A closer look at London Fashion Week

Aminaka Wilmont
The Scandinavian duo Maki Aminaka and Marcus Wilmont continued their well known æsthetic in their autumn–winter 2011–12 show, through the use of graphic prints, and tailoring mixed with drapery. This season was inspired by primitivism, subtraction and totemic tribes. The asymmetric hemlines, halter-neck dresses and punchy purple and white prints carry through the tribal æsthetic, but it disappears with the introduction of avant-garde tailored pieces such as leather jackets and leather shorts. Wool knits and chunky bird-head inspired silver rings and necklaces feature, but the asymmetric-cut leather jackets, some with toscana shearling make the strongest statements.

John Rocha
Click on the Lucire TV icon to watch John Rocha’s show on video.

John Rocha described the inspiration behind this men’s and women’s collection to come from his love of texture, the dark paintings of Pierre Soulages, and wild and barren Icelandic landscapes. Heavy wool and chunky knits, looped yarn, tweed, fur and shearling have been contrasted and even complemented against each other. He describes one of his key pieces to be a hand-crochet jacket—‘the surface densely worked in tumbles and loops of uncombed yarn and tassels of silk and cashmere, with a shearling collar.’ Large and heavily detailed headpieces are accompanied by chunky, metallic silver clutches, and silhouette proportions are drastically distorted on coats by the use of exaggerated collars, tied-in waists and extended shoulder lines, fitted to pronounced sleeves.

Betty Jackson
There is no shortage of shape and volume at the Betty Jackson autumn–winter 2011–12 show. From cocoon-shaped jackets mixed with soft silk, straight maxi skirts to blazers with overhanging shoulders and large waist pockets. A shocking scarlet is predominant in a variety of fleeced boiled wool, wool crêpe, silk, leather and chunky knit. This is mirrored against nude ensembles such as a beige, floor-length jumper dress that is set off by thick, multi-coloured striped socks and patent T-bar sandals. Large flower textiles also feature along with red floral hairpieces, studded with diamantes. Even though the fabrics used are classic and the floral textile tame, bold colour and experimentation of shape keep this collection contemporary.

Pringle of Scotland
Clare Waight Keller, for Pringle of Scotland, may have listed ‘attic chic, multi-mix jacquards and early 1970s silhouettes’ behind her inspiration, but there's a definite æsthetic of folk craft coming through from the heavily patterned wool knits which dominate this season’s collection. There is a play on mixing and matching different patterns and weights of knit on garments such as blanket wrap capes, ponchos, shift dresses and wrap-around fringed skirts, all finished with tied and twisted tassels along hemlines. Long, straight, high necked over-coats in wool or tweed, some with fur embellishments, flared tweed trousers and laser cut leather trimmings were shown in muted fall shades of silver grey, rust, burgundy and contrasted with a splash of teal.

Maria Grachvogel
Models worked the grandeur of the Lancaster Ball Room at the Savoy in soft silks, wool, lace and fur trim. Sleeveless V-neck silk blouses with dropped armholes in a cowl finish, paired with high-wasted, loose dress pants and long slim-line, V-neck dresses with the same armhole finish glided past the crowd, followed by cat-suits which feature in every collection. Grachvogel is described by many as an architect for the female form, who has developed her own signature pants, cut without side seams and work to give the appearance of slimmer hips and lengthened legs. Her well known print technique known as artwork print, where she hand-paints each textile then digitally prints them, features on several softly billowing skirts and sleeveless blouses. This season’s woman is dark and brooding with a slightly sinister tension, evident in the deep plum lips and tightly wound top-knot buns finished with escaping shards of hair.

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