London Fashion Week Fall 2012

Welcome to London Fashion Week for Fall 2012!

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The first runway show for the “lower end” McQ by Alexander McQueen collection was earthy and dramatic. Across the leaf strewn floor marched models in dark khaki and olive-green, floral, brocade, plaid and leather military-inspired dresses and coats with thick belts and over-the-knee lace up boots. 

As interesting as the womenswear was, I couldn’t take my eyes off the menswear. To die for coats and well-tailored suits with a retro feel, paired with great boots, belts, gloves and ties. Just exquisite.

Check out the FabSugar photos and commentary here.

Mulberry was all about oversized winter coats and thick knit sweaters in all sorts of furs and fabrics, which complimented the Fall-colored collection perfectly. The neon orange may have been a bit much for most of us, but the dark florals, Missoni-like zigzag patterns and Autumn-inspired yellows, greens and blues were perfect for Fall.

And as always the handbags are absolutely covetable. Want to see these great looks in motion? You can see the runway show here.

Christopher Kane’s  collection took the sinister plot of an 80’s movie as its muse and the end results were dramatic with shiny dark fabrics, twisted leather, deeply colored flowers and metallic, oil-slick patterns. The pants and separates were particularly well done while the leather halter dresses definitely had a sensational nighttime flair.

FabSugar has more photos here and Fashionology weighs in here.

As always the Matthew Williamson show was a free-for-all of prints, colors and textures. Slim trousers appeared in every form from shimmery florals to metallics to pastels, but the highlight was the dresses. The simplicity of the silhouettes – shirt dresses and basic shifts – played against the neon embellishments, brightly colored sequins, metallic blues & greens, sheer panels, peekaboo hemlines and dramatic patterns.

Need more? You can see additional pictures here.

The Erdem show was all about juxtapositions. Florals done in deep, dark colors, black leather tops paired with delicate lace skirts, black rubber mixed with flower prints, sheer lace with conservative cuts… These juxtapositions made a collection that was simultaneously dramatic but fun and girly.

My favorite part? Aside from the prints, which are always divine, I especially enjoyed the tweed pumps and booties – they even came in brightly colored suedes and floral prints.

Want more pictures of this show? You can see them here and check out the runway video at Vogue.com.

The House of Holland showed a fun, Mod-inspired, wildly colorful collection full of very wearable pieces. There were the bright stripes, lace-up platform booties, little caps, zigzag prints, gorgeous houndstooth done in demure wools, shimmery satins and even on tights, colorful bell bottoms and my favorite, the adorable suits and shift dresses.

I absolutely adored Christopher Bailey’s Pre-Fall 2012 show so I had high expectations for his Fall 2012 collection, expectations that I must say were met quite well. This Burberry Prorsum show was just as wearable as the Pre-Fall collection, but with a bit of a country twist. Lots of warm, thick fabrics like wool, cashmere, velvet, corduroy and tweed, paired with lighter, colorful extras and accessories.

Some of the highlights: the blouse & pencil skirt combos, great stripes, amazing tailoring, draping & ruffles, gorgeous outerwear, dramatic pockets, colorful, thin belts, oversized handbags & lace-up booties. For the men Christopher showed amazing double-breasted coats, skinny ties, studded leather gloves, polka dot button-downs and newsboy caps. Too cute!

P.S. The bow belts were back! 🙂

You can also see more beautiful shots from Garance Dore here and from The Sartorialist here.

Alice Temperley described her Fall 2012 show’s theme as “Polished Folk” and the Temperley London collection didn’t disappoint, it was filled with bohemian flares and fun hippie detailing. The ribbon belts, fur hats, suede ankle boots and demure gloves were worn with marbled knits, flowy blouses & brocade A-line skirts, colorful crochet and lace day dresses and velvet & metallic print pantsuits.

A video of the show can be see here or you can see more pictures here.

The knitwear design house, Pringle of Scotland showed a beautiful and eclectic collection that included bold & colorful separates, suiting, outerwear and delicately draping dresses worn with platform Oxford pumps or buckle-adorned combat boots that somehow still managed to be chic.

I especially liked the separates, they were very down to earth, something you could easily imagine pulling out of your closet and mix with other pieces to put together the perfect look.

Curious to see how what looks the London Fashion Week designers put down the runways during their shows last year? Take a trip down memory lane and check out London Fashion Week Spring 2012.

Be sure to keep an eye out for Moi Contre La Vie’s Giveaway after Paris Fashion Week!

 

*** Please note that I do not advocate the use of fur in fashion and personally make an effort not to wear or carry fur, exotic skins or leather. I believe that in this day in age there are many beautiful alternatives to these products which are cruelty-free and should be utilized instead.

 

Photos from Style.com unless otherwise cited.