This year the Jerwood Drawing Prize grows more influential than ever. During his speech at the opening of the exhibition last night art historian Tim Marlow told us that there were a record number of entrants this year: 1,779 artists submitted 3,354 entries in total. In describing the continuing importance of drawing judge Tim Marlow drew our attention to the new Degas exhibition at the Royal Academy of Arts which opens this weekend. It concentrates on Degas‘ relationship with the new disciplines of photography and film as he explored ways of recording movement in ballet 150 years ago. Despite the prevalence of these other mediums today they can never entirely replace the visual discipline of drawing.

Without further ado here’s the work of the winners, and my favourites from a selection of everything else.

I was drawn to Homage to Anonymous by Gary Lawrence the minute I stepped foot in the gallery. This giant biro drawing is a complex, surreal, fantastic piece of artwork. Gary accepted this years Jerwood Prize turned out in scruffy tracksuit bottoms with a greying beard and described his drawing as ‘a tribute to all the anonymous artists through history who made work but are unrecognised.’ The Essex based artist took a year to create his work of art, which was based on a view of Pothea on the Greek island of Kalymnos, which he visited on holiday. Over time the drawing gradually transmogrified into something far more complex, taking on historical references to town views by other artists across time.

The Cut (details) by Jessie Brennan.

Jessie Brennan’s five metre long The Cut was inspired by oral histories of the Lea River Navigation Canal, and features a delicate array of found objects piled up in curious arrangements. Scale becomes distorted when you realise the presence of little people at the foot of the drawing.

Nicki Rolls took second prize in the Student Awards for her Sketch, a black and white film that screens against a sketchbook.

A very well deserved first prize went to Kristian Fletcher of the University of West England, who boasts ten years experience in the construction industry. His dimly lit Lake consists of an eery industrial space where hard edged architecture looms over an ominous section of chainlink fence.

Surrealism was a common theme amongst short listed entries. I particularly liked Pattern of Faerie Tales by Iain Andrews, which was stacked up loosely on a table. Giant fish lie on chicken feet tables and maidens sit beneath crepuscular bugs, in scenes inspired by the words of Tolkien.

Adam Bainbridge’s Interior combines memories with absurd imaginings: tracking the formation of clay ornaments in soft focus.

Gefallener by Johanna Love.

Untitled 2 by Janine Rook.

The abstract patterns of dirt were big news: Johanna Love and Janine Rook traced the minutest amounts of fluff in delicate detail.

Abstract paper layers featured in several artworks. Robert Battams used graph paper to stack patterns inspired by the fragmentations of digital recording.

Kasia Depta-Garapich’s Organic Structure, Animation Still merges drawing, sculpture and animation in a curious fluttering object of semi-transparent layers.

Simon Leahy-Clark stacked newspaper in random grid formations created around the missing content.

Polly Yates considers herself a weaver of paper: circular cutouts and felt tips create the push and pull of space in Untitled (Folds).

Explosions of colour and pattern will always turn my eye. I loved Imagery Imaginary Volume 1 by Lottie Jackson-Eeles, a concertina-ed sketchbook tracing her journeys through London in glorious colourful detail. Peeks between the pages reveal details such as wind mills and towerblocks. Do take a look at her website: there is some fabulous work on there.

Steven Lowery’s artwork is a protest agains the mindlessness of celebrity infested tabloids and reality TV, set against a love of improvisational music – the tightly crafted words and images curling in and out of each other in Shepherd’s Fry Up.

Mouth Full of Triangles 4 by Sally Taylor is a clever and curiously amusing piece.

Ground Truth and Deep Grief by Louisa Fairclough are simple watercolour paintings of tents, formed after ritual cycle rides taken along the Severn river at full moon. She sleeps on the ground, at the edge of the river: feeling the pulse of the tides.

Drawing Room by Fran Richardson is a large charcoal artwork, an evocative space of flouncy curtains that invites the viewer inside.

