GFW 09 – Liverpool University

Each intricately patterned with a line drawing and embellished delicately with sparkle, it managed to jump up the sophistication ladder pretty fast. There has been an obscene amount of sequins and glitter this week and coming from a girl who can not resist the stuff, is a statement indeed, but for my Lucy balanced it perfectly. The body of the collection had a monochrome palette with plenty of lighter, muted, pastels, again the dove grey, cream, mauve and light blue that his been so incredibly popular this week. I adored the little sparkly skirt, that unlike some of its counterparts this week, looked grown up and sassy, paired simply with a well cut and well designed camisole. The slashed back, print dresses, showed how well the collection had been thought out, right to its finer detail and for me this was one of my favourite textile based collections of the week.

Emily Earnshaw gave us new takes of simple shapes and it was like a whole new wardrobe of the best basics ever made. There were well tailored trousers and gorgeous tops that all had an air simplicity about them, however the fabric manipulation involved, created quirky silhouettes and great wardrobe staples.

Samantha Blackhall blew me away though and I really wanted to give her a standing ovation all on my own! Inspired by 'structured, form-fitting, glamour and architecture', this sculpturally fantastic collection was, in my opinion, in a league of its own. It was so clever and resourceful in its silhouette approach and I loved the front, intricate, weave stripes, the piping style embellishment, that not only enhanced the shape, but did indeed create the silhouette for the garment. While cap sleeves stayed on trend, with lovely square shapes, there were body con dresses and tulip shape skirts. The bold palette of grey and a warm pink/purple worked perfectly and even down to the draped neck detail, everything had been precisely thought through. A fabulously bold and beautiful collection, combining quirkiness with wearability.

Words: Rivkie Baum http://fash-pack.blogspot.com/

Photography by Gabriel Coreuera Zubillaga www.gabrielcoreuerazubillaga.com