London Fashion Week Spring 2013
Today I’m going to be sharing reviews of some of the lovely collections that came off the Spring 2013 London Fashion Week catwalks – From the big names like Burberry and Mulberry to the well-loved but somewhat less established designers like Matthew Williamson and Christopher Kane.
Enjoy!
Burberry:
Color, color, and more color. The Burberry runway show was a veritable rainbow of color-drenched trench coats, dresses, and separates. Christopher Bailey also played with textures and fabrics including shimmering metallics, tinted plastic, and shiny holographic prints – Giving the classic brand a fun, futuristic twist.
Capes, hotpants, puffy capsleeves, swimwear, cropped jackets, leather, dramatic belts, lace brilliant metallic handbags, and colorful open-toed heels added to the brilliance of the collection.
Mulberry:
Fabulous outerwear seemed to be the name of the game in London and while Burberry was bright and festive, Mulberry was a bit more demure, however no less ornate. Bronzy gold, peachy cream, minty green, and blues from pale to midnight.
The brocades, embroideries, and patterns were phenomenal, very earthy and flora based, something of a mix between Fall and Spring. I loved the use of florals on the clothing, handbags, and shoes simultaneously, rather than be over the top it was totally chic. I also loved the outerwear – The oversized silhouettes and large, upturned collars were perfection.
Acne:
The clothes at Acne were bold – Dramatic stripes, bright colors, graffiti prints, colorblocking, black leather, straps & buckles, adapted gladiator platforms, and parachute silhouettes.
All in all a very wearable collection of interesting and eye-catching separates perfect for the Acne girl. I especially liked the maxi skirts, vertical stripes, and buckle adorned vests.
House of Holland:
This 90’s grunge inspired collection was one for the books – The dark, moody colors were perfectly suited to the dramatic checkered patterns, graphic tees, beanies, skater shorts, and maxi silhouettes.
These were great pieces that immediately made me nostalgic for the music of my Junior High and High School days – Especially the shrunken baby tees, slouchy knit caps, and midriff bearing tops.
Erdem:
Python prints on retro silhouettes may not sound like a winning combination, but Erdem proved that it could work and even infused the collection with hints of neon and lace.
Little details make this collection really pop – Driving gloves, sheer lace, pleats, floral applique, cut-outs, high-necklines, coat-dresses, and intricate beading. Overall the collection was prim and proper but with a fun, wild side.
Pringle of Scotland:
Pringle started as a knitwear brand and this season they returned to their roots showing a lovely collection of separates which included a number of variations on their typical belted twinset.
When you say Pringle of Scotland what comes to my mind are clean lines, a preppy vibe, belted separates, and argyle, and this collection showed great versions of all of those staples.
Matthew Williamson:
Fun prints, brilliant colors, and dramatic details are what we’ve come to expect from Matthew Williamson, and this season’s collection really delivered.
Easy separates appeared in tie dye prints and with eye-catching embroidery and beading. His party girl clients will live in the float a-line silhouettes, mini skirts, and jeweled dresses paired with gem-encrusted belts and his new shoe collection.
Peter Pilotto:
Print lovers will have something amazing to look forward to from Peter Pilotto come Spring – Digital prints, mixing & matching patterns, and bright, bold prints.
Dramatic, eye-catching, and one-of-a-kind. The pieces shown at Peter Pilotto were extraordinary, I especially enjoyed the pants, oversized peplums, and dramatic, Latin-inspired ruffles.
Preen:
Preen made a triumphant return from the New York Fashion Week with a blue and white collection highlighted with hints of yellow and red, and covered in all-over prints.
The patchwork-like use of swatches of prints, combined with the tailoring, dramatic slits, verticle white stripes, and long, lean silhouettes gave the collection an architectural, structed feel.
Christopher Kane:
The Christopher Kane show was surprisingly delicate and sweet – A full 180 from previous collections full of black, slashed fabric, and safety pins.
Pale colors, light fabrics, dramatic drapes & folds, sheer pieces, clear plastic, and slits & cut-outs that somehow appeared elegant and refined despite the skin peeking through.
Mary Katrantzou:
The Queen of Prints returns! Taking banknotes and stamps as her visual inspiration she put together a unique and dramatic collection of dresses and separates covered with intricate patterns.
These pieces could never be confused with having been created by another designer – They were utterly one-of-a-kind – Simultaneously exotic and modern but with an old-fashioned air. I adored the matching pant & tunic sets, they were divine and I can’t wait to see how Hollywood interprets them to the red carpet.