Photorealism in Girl Bag by Kristian Evju cleverly catches the sense of limbo within a narrative.

Reginald Aloysius used pencil and enamel paint to create an eery netherworld, where ancient temples and airplane routes collide.

Fashion meets art. Inspired by memories and moths, Tree (Catocala) by Ash Summers perhaps unwittingly echoes the ikat patterns of the new season’s fabrics.

This year there was a greater prevalence of barely there diminutive abstracts, surely a reflection of influential judge Rachel Whiteread’s tastes.

The Jerwood Drawing Prize is a must for all practicing artists, whatever your discipline. It runs until 30th October at the Jerwood Space and then heads out to BayArt in Cardiff and Burton Museum & Art Gallery in Devon. Full listing information here.

This write has taken far, far longer than it actually should have, which is no reflection on the beautiful collection I saw relatively on Wednesday morning several weeks ago. It’s completely down to inertia and mental blocks; utterly rubbish, but there you go. So whilst the womenswear editors and buyers had jetted off to Milan it was left to the rest of us and a Mr Hamish Bowles to enjoy the delights of J.W. Anderson’s show. It is worth noting that by now the glamour of most fashion shows had dulled a little and I was fast developing the urge to move rows forward to the front. I was no longer just grateful to attend but damn it do they not know who I am? Obviously they did, or rather they knew who I wasn’t and quite rightly plonked me in the fourth row. I quickly moved forward. Shame and modesty is wasted at these shows.  

Illustration by Aniela Murphy

As the lights dimmed the sound of an arctic gale blew through the show space, as if we weren’t chilly enough, before giving way to Nordic house. It was a great soundtrack and set the tone for a multi layered collection that showcased great talent and eye across both formal and casual wear. The palette was primarily navy and charcoal brilliantly punctuated with paisley prints, whites, and olive greens.  

All photography by Matt Bramford

The fact I struggle to define which element of the collection was strongest tells of its strength. In a large collection it is often easy to pick and choose what you like, with only 28 looks each one needs to stand on its own but also within the line up. J.W. Anderson has definitely achieved this with this collection; be it the new and exciting knitwear, the floor length kilts, panelled overcoats or hooded tailoring.  

Illustration by Gabriel Ayala

The knitwear was fresh, jumpers with missing front panels,  Scandinavian-inspired detailing or webbed bands to hold in place. No longer just tied loosely round the waist the bands held the jumper tight in around the knee. Cardigans in a fine gauge knit or latex were layered over each other adding another exciting element.  

A strong trend at fashion week this year has been panelled trenchcoats, both amongst the fashion elite and on the runway, and this was picked up on the Anderson catwalk. Anderson took it a step further creating fantastic midnight blue standalone jackets with printed quilted hoods.  

Illustration by Natasha Thompson

Overall London menswear day is fast becoming a force to be reckoned with. No longer a nominal notion tacked on the end but championing both established and upcoming designers. It’s a shame it still clashes with Milan and as such most of the press have left already. But with British and Irish menswear being championed by the likes of Anderson we have much to look forward to.

See more from Aniela Murphy and Natasha Thompson in Amelia’s Compendium of Fashion Illustration!

To those of you that have been to any of the Start boutiques in Shoreditch you’ll know they represent a relaxed luxury that more than compliments the clothes. This is most true for the mens formalwear boutique. I love it and could quiet happily spend hours in there. So when I saw that the Mr Start presentation was being held in One Aldwych I was very excited. Having graced the lobby bar with my presence on at least  one occasion to sip their very tasty cocktails, I couldn’t think of a more suitable venue. Sadly we were shuffled downstairs to a tiny and ill-lit room. Pleased we’d arrived early to avoid the mounting queues, myself and Matt surveyed the clothes.  

