London Runway LFW AW18 Part 1 - Issue 9

ISSUE 9

A/W 2018

LONDON

RUNWAY LFW: AMY THOMSON, ALEXANDER WHITE, EDELINE LEE, FASHION SCOUT, TOGA, TOOGOOD, MERCHANT ARCHIVE & MORE INTERVIEW WITH MERMAID SALON

LONDON FASHION WEEK In this issue

Letter from the editor RHIANNON D'AVERC

An abandoned hotel painted gold with balls of yarn hung from the ceiling.

A West End theatre with a new carpet thrown across the stairs.

A serene forest carpeted with moss and lit by the light of a new dawn.

A compact house filled with earthenware and bespoke candles.

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office, where entry demands xrays and visitor passes, transformed into a marketplace in Macau.

London Fashion Week can take you to the strangest places - and we visited them all.

This is the highlight of our season, and well it should be - as designers both great and small populated catwalks all across the city with their latest looks.

Be sure to keep an eye out for the trends that we mentioned in the last issue - there are plenty of them in evidence.

While you're checking back on that trend report, you might remember our interview with Judith Jones - her collection pops up in this issue, as part of our coverage of the ILFWDA event.

That's not all - we've got a couple of features this week too, as well as an interview with the owner of Mermaid Salon you won't want to

miss.

The perennial question: What's up next for London Runway? A real bonanza, as you're getting an issue next Thursday for the third week in a row. Don't miss it, as our coverage of LFW continues with some of the off-schedule shows as well as a few more on-schedule surprises that we're saving up for a rainy day.

We're also taking on some fresh new team members, who will be making their marks.

As always, drop us a line via londonrunwaymag@gmail.com if you have a show you think we should see, or a feature you think we should run.

Enjoy - and remember to follow @londonrunwaymag on Instagram.

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XU ZHI Drawing inspiration from Dante Gabriel Rossetti's The Lady of Pity, this presentation from Xuzhi Chen offered gorgeous textures and colours.

AMY THOMSON Shown at Fashion Scout, Amy's Chasin' Dreams collection was the epitome of pink. The designer envisaged fantasy occupations seen through the eyes of a child.

Fashion Scout's Merit Award went to Fortie Label, and we were treated to a real party with this one - from bills thrown across the catwalk to a dance break at the end.

FORTIE LABEL

JUDITH JONES Remember last issue's interview with the designer behind A Touch of Gems Wirral? Here are her latest designs on the catwalk at ILFWDA.

LFW MUST-HAVES A few highlights from the shows: products from brands we got in our goody bags.

Clockwise from top: Kryolan make-up remover wipes; touch in sol glitter and powder eyeshadow duo; estechoc science-based skin chocolate; Kryolan lip stain; label-m volume mousse

MAKING LONDON FASHION WEEK what, when, where

Baffled by LFW? Here's a quick guide to what it is, and how it has evolved over the years.

London Fashion Week was first launched in 1983. It quickly became one of the 'Big Four' fashion weeks (also including New York, Paris, and Milan) that take place twice a year: once for the Autumn/Winter season, and once for the Spring/Summer season.

In case you're wondering why this is the A/W 18 issue, given that we're currently in February, it's because the shows run ahead of the seasons.

Although that may be something that changes in future, given that some brands are already experimenting with showing during the correctÂ

season.

It's all to do with selling the clothes - the idea being that retailers order their stock, and by the time it finally hits the shelves, the season is appropriate. These days, though, online retail means there isn't much need for a wait.

Right after LFW finishes, London Fashion Week Festival begins - previously known as London Fashion Weekend. This event is for the public, not press and buyers, and is more commercialised.

Still with us? Next comes London Fashion Week Men's. It takes place a little before LFW - we covered it in our last issue - and features menswear. It used to be called London Collections: Men until this year.

Things don't stay the same. LFW is ever changing and evolving. When it first began, you could only attend the events in person or see the photographs in magazines and newspapers the

MAKING LONDON FASHION WEEK official schedule. There's on-schedule - the shows that are listed by the BFC From 2010, LFW began and selected for the prime streaming live online, with viewers around the world tuning spots and locations - and there's off-schedule. in to watch catwalks at Somerset House. While the BFC These shows tend to come from up and coming space is now the home of many designers, whose looks you of the catwalks rather than Somerset House itself, the setup remains the same.

next day.

With Instagram, Snapchat, and the advent of live streaming came the opportunity for those in the front row to broadcast what they were seeing to the rest of the world. Now, you can almost be there yourself from your bedroom - so long as you follow the right people.

Don't imagine that it's all in one place - or that it's all in the

might be coveting in years to come.

