk dress and an ivory suit.
Every detail- flawless.
You can tell that I am a fan.
Another incredible show was Moschino in Milan. Jeremy Scott did it once again.
Every season is more ‘wow’ than the last, and his ‘Picasso’ inspired SS20 topped the last yet again.
The cartoon-inspired designs were far from minimal, but that is exactly how Moschino is and what is so fabulous about the brand.
Some models were wearing frames or guitars as garments, while others were wearing dresses patterned with vibrant nuances of Picasso’s style. The models were pieces of art- quite literally.
Naomi’s Campbell’s ‘Fashion for Relief’ show is always inspiring. The notion behind so many big names in industry coming together to raise money for humanitarian causes, is so amazing. This year the cause was UNICEF, the intention being to raise money to help disadvantaged children both in London and elsewhere. It has not yet been confirmed but the figure raised is estimated to have been hundreds of thousands of pounds, all working towards supporting employability programmes for young people in London.
This was the fourteenth year of Fashion for Relief and was appropriately held in Campbell’s home of London to celebrate. The British Museum hosted the show which was an honour considering that they have not held a show there in many years.
Sponsored by Chrome Hearts and Gucci, the fundraiser attracted many big names and they came in force. Valentino, Dior, and Alexander McQueen all helped by providing the couture for the supermodels to wear when walking the runway. Those models being the likes of Stella Maxwell, Naomi Campbell herself, Jourdan Dunn as well as the eighty others.
It was quite possibly the most star-studded event at London Fashion Week.
Those were simply a few of my favourite moments of this seasons fashion month. Bring on February 2020.
DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN ANY OF THESE PHOTOGRAPHS AND ALL RIGHTS GO TO THE RESPECTIVE OWNERS.
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