Illustration by Joana Faria

Thankfully the collection more than made up for the choice of venue, as did the dynamicism of Mr Start himself, and the lovely Brix Smith Start. Seeing people passionate about what they do never fails to lift my spirits. Despite living my life in jeans, I have a love of all things formal. I long for the day that dress down Fridays are a thing of the past; I’m just too lazy to do it myself. Very hypocritical, you might say. Suits, jackets and ties are almost always appropriate attire, however, they often take more consideration and thought than I am capable of bleary eyed at 7am on workday morning.  

All photography by Matt Bramford

This collection would inspire me to rise just that little bit earlier and make just a bit more effort. Mixing heritage fabrics such as Harris Tweeds with a modern cut, the collection worked really well. The colours chosen also lifted this collection from being too stayed; crushed grape and turquoise green statement jackets provided a subtle lift to everything. But we weren’t just treated to suits, elegantly tailored shirts in a variety of collar shapes were also a sight to behold. A clean colour palette of white, black and grey, the shirts complimented the suiting without overpowering it; my favourite being a smaller but starkly cutaway collar. I’d say understated luxury for those in the know was a common theme of the whole collection but the deep velvet suit and dinner jackets were far from understated.  

Illustration by Maria Papadimitriou

Another great piece was the double breasted cropped peacoat. We’ve seen these on every boy band and All Saints clone in the past few seasons, but there was still something fresh about this piece. Mr Start’s accessories were equally strong with many of the fashion pack gushing over the suede brogues and loafers. They have a definite place on my wishlist, but I fear no amount of scotchguarding will protect them from my clumsy ways.  

In store this collection will shine even brighter than it did during the presentation, and leaving the store dressed head to toe in Mr Start will be a feat of inordinate self control. It’s just a shame the lighting and crowding let things down a little. Here’s looking forward to next seasons presentation, and a quick/expensive trip to Shoreditch in the meantime.  

See more from June Chanpoomidole and Joana Faria in Amelia’s Compendium of Fashion Illustration!

The man behind me in the queue to get into the Jasper Conran show was talking about buying a house in London Fields. Well bully for him as I had a seated ticket and skipped right past him when we got inside the BFC tent.

The queue for Jasper Conran A/W 2011 by Jenny Robins.

I hadn’t been in my seat long when by some pre-understood signal everyone moved forward into empty seats at the front. Had I been paying attention I might have been able to see the shoes when the show started, but as I was halfway up the side of the runway my sketching time for each outfit was super limited. I wasn’t sure I liked my drawings at the time, but when I came to edit them I realised I kind of love them so now you get to see them.

Jasper Conran A/W 2011 by Jenny Robins.

The designs were I suppose ace in all the expected ways – clean lines, sexy perfect little joined panels, lovely wide necklines and sixties inspired shift dresses all in rich dark tones combined with a lot of clean white. There were some fairly ridiculous oversized plant pot hats going on which I wasn’t sure about. The final outfit had a crowd-ooohing stand up feather collar atop a long straight silhouette – classic.

Jasper Conran A/W 2011 by Jenny Robins.

Stars of the show for me were the fitted panelled jumpsuits with chunky round buckled belts – very Mrs. Peel. I thought they looked like felt but they may have been suede. Don’t quote me on it.

Jasper Conran A/W 2011 by Jenny Robins.

You can see lots more work by Jenny Robins in Amelia’s Compendium of Fashion Illustration and you can read Nick Bain’s review of Jasper Conran here

After hanging out with contributor Nick for lunch during Menswear Day, I hot-footed it up to Vauxhall Fashion Scout to check out D.GNAK’s latest offerings. It was the only menswear show I’d see at the Freemasons’ Hall and it was fairly quiet. I’d enjoyed his outing last season and was looking forward to seeing how his quirky Japanese aesthetic would translate for A/W.