As for the locations, these can be as diverse as you can imagine. A fashion brand can hire just about anywhere for their catwalk or their presentation - it's

MAKING LONDON FASHION WEEK all down to what the designer feels will go with their theme.

That's why you will see such a range of variation in our images.

From a hotel to a house, from a dedicated show space to a repurposed restaurant with the tables cleared away, anything goes. A little set dressing, some hired lighting, and it's all ready to go.

So, when you get your tickets for the next LFW, pay special attention to those whose location is listed only as "see invite". You could be heading out just about anywhere.

Image credits: From top of article - Simon King; Rhiannon D'Averc; Philafrenzy; Rhiannon D'Averc; Rhiannon D'Averc; Julian Stallabrass; Rhiannon D'Averc; Rhiannon D'Averc

TOOGOOD

The Toogood house was, well, just too good. We loved the clay, the candles, the earthy clothes, and the film set feel when we peeked through the windows.

TOGA'S SHOW WAS SO GOOD, EVEN THE TICKETS WERE EXQUISITE. FAMILIAR THEMES TAKEN APART

DORATEYMUR Dora Teymur's "Why I Love Her" collection draws inspiration from, amongst other things, Louise Dahl Wolfe's Walls Have Ears and Tina Barney's Players.

MERMAID SALON Interview We caught up with Fanny Barlow from Mermaid Salon at London Edge to find out what it's like to go viral.

So, tell us about how you got started?

Originally we made the products to upsell to our clients, because we have a hair salon back home. We didn’t have any products made in Australia or by Australians at this stage. I started it to upsell to people and then the products took over everything. By the time we went viral last year, we had to shift our focus to make-up. The salon’s always booked out back home, but a salon is local and this is global, so of course our focus goes into this. The online store never shuts and we can do it around the clock, and we can do it globally. It’s more fun than the salon!

"It was a little bit heartbreaking" How did it feel to copies of your brushes appearing?

When they first came out, we actually got an inbox to our Facebook page and it was a factory. It was a video of all these tables with all of these copies, and they said, “We’ve produced your brush, would you like to buy them?” I said no – well, I said something worse than that! But I said, “no, I’m not going to buy them” – and they flooded the market about three days after we went viral. They popped up really quick. It was a little bit heartbreaking, but at the same time, I can’t complain because that brush put us in Vogue. It put us in

MERMAID SALON Tell us about the make-up products.

We’ve got the lipstick – I actually worked on this formula for a long time. Back in the day, when Lime Crime were innovators, they were hard to get. They didn’t approve people, so I was like, I’m going to try to make this. I came up with my own formula. I put it in a drawer for about Where are you looking for inspiration three years because I couldn’t afford next? a chemist – I was an apprentice I’m always spending time in Japan, and hairdresser! About three years later I that’s actually what inspired me to took it out of the drawer and it make the brush. It was a taiyaki fish, wasn’t mouldy or separated. I already which is a little Japanese dessert in the had the formula done, and then Kat shape of a fish. Originally it was a Von D and Jeffree Star were fighting mould, and it had a head on it. We cut publicly. Jeffree Star also stopped off the head and we made this little bad stocking to Australia, which was a big boy. I actually think things through a lot deal. I quickly called the place that I because you don’t want to pour had started formulating with and thousands and thousands of dollars into said, “I’ll give you double, let’s get a product that might flop. I’m probably this into production now”. They did a going to head back to Japan in May to rush lot and I launched. Everybody look for inspiration based on things that that stocked Jeffree Star and were left aren’t already a product. Maybe stranded, they jumped ship. That’s landscape, or… it kind of just hits me cool because then the money stays in randomly. Like when I saw this silly Australia, we get more creative jobs little Japanese dessert on the street and in Australia. There’s no cosmetic thought, “Hmm, that’s going to be a productive industry there unless it’s make-up brush!” corporate at the moment. That was Cosmopolitan and Elle. Sometimes I get sick of looking at them. They’re still our best-seller. I think I’m desensitised at this stage to copies. You just have to take it in your stride, it’s not worth the heartache. Just make something else.

important for me to have something there for other people that want to follow in my footsteps.

What about your eyeshadows?

A lot of people use these cases but we’ve adapted these to be vegan. Usually they contain lanolin and carmine. Originally we did look at private labelling because they’re easy to sell, but they do have those products in them when you do private label. I was like, “Let’s see if we can switch these out, get them custom made and still affordable”.

We did and now they’re a massive seller, and we’re the only ones doing vegan.

Veganism is a huge trend right now.

I hope it’s not a trend, I hope it stays – you can do a product without hurting anything. We’re called

Mermaid Salon because mermaids have a great fear of shallow living. If you’re going to hurt something to look beautiful, that’s not for us. I wasn’t raised vegetarian – I was raised as a meat eater.

