London Fashion Week: effortless femininity

Jaeger London

The beauty was in the detail for Jaeger’s collection. Pleats, lace, bows, buttons, binding, scalloped skirts and cut-work stood out.

This collection is easily transferable from day to night. The collection consisted of block colour soft caramel hues that were again used to complement culottes, A-line skirts and jackets, but before this, the designer showed pastel mint, baby pink, saffron yellow and coral pink clothing.

The hats have a Spanish influence, and the block shoes and oversized handbags portrayed spring and summer. The overall collection is beautifully modest and cute, accessible to any age or time of day.

Jasper Conran

Jasper Conran’s high-impact collection showed simple, geometric elegance. His clean lines and lean silhouettes create a classic yet contemporary edge.

Alluding to sportswear in style, Conran is still able to bring a dramatic flash of flesh with by plunging necklines and full-length splits down the leg. Billowing fabric and cutout back detailing make this show stand out. There are also interesting geometric patterns placed against sheer fabric.

The effective colour palette consisted of monochrome shades with bursts of pinks and reds.

John Rocha

John Rocha’s spring–summer 2012 collection projects tough romanticism inspired by mythical warrior women. Staying true to his subdued colour palette of blacks, off-whites, golds and rose, the attention is on the very textural and sculptural elements in this collection.

Rocha has used complementary and contrasting combination of fabrics to blur the line between fierce and feminine. Sheer ruffled dresses, silk georgette and organza floated beautifully off the body. Sweeps of pleats and panel lines delicately contoured the body. Soft and fluid dresses are dominant in this range. The hems have multiple lengths. The collection also has feathery, bark-like textures that refer to woodland creatures. There is a beautiful combination of crochet, sheepskin, ribbons and sculpted raffia.

Rocha emphasized the strength of the mythical warrior though the use of styling. The headpieces formed a horn-like æsthetic that extends the length of the back creating a strong silhouette for the beautiful feminine creatures. The wind-swept, long, plaited hair strongly references the traditional warrior. The make up is nude and androgynous.

The look was finished off with a clompy wedge shoe for a textured, feathery and strong look. John Rocha’s collection portrays power in femininity. •

Jasper Conran

Jaeger London



John Rocha

London Fashion Week spring–summer 2012, day 2 videos
Video from day two of London Fashion Week: DAKS, Clements Ribeiro, Ashish, Julien Macdonald, Jasper Conran, Emilio de la Morena, Jaeger London, House of Holland, J. W. Anderson, John Rocha, Issa, Jonathan Saunders, Vivienne Westwood and others