Contributor Georgia with Paul Weller

I bumped into contributor Georgia Takacs there and we headed into the venue, sitting on opposite sides so not to get the same pictures. As we sat down, she started FREAKING OUT. ‘Is that Paul Weller? IS THAT PAUL WELLER?!’ she began yelling. It turns out it was, and he was nestled on the front row with his missus and two children. Georgia immediately went over to chat to him and I took a few pictures of them together, grinned nervously at him and thought to myself that his haircut has a lot to answer for.

Illustration by Joana Faria

On with the show. In a bold move from last season’s classic tailoring with contemporary twists, Kang D (the designer behind D.GNAK) had injected strong colours, interesting knits and enormous rucksacks.

All photography by Matt Bramford

The show opened with utilitarian tailoring that you might expect George Orwell’s Winston Smith to wear dark grey baggy trousers with an apron-like upper half was teamed with a luxurious floor-length cable knit cardigan. Next, a rich pea-coat with over-sized lapels and plaid-detail shoulders.

D.GNAK as a label is quickly establishing itself as an expert in materials and textures. Wools, corduroy, tweed and cotton were all on display, spiced up using colours like mustard and burgundy.

Illustration by Rob Wallace

There’s also an eye for the unfinished – that’ll be the Japanese ma influence then – with fraid hems that look a bit like a Savile Row tailor has had the day off – but teamed with polished blazers and expensive-looking coats, this works really well.

Every man is pretty much catered for here. There’s sartorial tailoring in the form of suits and Sherlock Holmes-esque coats for the sharpest dresser; wool blazers with contrasting buttons and vibrant trousers work well for casuals; corduroy onesies will have the more fashion-forward males racing to the shops.

Ace accessories were on offer – oversized patent leather rucksacks with suede details were worn on both shoulders, buckle straps revealed helpful features like an umbrella carrier. I like.

This was a much fresher collection than last time – the same level of craftsmanship was on offer, but it’s interesting to see D-GNAK explore different pieces, experiment with colours and toy with the traditions of sartorial menswear.

See more of Joana Faria’s illustrations in Amelia’s Compendium of Fashion Illustration!

It’s 8:45 on a cold wet Wednesday and I’m stalking the entrance to Somerset House, waiting for Matt Bramford to come and meet me for my first ever day of London Fashion Week, which I’ve come to with a view to doing some live fashion illustration. I’m feeling surprisingly calm, considering how out of my depth I’m expecting to find myself. I put my serenity down to sleep deprivation, busying myself with not looking too out of place. At the point where the security guards are starting to wonder what I’m hanging around for, Matt texts me and I amble off, as coolly as I can, to meet him at the doors into the main ‘Tent’.

As I arrive, Matt hands me my Press Pass and I feel like he’s given me a Willy Wonky Golden Ticket which provides access to a new and magical world. I flash it on the way into the Press Room where Matt picks up his stuff, hands me the ridiculously over-sized invitation to J.W. Anderson and we’re out again, straight into the queue for the show. The bouncer in charge of the queue takes a look at our invites and sends us to opposite sides of the room. I experiment with making myself look natural in my surroundings, the queue that Matt’s in gets allowed through, and once that’s cleared, my queue starts shuffling forward.

J.W. Anderson, photographed by Matt Bramford

I’m allowed past some rope barriers into the main room, and am… well, not unimpressed, rather just not as overwhelmed as I’d prepared myself for. The room’s long and poorly lit, its sides lined with rows of wooden benches, and a polythene-covered runway running up the middle – I don’t know what I was expecting, but this is a lot plainer than I’d thought it was going to be. I make my way over to the row of benches dictated by my ticket, and then busy myself with getting my video-camera, pad and pens ready. As the room settles down I realise that in an almost-full room, I’ve got an entire bench to myself, and am not sure whether to feel lucky or to take offence. 

