London Runway LFW AW18 Part 2 - Issue 10

ISSUE 10

A/W 2018

LONDON

RUNWAY LFW: ON|OFF, FASHION SCOUT, MINKI, FASHION'S FINEST, TATA NAKA, & MORE INTERVIEW WITH ANNA GILDER THE ETHICS OF FASHION WEEK

LONDON FASHION WEEK In this issue

Letter from the editor RHIANNON D'AVERC

We're back with another issue FULL of coverage from LFW! This fantastic week of fashion left us with so much content we hardly know what to do with it.

We're featuring a diverse range of designers, from on schedule to off.

Look for surreal spikes and costumes from Jack Irving, Indian-inspired stylings from Rocky Star inside a gorgeous location, and peacock headpieces from the Fashion For Conservation group.

We're also excited to bring you an interview with Anna Gilder, who is showcasing her hats in the upcoming Great Hat Exhibition in March. We'll be attending that later on, as well as

bringing you coverage of their press preview.

If you're snowed in this week, there's plenty of features for you to read throughout this issue, as well as plenty of looks to grab your attention. Just keep us as your winter warmer. Remember: you can read this issue on your phone, tablet, or laptop, as well as ordering a copy for your coffee table.

Next issue (coming next Thursday, you lucky things) we'll be launching a brandnew content team, so keep an eye out for that.

Meanwhile, we're starting with some brand-new contributors for this issue: look out for their work sprinkled throughout. It's a real treat.

What's up next for London Runway? Our coverage of LFW continues next week, so it's not over yet. Later on, we've got some out-of-season shows lined up that are sure to be a lot of fun.

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.

INIFD LST The Inter National Institute of Fashion Design, India, in association with the London School of Trends, presented this second group of designers at Fashion Scout.

JUDY WU We popped in to Judy Wu's presentation, held in a pop-up store surrounded by racks of clothing and fabrics. To make eye contact with the looks, a duck or lean was necessary.

AGNES SZEPLIGETI This Hungarian couture designer, now based in London, showcased glowing and golden designs at ILFWDA.

REDESIGNING FASHION WEEK Ethical Issues on the Runway

Rachel Parker writes about the ethical issues surrounding LFW, and how to move forward.

With its focus on getting the press and buyers lusting after new trends, London Fashion Week would rarely spring to mind as an event concerned with promoting ethical principles. While most people are aware of the issues of poor working conditions and unsustainable production methods when it comes to ‘fast-fashion’ retailers and highstreet brands, the reality is that exploitative and environmentally destructive practices are often equally common in the supply chains of high-end designers.

Fashion week often seems to only worsen the issue of unsustainability; the showcasing of new pieces accelerates trend turnover, leading to low-cost production and aggravating the problem of clothing

in landfill sites. Yet this Fashion Week, there were brands using the catwalk to address ethical concerns and encourage us to consume clothes more consciously.

Fashion For Conservation (FFC)’s ‘Rainforest Runway’ show drew inspiration from the Amazon Rainforest, using collections by designers Rene Garza and Kalikas Armour to raise awareness about preserving the ecosystem and wildlife in this vulnerable area. The collection contrasted Garza’s draped dresses in a spectrum of birds-of-paradise colours and organic shapes against the sharp tailoring and glittering, intricate detail of Armour’s designs, expressing the unrivalled biodiversity and complexity of rainforest ecosystems, and defying any misconceptions of ethical fashion as frumpy and beige.

While the FFC show platformed an important political message, donating proceeds from drinks bought after the show to conservation charities, the collection also spotlighted principles of restoration and regeneration in the way that the clothes were produced.

Garza’s collection used remnant and recycled fabrics to highlight the brand’s ethos of eliminating waste from the clothing industry. This element of the show represented a movement towards a more circular textiles economy, in which garments are reused and repurposed rather

REDESIGNING FASHION WEEK than treated as disposable.

