JoJo’s London Fashion Week Diary February 2005 – Day 2

John Rocha

Day 2 and another early start for the John Rocha show. Like Jenny Packham he picked his regular catwalk haunt the Ballroom at Claridge’s to present his autumn/winter installment. Using predominantly black Rocha explores his love of travel and crafts with a nod to tribal Africa and classic English gent style. Intricate crochet, arty appliques and soft gathers are contrasted against leathers, military styling and English brogues. Not forgetting to mention the oversized necklaces and wooden bracelets piled all the way up the arm. John Rocha’s collection is a cultural melting pot with a sumptuous play on textures and masculine dressing.  

Ashish

Back at the tents and Ashish continued his love affair with strong colour and bold print. Designers this season, it seems, can’t get enough of sparkly sequins and that includes iridescent ones as used by Ashish. From tweed to lace to cottons, pretty much everything got showered in the stuff. Collarless overcoats, 80s style sweaters and 50s full skirts received the Ashish print treatment. Multi-coloured stripes, graphic squares and skeletal shapes all screamed for attention against a base tone of black. While black leggings, stiletto heels and pinned-up hair provided the styling details.  

Gharani Strok – Ruby in the Dust

Gharani Strok has become synonymous with sexy, feminine clothes that can count the likes of Madonna, Gwyneth Paltrow and Sarah-Jessica Parker amongst its clients. While the photographers made a huge flash-bulb fuss over front row sitters Lady Victoria Hervey, Lisa B and Lisa Snowdon – announcements informed the packed tent of a backstage delay. After what seemed like an age the show finally got underway with Naomi Campbell working the catwalk. (Was she the reason for the delay the audience collectively thought?) The design duos signature style was combined with folkloric influences and a good dose of shimmering sequins. Delicate chiffon dresses in soft shades of cream, pink, green and chocolate brown were styled with wide waist-cinching belts, fur hats and round-toe stiletto-heel boots. Cosy fur jackets enveloped the body while gilets were brought up-to-date with the addition of hoods. Details included patchwork, floral prints, billowing sleeves, ruffles and beading while the silhouettes often looked back to the 30s.

 

Eley Kishimoto Ellesse

 

Giving us all a little respite from the conventional catwalk Eley Kishimoto Ellesse put on a witty theatre style show featuring Percy the Penguin and some incredibly cool ski-wear. Held at Conway Hall in Red Lion Square, the stage curtains drew back to reveal a snowy scene and a rather lonely looking Percy stood next to a wooden ski hut. A party ensues and soon Percy is joined by a bevy a models entering and exiting via the ski hut door. Injecting a serious amount of high fashion quirkiness into a variety of retro-esque skiwear pieces the collection included; salopettes, padded nylon jackets, all-in-ones and skinny ski pants. There was plenty to wear off-piste too, with baby-doll dresses, cropped trousers and knitwear, while the Eley-style prints arrived in the form of penguins and snow capped mountain ranges.   

  

 

Rubecksen Yamanaka

 

Last season Fashion Fringe proved to be one of the biggest highlights of London Fashion Week. The winners Basso & Brooke caused near mayhem yesterday when the location of their first on-schedule show proved too small to accommodate all the fashion pack. (I wisely stayed away.) Runners-up Sinha-Stanic also received plenty of industry attention, while Fringe finalists – Rubecksen Yamanaka quietly put on their presentation at the Royal Academy. Established in 2002 the label consists of design duo – Hilde Rubecksen and Tomoko Yamanaka. The pair have rapidly developed their beautifully peculiar style that uses top quality fabrics and yarns. Their latest collection is inspired by camels, gloves and the Belgian artist Marcel Broodthaers’ Jardin d’Hiver. Offbeat and yet highly wearable the collection includes thick corduroy blazers, camel hair coats, cropped trousers and silk chiffon dresses. The quirkiness is in the detail where you’ll find gloves incorporated into tops, three sleeve sweaters and playful camel patterns. Overall the collection had a slight masculine edge in key shades of white, cream, beige, brown and black.

 

Fashion East – Richard Nicoll

 

Moving well into the night it seemed appropriate that Fashion East opted to show in a nightclub under London Bridge station. Selected by the Fashion East panel for a 3^rd season Richard Nicoll opened the proceedings with his latest autumn/winter collection. Wearable, contemporary separates such as wide-leg trousers, cable knits and drainpipe jeans were teamed-up with gathered and pleated shapes. Fabrics were threaded through oversized Perspex and mirrored cubes which were also combined with large beads to create unique accessories. Keeping the palette autumnal Nicoll presented his most polished collection to date.

 

 

 

Fashion East – Gareth Pugh

 

Drama – fashion folk love it. And Gareth Pugh certainly provided it. Graduating from St Martins a couple of years ago he has already become known on the scene for his highly imaginative inflatable pieces. Exploring the space around the body as opposed to the body itself Pugh got the audience cheering and clapping as each model emerged on the catwalk. Dramatic capes and hoods borrowed from Pied Piper influences, while slinky catsuits, pom-poms and human hair were just a handful of elements thrown into the mix. Over-sized and in-your-face this mostly black collection ended with a blow-up creation that was sheer theatrical fun.

 

 

 

 

By JoJo Iles