All illustrations by Gareth A Hopkins

The room hushes as the polythene sheet is pulled away by some burly stagehands and then before I’m really ready for it the lights are on full-blast and there’s a man marching down the catwalk. I pop the lid off my pen, put the nib to the page and the model’s already been and gone. I wait for the next few guys to come and go, then pick my target and start frantically sketching. By the time he’s tucked away backstage I’ve managed to capture the top corner of his sleeve and that’s it. I write in my sketchbook “Shit, I can’t draw this fast” and get out my video camera, with a view to capturing the outfits and then working from the videos – the trouble is the lights are so bright that all I get on the viewing screen is a bright white shape moving at speed, like the aliens from Cocoon are parading for a crowd assembled in a gymnasium. 

J.W. Anderson, photographed by Matt Bramford

I realise that I’m not going to achieve very much through either drawing or filming, and so instead take the opportunity to enjoy the show, and concentrate on the clothes as much as I can. The clothes are sharply tailored, often military-style, but made out of combinations of textures and textiles – a jumper with furry arms and Barbour-style body for instance. There are also some skirts in there, which I think look pretty cool. The only thing I’m not keen on is the use of paisley, which of all patterns in the world is probably my least favourite. And then ‘Wave Of Mutilation’ by Pixies is playing over the PA and all the models are walking in a line to applause from the audience – in joining in, I manage to drop both my camera and my pad, and spend this final section of the show flicking my attention between applauding, watching the clothes and trying to find my dropped possessions. 

After it’s all over I re-locate Matt, who asks if I got much done, and I explain about my inability to draw as fast as I needed to. He reassures me by saying that next up is Sibling, who are holding a presentation, and that I’ll have much more time to get some decent drawing done. With some time to kill, we wait outside in the thankfully quite mild weather. Nick Bain comes and joins us after a while and tells us about Charlie Le Mindu’s show from earlier in the week and I feel a little disappointed that none of the models from JW Anderson’s show were covered in pig’s blood.

As 10:30am rolls around, we make our way up to the Sibling presentation. I don’t know what to expect from Sibling – I’d researched them in preparation and in all honesty wasn’t that fussed about them. Their mix of high fashion and self-aware bloke-ishness didn’t really do anything from me, but I kept an open mind. I know Nick loved the clothes on show, but I still can’t get behind it – I find their use of the ‘Kiss Pandas’ a bit boorish, and this combined with a inbuilt distrust of knitted ski masks and people dressed as pandas puts me on edge. That’s not to say I hate it, though – there’s a furry headwear/scarf combination that I wish I could get away with wearing, and I really like some of the jumpers. I manage to get some sketching of two of the outfits done, but find myself being more and more in the way of people with cameras and notebooks and pens tapping against their lips, and sidle out of the room after Matt and Nick. 
 

Sibling, photographed by Matt Bramford

Once outside I make the most of my half-day from work, and go back to my office for a few hours, to return for some more catwalk shows in the afternoon…

Look out for the rest of Gareth’s account tomorrow!

See Gareth’s illustrations in Amelia’s Compendium of Fashion Illustration

After a very early start Frowing at JW Anderson on menswear day, it was time to head to the Sibling presentation – one of my most anticipated shows during fashion week. Taking place in the Portico Rooms again, by the time myself, illustrator Gareth and contributor Nick got there the room was already heaving. It was a similar set up to last time – mannequins formed a circle around the room with a film showing on loop in the centre.

It was fab. This season’s collection is absolutely inspired. Whimsically titled ‘Darn The Boozer,’ A/W 2011 takes us on a pub-crawl of the East End, stopping off at my favourite drinkeries. From the Golden Heart to the George & Dragon, the collection is a whistle-stop tour around local boozers, with different pieces for different places. The Golden Heart describes itself as ‘a real British pub’ and that pretty much sums up this collection – the best of British boozer motifs embroidered onto sweaters in Sibling’s staple style.