FFC were not the only designer using the runway to showcase sustainable couture. Experimental design house VIN + OMI featured an innovative range of eco-textiles in their ready-towear collection, including plant-based leather and wools produced from recycled plastics. Meanwhile, Richard Malone continued to promote socially responsible textile production, using fabrics crafted in South India with traditional weaving methods and natural dyes to create the sweeping silhouettes and vivid colour palettes on display in his line.

In a season which saw animal rights activists from the organisation SURGE invade the runway at the Mary Katrantzou show and demonstrate outside Burberry and Christopher Kane, 90 percent of designers exhibiting at LFW confirmed to the British Fashion Council that they would not be using real animal fur within their collections. While there is still progress to be made among the remaining 10 percent, the rapid shift

away from displaying animal fur on the catwalk reveals the enormous power of consumer awareness when it comes to ethics in the fashion industry.

Ultimately fashion is informed by what buyers want; designers will respond to demands for responsibly produced clothes by creating lines which do not compromise on style or sustainability.

Yet London Fashion Week also has the power to drive change from the front, by increasing the desirability of ethically sourced clothing. This is something recognised by the British Fashion Council (BFC), whose Positive Fashion scheme promotes sustainable business practices within the industry. As part of the BFC’s Fashion SWITCH to Green campaign,

REDESIGNING FASHION WEEK multiple brands have committed to transitioning to renewable energy suppliers by 2020. The BFC also encourages British designers to work with UK-based manufacturers and artisans in order to ensure ethical standards are upheld throughout the production of their clothes.

London Fashion Week’s ability to motivate change throughout the fashion industry could put British fashion at the forefront of the movement towards sustainable innovation, and revolutionise the way we consume clothes on a global level.

Offering a platform to designers pioneering sustainable solutions, the event is an opportunity to promote brands whose social and environmental policies are as up to date as their clothes. With its huge power over creatives, retailers and influencers alike, London Fashion Week has a key role to play in ensuring that sustainability remains on trend.

Find Rachel Parker on social media with @rachelfrances_

Image credits: From top of article - Rhiannon D'Averc; RD; RD; Robert Jones; Yahya Qawasm; RD; RD

FASHION FOR CONSERVATION What loftier goal could fashion have than saving the planet? Nature, wildlife, and glorious golds were represented on this Fashion Scout catwalk.

HIBA AGAL DESIGNS FROM HER HOME OF FRANCE, CREATING FEMININE ROMANCE FOR ILFWDAÂ

MINKI PUTS FEMININE TOUCHES ON MASCULINE STYLING, PITTING NATURE VS MAN IN MATERIALSÂ

USE LONDON RUNWAY AFFILIATE LINKÂ SHARE. GETF.LY/ C69N4Q

ANNA GILDER Interview

This week, we're off to the world of hats. We're joined by Anna Gilder, whose millinery is soon to be showcased at the Great Hat Exhibition.

Hi, Anna - how did you get started making hats?

I started to make hats 3 years ago. My first hat I made was for myself to wear, for my friend's wedding. I really wanted a nice hat but could not afford a designer hat, and high street hats didn't interest me in the slightest. So I bought lots of materials, a ready-made base and created my first “masterpiece” (or so I thought). I had so many complements at the wedding so decided I would like to make more hats. A month later, my husband gave me a masterclass with a well-known milliner as a Valentine’s present . I was so excited, so I started looking for more inspiration and found out about London Hat Week. I met so many people there - they all inspired me to become a milliner . Later during my studies, every milliner tutor I met - have all been sources of inspiration and genuinely nice people. It really is a wonderful community.

"It really is a wonderful community" What other places do you get your inspiration from?

Inspiration comes from different things, sometimes a beautiful place or objects can inspire you to create a hat. I love art so for me a hat is like piece of wearable art.

Tell us all about your most recent collection.

My latest collection, “High Society”, is inspired by imperial Russia and the recent movie about Anna Karenina.

What's unique about designing hats, compared to other facets of the fashion industry?

As I said, hats are more like an art form rather than just a fashion item. Even the definition of “fascinator” is something people talk about, as an object rather than a piece of clothing.

What are the most common themes or styles in your designs?