Temperley London:
The Temperley London collection was all about bright colors, fun prints, nautical stripes, and retro silhouettes for this coming Spring – All the pieces fun but a little formal, and utterly wearable.
The sundress was reworked with a 50’s vibe and paraded down the runway in a variety of colors, patterns, and fabrics. There were also jumpsuits, lace & embroidery covered dress & gowns, shirt dresses, sweater sets, and too chic for words sun hats.
Sources: Style.com, Fashionologie, The Stylist, & Tom & Lorenzo
Previous LFW & Spring 2013 Collections: New York Fashion Week Spring 2013 – Part I, New York Fashion Week Spring 2013 – Part II, New York Fashion Week Spring 2013 – Part III, New York Fashion Week Spring 2013 – Street Style & Front Row Fashion, London Fashion Week Fall 2012, London Fashion Week – Street Style & Front Row Fashion, London Fashion Week Spring 2012 Round-Up, and Streetstyle & Front Row Fashion – London Fashion Week.
Additional reviews, photographs, shows, and videos: The Best Looks from London Fashion Week: Spring 2013 from Harper’s Bazaar, Our 10 Favorite Looks From London Fashion Week from Refinery 29, and Runway Recap: The Best Shoes From London Spring 2013 from Fashionlogie.
What’s your favorite thing about London Fashion Week? The chic outerwear, bold, innovative prints, or the retro, ladylike touches?
MCLV Style: Pleats & Peplums
Happy – it’s almost the end of the week – Thursday! To celebrate I’d like to share some of my recent looks so that I can show how hard I’m working to meet my June fashion goals.
I have to confess, one of my favorite parts about having a stand-up desk at work is that I can wear pleated skirts to the office without having to worry about the pleats getting squished by sitting on them all day!
It’s the little things in life. 🙂
Skirt – Vince Camuto from Bloomingdale’s, Wide-strap tank – Zara, Cardigan – H&M, Mary Jane’s – Merona from Target, Rings – JewelMint, Vintage & Juicy Couture, and Watch – Vintage
You can HYPE this look on Lookbook.nu or shop similar pieces on ASOS Style Finder or by clicking the hyperlinks in the outfit breakdown above.
When I saw this skirt I knew that it was going to be mine, I loved both the stripes and the pleats. It’s also a fun length, almost like a cheerleader skirt (which I’ve never worn.,I swear). This whole look was inspired by the brightly colored, stripe-filled Jason Wu for Target Collection. And my love of stripes, of course.
I also recently made my first peplum attempt of the season. I’ve seen so many cute variations of this trend lately – from simple peplum tops to fun & wild peplum dresses – and I wanted to give it a try as well.
Liz from Late Afternoon has a fabulous and one-of-a-kind style, she frequently appears in my Looks of the Week posts, and I took her peplum outfit above as the inspiration for the look that I put together below.
Floral Dress – Vintage from Belle Cose, Peplum top – Zara, Patent (faux) Leather Oxford Booties – Wild Diva, Necklace – Express, Rings – JewelMint, Vintage & Juicy Couture, and Bracelets – JewelMint & Forever 21
In these photos is doesn’t appear that my body type is ideal for the peplum trend, but I decided that it was just the silhouette of the dress I’d chosen to wear under the peplum top. Besides, as far as I’m concerned the highlight of this look is the jewelry anyway. The finger-length floral ring is a recent acquisition from JewelMint and I’m madly madly in love.
Peplum Attempt Take II
Peplum Top – Zara, Pencil Skirt – Zara, Black & White Jacket – Zara, Round Toe Pumps – Very Volatile, Tweed Handbag – Kate Spade, Necklace – Asos, and Rings & Bracelets – JewelMint, Vintage, Forever 21 & BCBG
You can HYPE these looks on Lookbook.nu or shop similar pieces on ASOS Style Finder or by clicking the hyperlinks in the outfit breakdown above.
“I’m a Zara girl, in a Zara world…” I was definitely singing Barbie Girl in my head all morning. 🙂 The pencil skirt did a much better job of complementing the volume of the peplum top than the floral dress that I chose the first day. I’m glad that I gave this another try and didn’t give up after the first attempt was a disappointment!
What do you guys think? Are you willing to try interesting new trends each season? Or do you prefer to stick to your tried-and-true personal style?
A special thank you to my friend Liz for her help with these pictures, I’m an awful subject because I’m so uncomfortable in front of the camera, and I appreciate her never-ending patience with me!
Moi Contre La Vie 