Illustration by Abi Daker

The Golden Heart gets the Sibling treatment to kick things off, with embroidered hearts in a tattoo motif as well as emblems knitted into sweaters with spider-web elbows. The Red Lion gets a look in on the way, in the form of a crew neck sweater with an enormous embroidered lion design, featuring different textures and tones of red. The Bricklayer’s Arms is represented through an insignia zip jacket with pockets. My favourite boozer – The George & Dragon – is our last stop. A Fair Isle knit features typical geometric patterns, spiced up with Saint George on horseback woven into the mix.

George, the knight, further inspires my favourite piece in the collection – a bright red knitted sweater with added shoulder details and tan leather buckles, and I’m already working out how I’ll be able to buy it when it hits the shops. This quirky detail is also used on grey scarf which looks a bit like a neck brace, in the best possible sense.

Accessories this season include Kiss Panda knitted masks – completely unwearable but another fab artist collaboration following on from last season’s marriage with Tim Noble and Sue Webster. They’re the conception of Pure Evil, and a jumper also features this playful design – far more wearable and definitely one for the wish list.

The film, by Willem Jaspert & Stephen Langmanis, showed chavvy boys having a pint and a fag outside The George & Dragon itself. I’m not sure these ruffians are Sibling’s target audience, but the aesthetic really worked.

Other bits and pieces include lust-worthy ‘love’ and ‘hate’ gloves. Really should start saving…

Look out for illustrator Gareth’s take on this and more coming soon!

All photography by Matt Bramford

I’ll be honest writing this review has been a massive challenge. Shortly after enjoying the sublime craftsmanship, skills and undeniable beauty of Jasper’s show I ran to the On|Off venue and managed to get in to Charlie Le Mindu’s extravaganza. Had I written up Jasper before the manic sprint to Charlie I could have waxed lyrical on every piece. I remember being enthralled and excited by the collection. I even went backstage and saw the clothes up close. But the cold hard fact is that these two designers and as such shows, inhabit two very different worlds. After being left reeling and inspired by Charlie Le Mindu, it has been hard to do justice to Jasper Conran. For it was a stunning show.

Jasper Conran A/W 2011 by Kerri-Ann Hulme.

Last year Carnaby Street celebrated its fiftieth anniversary, rejoicing in a time when London was the centre of the trendiest youth movement at the time. Something tells me this has subconsciously filtered into the minds of several designers. The swinging sixties are back and the models at Jasper Conran definitely reflected this. A mix of Bardots, Shrimptons, and gamine girls filled the runway.

At first glance this collection was perhaps a little too literal in its inspiration. Barbarella meets fembot catsuits were there a plenty. However on closer inspection the craftsmanship that went into each piece was of an inordinately high order. Succeeding in simplicity and clean lines is no mean feat. This was no shock and awe show, allowing instead both the playful and sophisticated nature of the girls to shine through. So from a designers perspective seeing the precision binding and, the open seams held together with just the odd bartack here and there was beautiful.

Jasper Conran A/W 2011 by Kerri-Ann Hulme.

The muted chocolate, copper and aubergine tones balanced out the otherwise monochrome palette, and prevented the collection tipping over into a mere regurgitation of times gone by. Suede was laser cut to give a crocodile effect. Leather was cut into small squares that bounced playfully with model as she walked. The silhouette may have been familiar but the working of the fabric and the surface decoration was right up to date. In particular one minidress matt white sequins were mixed with opalescent ones to create an otherworldly reptilian skin. The final pieces consisted of light flowing chiffon dresses that continued the sixties feel and the playful element of the collection.

It’s been said that when a woman with cheap perfume walks past that’s all you smell, but when woman wearing a beautiful fragrance walks by you smell a beautiful woman. If the same can be said about clothes all you’ll see from this show are beautiful women.

Half past six on a Saturday morning will see me in either two places, going to bed following a heavy night out, or firmly in bed oblivious to the world around. Never will you find me rousing myself from slumber and blindly stumbling into the shower. That is unless its Fashion Week. DAKs is up there with Aquascutum and Burberry as a great heritage brand, so why it gets the painful nine a.m. slot on a the Saturday morning I have no idea. After all, fashion week and the insane parties has only just begun and any intention of this year being good and pacing one’s self has flown out the window by eleven o’clock and/or your third cocktail the night before.