In my latest collection the most common themes are butterflies and birds. I love birds, I even have birds on my logo.

Who is your personal favourite designer in the world of millinery?

I have a few favourite milliners: Stephen Jones is like a God of millinery - there is no one like him. Rachel Trevor Morgan - she makes very classy hats with amazingly delicate flowers, and Ian Bennett with the most fascinating feathers. The list goes on and on... I’m only hoping that one day my hats will be in a same league as theirs.

What does 'fashion' mean to you?

Fashion , I think... is probably just a form

of self-expression through clothing.

What's next for you?

What next? I don’t know... three years ago I didnt even have the slightest idea that I would be making hats. And now - my hats feature in exhibitions and at Royal Ascot. On 22-28 of March, during London Hat Week, is the Great Hat Exhibition. I will be participating with my hat “Russian Doll”, please come and see it along with 300 amazing hats from all around the world.

We can't wait to see it! Lastly, where can we see your collection online?

My new collection will be available online on www.annagilder.com

Images courtesy of Anna Gilder Next issue, we take in the Great Hat Exhibition press preview!

ALPACA SAMKA The brand's collection, shown at Fashions Finest, is made from natural fibres, mostly with alpaca yarns, hand spun and hand woven by indigenous communities in Chile.

HELEN HOWE ATELIER Helen's work marries her love of the great British outdoors with her lifelong obsession: historical British fashion and military dress. The results are strong, tailored pieces.

ROCKY STAR The glamorous Grand Temple of Freemasons Hall was no less radiant than the designs on show at this Fashion Scout catwalk.

Olivia Buckland closed the show.

LONDON’S STREET STYLE SCENE

on the streets

Lorna Tyler takes us through street style from this season's fashion week.

London’s streets provide a free catwalk of almost every style imaginable, showcasing floral, bold, bright colours and smart and casual wear. With such a mix of people in the capital, a jacket you see on the street could range from Primark to Gucci.

But recently the some of the styles of the high fashion runways have seeped into the stores of the high street, creating a mix between high street and high runway fashion on the streets of London.

Long coats have become a seemingly everyday

fashion essential, with thigh- to ankle-length coats coming to the streets. The usual trench coat has become a bold-coloured essential; leather and metallic versions have transformed the trench coat look into an edgy, unique style.

Leopard print coats have also made a comeback and are now being restyled with heeled ankle boots and mom jeans. Patterns and colours themselves have become trends, with checkered coats and trousers having become especially popular.

The colour red has also been shown extensively on the London Fashion Week runways this year, and has seemingly become a trend in itself, depicting an aspect of both danger and passion through the clothes.

Another huge trend in London’s street style scene is the array of fur coats. Classic brown and beige fur coats are still significant, but with the influence of bold coloured versions in this year's London Fashion Week, such as the long fur coat displayed in the Amy Thomson collection,

LONDON’S STREET STYLE SCENE members of the public appear to have rushed to add this to their personal style from cheaper high street store options.

Striped trousers of all kinds seem to be making a huge entrance too, ranging from popper, flare, culottes and smart trousers all featuring the seemingly simple pattern, but in new and more edgy ways.

To top off the London look, chunkyheeled ankle boots, be it leather, metallic, pointed toe, patterned, or even fur, seem to be the perfect addition to the new edgy and colourful style sweeping the streets of London.

More from Lorna Tyler: Web address: http://www.lsbu-multimediajournalists.co.uk/tyler/ Instagram: @lornasmay Twitter: @lornasmay

Image credits: From top of article - Melody Jacob; MJ; Bruce Mars; MJ; Steve Buissinne

THIS IS THE UNIFORM Opening up the On|Off show at Fashion Scout, This Is The Uniform presented caramel tones and sheer fabrics.

HONEST MAN Next up in the On|Off line-up was Honest Man. Structural work covered not just the garments but the faces and the heads of the models, creating new characters.

LONGSHAW WARD

Ethereal fabrics layered over one another and covered with embroidery were the key notes of this On|Off collection.

