It’s a cloudy Saturday afternoon in London – but more importantly, on its third day, Fashion Week is in full swing. Seats are lining the Grand Hall of the De Vere Connaught Rooms – and it’s living up to the name – with an ornate ceiling and dramatic chandeliers lighting up the space. There is a definite buzz in the air, as the impeccably dressed crowd eagerly awaits Fashion Show Live by CREATIVETH.
With an exciting roster of seven relatively unknown designers, nobody was quite sure what to expect, however the agency behind Leicester Fashion Week certainly delivered. From the grandeur of the venue, to the well-curated line up, the event absolutely received a stamp of approval from the fashion community.
Multi-designer shows are often difficult to do well, however Winterform was a masterclass. The aesthetics of each brand differed enough to keep an engaging variety, though not enough to clash with one another, keeping eyes firmly glued on the runway throughout the duration.
Lina Denkova – Secret Garden
Bulgarian designer Lina Denkova was tasked with opening the show, and she did so in true London fashion, bringing drama and theatrics onto the runway. The collection – aptly titled Secret Garden – was living proof of the statement ‘fashion is art’, with bold headpieces and daring silhouettes. Additionally, models behaved more like performers, floating down the runway to rock-inspired music, complimenting the clothes in the best possible way.
Lindsay Davis Couture – Acherontia
The best fashion shows tell a story; they offer a unique insight into the mind of the designer, and allow us to understand the deeper meaning behind the garments. Lindsay Davis achieved just that with Acherontia, a collection inspired largely by the imperfect beauty of The Dead Head Hawks Moth. There were four phases to her presentation: the cocoon with skin-tight dresses; emergence, where fabrics began to flow; ascension, where lines became talismanic and finally apotheosis, with grand silhouettes. Throughout the segments, the vision was apparent, with natural, earthy tones, raw materials and feminine shapes.
Wornotwasted
The tone shifted entirely when the first model stepped out in Wornotwasted – a pioneer in the world of sustainable fashion. Steering away from tradition, Wornotwasted are developing zero-waste pattern layouts, taking them to a new level of environmentally conscious fashion. The clothes they sent down the runway were relatively simple, but had a streetwear inspired edge to them, something we have come to expect from many London-based designers. Their signature, almost pixelated details added pops of muted colour to the otherwise tame colour palette, whilst varied texture took the looks to the next level.
Ruzanovic
High fashion met streetwear style with Parisian brand Ruzanovic’s AW26 collection. The models stood out from the demure backdrop with bold fluorescent colours amongst shades of neutrals on pieces ranging from hoodies and blazers to less wearable garments. Meanwhile, precisely styled layers and an interesting assortment of materials combined to produce a very modern, very edgy showcase.
Syra J – Soar
Syra J’s Soar was everything you hope to see during fashion week – experimental, verging on avant-garde and generally just something that bit different. A clear direction in terms of colour couldn’t be identified, but that was deemed irrelevant, as the cohesion was in the fabric with a range of shearling, organza and petal-like adornments. The garments were draped over the models impeccably, giving them life as they went down the runway, resulting in quite the artistic showing.
Rahela
Each designer presented something unique and innovative in their own right, however if Fashion Show Live had a shining star, it was Rahela. The Ethiopian brand largely blended traditional masculine styles with feminine tailoring, and the results were quite spectacular. The entire collection was refined; not a single look was out of place – there was a clear vision, and they stuck to it. There was a sense of variation with statement headwear, with scarves and eccentric hats proving to be the perfect accessory to compliment the beautifully constructed garments.
TáWA
Closing the show in colourful fashion was British-African brand TáWA, and they certainly made a splash. Through the fusion of two differing cultures, the designers pieced together a collection that undeniably caught the eye through bright, sharp tones and eccentric patterning. Was there cohesion throughout the looks? Not necessarily, but given the playful nature of the garments, the need for continuity wasn’t particularly strong – overall, it was an uplifting, joyous way to close a remarkable event.