Daks A/W 2011 by Gareth A Hopkins.

Still there I was sat with the lovely Jemma Crow (read her review here), both of still a little bit blearly eyed waiting for the show start. The plus side of such a ridiculous time is that there is hardly any scrum outside and its very simple to find your seats. The handy press release promised us a show reaching deep into the heritage of the brand. We were certainly not disappointed.

Daks A/W 2011 by Maria Papadimitriou.

There is a fine fine line between classic and dull, between a collection evoking a more refined time and place, and one that belongs in Evans. A criticism that had been overheard by a colleague at another show. Harsh doesn’t begin to cover it.

DAKS by Emmi Ojala.

Thankfully DAKS stayed exactly the right side of the line. Picture if you will a brisk stroll through the grounds of a loyal friends country estate, perhaps after a large Sunday roast complete with plenty of wine. Now picture all your friends sat around the massive log fire in the drawing room of this country house. Everyone should be wearing this collection. It was sophisticated without being stuffy, easy wearing without being trackies and hoodies.

Daks A/W 2011 by Gareth A Hopkins.

An bell shaped cape/dress in an oversized check was twinned with thick wool tights, quilted skirts navy with the house check as the lining, and chunky knits all exuded a relaxed and welcoming feel. Whilst the finale pieces of quilted full circle skirts mixed the English countryside with Paris’s New Look. Between the quilting and the knits were light satin skirts in royal blue, relaxed woolen trousers, and feminine blouses.

Daks A/W 2011 by Gareth A Hopkins.

As for the menswear, the public school boy in us all was not left out. Not a shred of denim in sight, instead relaxed almost pyjama like wool trousers in navy, brown and cream, were teamed with fitted knitwear. For the stroll around the grounds this season the DAKS has great trench coat and a Dr Who length scarf.

The collection had to draw to a close but it took with it a big chunk of my hangover, and left me wondering what the quickest way out of the capital would be.

You can see more work by Gareth A Hopkins in Amelia’s Compendium of Fashion Illustration.

Wahoooo! Summer is finally here. No really, it is. Seriously I don’t care how damp and dreary it is outside that office window, summer is most definitely here. I’m toasty warm and looking at shorts, t-shirts and dresses ranging from ethereal to barely there. Skipping round London in the increasingly cold weather this can be hard to believe, but that’s how it goes. Here’s a little look at some of the summer outfits I’ve been looking at…

Ada Zanditon
Held eight stories up in Holborn with a stunning view out over the Thames to the Oxo Tower, Ada showed her latest collection. A quick chat with the designer revealed a charming, intelligent woman and in her own words ‘geeky’. Who else would be so inspired by maths and formulas that they borrow text books from libraries? Well if that’s where inspiration comes from, long may it last. Ada is not just a lovely person but also incredibly talented. Three dimensional sculptural pyramids burst forth from the intelligently structured garments.

Even the prints were inspired by fractal geometry and swept across many garments from a particularly stunning floor length bias cut 1930s dress with backless detail to a leather minidress complete with a chiffon front panel. Hard seaming was juxtaposed with soft fabrics and details. The jewellery carried the same prints as the dress and were another hard counterpoint to some of the softness. Look out for more on Ada’s ethical collection in Amelia’s Compendium of Fashion Illustration.

Giorgio Armani

Armani called and off to Bond Street I went. Giorgio showed some great pieces with open weave jackets and low-breaking double-breasted jackets for the men, soft and light in beige, grey and smoke. T-shirts emphasised the lightness with sheer elements. Maybe this is a way to get the ‘heavage’ out without looking like a modern day medallion man. The shoes and accessories were simple and classic, from a soft leather briefcase to a brown woven leather shoe catching my eye in particular. Suede and salmon skin belts helped to further soften the tone. All very simple and invoking a cool Italian summers evening.