Then I had children and they’re both vegetarians.

Their father is not vegetarian, but even he was on board with, we have to show them our responsibility. They’re going to copy us. They’re going to do what we do. Even if you’re not vegetarian now, you can raise your children healthily as vegetarian and get them to make right choices. Just before I left, my partner cheekily said to my daughter who’s five years old, “Do you want some chicken for lunch?” and she said, “How DARE you?!” I don’t think she’ll ever eat meat now.

What are your aspirations for the future – to go as global as possible?

That’s tough, because to go

global I need brick and mortar. To do that internationally, it pushes prices up. We have some products that are more expensive with more fancy packaging, and we’ve got basic ones, but it pushes all those prices up. That’s a conflict for me, because even though people are saying “discontinue these, they’re so basic” some people have to save up a year for a £20 palette. That’s not for us to decide. If you don’t want to buy it, don’t buy it.

There’s people who deserve things who maybe feel like they can’t have them because they can’t afford them, so we will never discontinue our basic stuff.

I won’t jeopardise that by taking on expenses we don’t necessarily need because it excludes people and it isolates people. I don’t want to. If there’s somebody I can collaborate with that wants to distribute the product then I will do that before I have brick and mortar, because it’s important. I don’t want to push up prices.

Find Mermaid Salon here: Website - mermaidsalon.com.au Instagram - @mermaid_salon_ Facebook - mermaidsalon

MALAN BRETON Fashion Scout presented the Malan Breton A/W 18 collection in style. Kiera Chaplin, granddaughter of Charlie, closed out the catwalk with a little assistance from some well-muscled friends.

Zeynep's collection debuted at Fashion Scout in a flourish of Art Deco decadence mixed with sixties glamour. Closing the show was Turkish star Ajda Pekkan.

ZEYNEP KARTAL

CASSEY GAN Taking inspiration from the art of Maria Svarbova, Cassey's presentation at Fashion Scout focuses on layering, comfort, and assymetry.

EDELINE LEE With rich gemstone colours and considered silhouettes, this presentation considers the dark, secret gardens that every woman contains within herself.

ALEXANDER WHITE'S NEW SEASON SHOES BROUGHT THE DISCO COWBOY AESTHETIC TO LIFE

KRISTEL KUSLAPUU From Estonia to Fashion Scout comes knitwear from Kristal Kuslapuu. She was selected as a 'Ones to Watch' designer after showcasing at Talinn Fashion Week.

STEVENTAI Canadian designer Steven Tai brought a global debut of not just his collection, but also of LiveCGX, a new digital augmentation technqiue that takes us to Macau in the middle of London. A mocap-suited performer moved on the screen instead of the stage.

MERCHANT ARCHIVE Our favourite staging of LFW. Merchant Archive took over a dilapidated hotel and furnished it with gold paint, balls of wool, and thumping speakers. We'd like to stay the week.

LONDON RUNWAY Photography and words, except where stated: Rhiannon D'Averc Photographic assistance: Jared Rehal Feature Writer: Faith Roswell Special thanks to Fanny Barlow Find London Runway: https://issuu.com/londonrunway instagram.com/londonrunwaymag twitter.com/londonrunwaymag londonrunwaymag@gmail.com

Front cover: Amy Thomson Back cover: Alexander White

Dorateymur: Stylist - Haley Wollens Casting - Chloe Rosolek Set design - Polly Philp Hair - Louis Ghewy Make-up - Georgina Graham Accessories - Patricia Von Musulin, Wolford, Tabio, Victoria Grant Edeline Lee: Styling - Katie Felstead Art direction - Kyung Roh Bannwart Hair - Cinta Miller Make-up - Maria Papadopoulou Fashion Scout: Make-up - Paul Merchant/Claire de Graft/Lan Nguyen-Grealis using Kryolan Hair - Toni&Guy Merchant Archive: Styling - Hannah Teare & Honey Elias Casting - Holly Scott-Lidgett & Chloe Medley Art direction and design- Mary Lees & Vicky Lees & Chris Lane Hair - Bea Watson at Aveda Make-up - Fresh Accessories - Jessica McCormack Diamonds & Grenson

A/W 18

Editor: Rhiannon D'Averc Editorial Assistant: Vikki Dee

Show credits Alexander White: Styling - Julia Brenard & Natalie Westernoff Casting - David Steven Wilton & Athanasia Spathis Hair - Jose Quijano at The Wall Group using Oribe Make-up - Zoe Taylot ar the Wall Group Jewellery - Gillian Horsup at Grays Antiques