Unusual eyewear also made an appearance, twisting in front of the models' faces in thin strands.

JACK IRVING Rounding out the On|Off show was Jack Irving. He took us deep into an alien underwater world of shifting greens to purples, spikes and shells, and a general fantastical wonderment.

ADVANCEMENTS & SETBACKS FOR THE FASHION INDUSTRYforward or back?

Katie Ferrero wonders whether we're taking prioritising one cause over another.

Radical motions taking place within the fashion industry are more relevant than ever. From LGBQT to environmental concerns, designers have considered global issues and projected their own support through the fashion industry. In response to the recent London Fashion Week, PETA posted an article showing that 95 percent of designers have chosen to go fur free for their 2018 Autumn/Winter collection. Motions such as these have skyrocketed designers popularity and favorability in regards to sustainability. Though the act of eliminating fur in the fashion industry is a major step forward, it is essential to consider other elements that prove to be a step backwards.

Fashion Week represents a time of new beginnings for the fashion world. Designers have worked to intricately plan their collection and dictate where the fashion industry is soon to be heading. Whether you are a show attendee, an Instagram influencer, or one of the many at home glued to their phone screens constantly refreshing your feed, you at some point have experienced this rush of consumerism. From any position you are in, you will feel the anxious, excitement as an indulger in Fashion Week. A sense of need overcomes you as you scroll through Instagram, glance at a magazine or even turn on the television. This overindulgence and exposure through social media provides an accessibility to fashion week trends more than ever before.

ADVANCEMENTS & SETBACKS Here is where both the beauty and destruction of the industry occurs. The mass demand for designer statement pieces is recognised and then reproduced into high street fashion.

of sustainable awareness the fashion industry needs.

Mimicking the latest fashion of top designers like Chanel, Balenciaga, etc. leads to the overproduction of luxury products. An obvious example of this would be the sudden fascination in this plastic like, clear material that has taken over high street stores directly after the introduction of Chanel’s Spring Summer 2018 ready to wear collection.

Considering the impact environmentally and the knowledge of this high street production pattern, is it ethically progressive for the fashion industry to promote a material such as this?

The issue of over-production was confronted head-on by Vetements in their window display at Harrods. Upon request for all employees to provide pieces of unwanted clothing, a pile was created and put on display in one of the most influential windows in London. The unconventional appearance of the display sparked reactions, igniting the precise response

Image credits: From top of article - Matthew Gallop; Daniela Nutz; Hortencia Caires Casazola; Ashley Hutchinson; Kelsey R.

TATA NAKA The models lounge, almost indistinguishable from the carpet on which they rest. In the majestic settings of the Theatre Royal Drury Lane, looks were presented literally from the floor up.

LONDON RUNWAY Photography and words, except where stated: Rhiannon D'Averc Photographic assistance: Jared Rehal Feature Writers: Rachel Parker, Lorna Tyler, and Katie Ferrero Special thanks to Anna Gilder Find London Runway: https://issuu.com/londonrunway instagram.com/londonrunwaymag twitter.com/londonrunwaymag londonrunwaymag@gmail.com

Front cover: Jack Irving Back cover: Jack Irving

Show credits Fashion Scout: Make-up - Paul Merchant using Kryolan Hair - Toni&Guy ILFWDA: Organiser - Stacey Strahand Minki: Stylist - Erika Kurihara at Saint Luke Artists Make-up - Athena Paginton at Bryant Artists and Pebbles Aikens at The Wall Group Hair - Teiki Utsumi at Bryant Artists Production - Kelly Huang On|Off: Director and producer - Lee Lapthorne Creative Director - Ben Haworth Hair This Is The Uniform & Honest Man - Mark Woolley at Electric for L'Oreal Professional Hair Longshaw Ward - Cristiano Basciu at Richard Ward for L'Oreal Professional Make-up - Lan Nguyen-Grealis using Kryolan & Nickie Rhodes-Hill Boots Jack Irving - in collaboration with Kira Goodey

A/W 18

Editor: Rhiannon D'Averc Editorial Assistant: Vikki Dee