On the far side of the partition was the womenswear. Strong tailoring was paired with sheer blouses in varying shades of blue and deep purple. Skirts were long and flared slightly to the hem, though I will admit it was the shoes and accessories that stood out. High perspex wedges with wooden platforms excuded both freshness and class. Chunky cuffs, twisted silver necklaces and amulets of large dark blue/black stones hung on leather and fabric. Powerful, yet clean and sophisticated.

Emporio Armani

Illustration by Stéphanie Thieullent
Emporio, the delinquent nephew of Giorgio, was my next visit. There may have been a similar colour palette across the brands, but that’s pretty much where the similarities ended. No Giorgio man is ever going to be seen in a chainlink bondage harness. The use of sheer panels as highlights was also shared, this time showing off what one imagines will be gym-honed biceps. The highlight for me was a double-fronted crock effect suit. Hiding underneath the croc, a layer of leather gave the hint of something more to come.

Draping and ruffles were mixed with simple clean lines in womenswear. A grey and purple halterneck knee length dress particularly appealed, not to mention vertiginous heels. A dainty black chiffon bow, gave the vampiest pieces a demure side. Combining both the soft and the sharp, a draped jersey dress was teamed with a pale grey cap sleeve tailored jacket. It’s youthful and energetic but with a business edge.

Paul Costelloe

Illustration by Karolina Burdon

Showing menswear for the third season Paul opened London Fashion Week with a strong summer collection including short suits, lightweight long coats, and intricate print details. The menswear of this brand is growing on a season by season basis and whilst the formalwear is available in stockists such as John Lewis and Austin Reed, it’s hoped the casualwear and the odd catwalk piece should start hitting the shops soon.

Illustration by Natsuki Otani

You can see reviews of Paul’s collections by Matt and Amelia here and here.

Snake & Dagger

This London based denim company are growing stronger and stronger. Having trained in Japan, they hope to bring a more traditional feel to the denim market. The quality of the denim and the range of finishes are exquisite and the designers behind the brand bring together the best of their training and the city of London to create a unique look.

Aqua

Illustration by Joana Faria

Wherever you thought you were going to buy your Christmas party dress, forget it. Scrub that idea now. Go straight to Aqua and get yourself sorted. This Christmas’ collection ‘Out to Sleigh’ is affordable glamour at its best.

The pieces are daringly cut but clever and in no way trashy. More importantly, whilst you’ve been eyeing up that dress on the high street for the last three weeks so has every other girl in your office, but it’s unlikely you’ll be in the same number if you visit Aqua.

Morphe

Illustration by Gareth A Hopkins

Having previously shown in India, Morphe is thankfully launching in the UK. Playing with shape and form, the pieces are both dramatic and cutting edge. Born from countless hours of work, the statement pieces are surprisingly easy to wear, if somewhat out there.

However, the true gems in the collection include a one shoulder dress with silver trim along the neckline. Creating more than a simple point of interest this is a brand to watch as they develop their continued success in India.

Asher Levine

This was a fantastic collection from a burgeoning menswear designer. In particular, the asymmetric leather biker jackets were right on trend. Using differing leathers as well as digital printing, Asher showed a dynamic and contemporary collection.

Eleanor Amoroso

Most certainly one to watch. Eleanor graduated this summer from the University of Westminster. Her work with fringing has to be seen to be believed. Genuinely unique and fresh, I can only hope the future holds big things for Amoroso. This is one young designer who definitely needs to be nourished.

There were more…far more people that I saw during the press days. From the sublime to the ridiculous and everything inbetween. Trying to contain yourself when browsing all these wonders is a challenge, as is trying to get enough photos and remember everything. But I can safely say S/S 2011 is going to be a very, very good season.

All photography by Nick Bain