Finally. Finally, finally, finally. I had been gagging for some good ol’ fashion glamour this Fashion Week, with previous shows only dampening the appetite and never satisfying. Thanks be to God for OLANIC – aka Niki Taylor – who served up a plate full of the stuff, with a huge dollop of disco and a side order of sexy.
In the spectacular Freemason’s Hall, the venue for this year’s Vauxhall Fashion Scout and by far the most inspiring venue, the show began. Heaven knows how they managed to squeeze all those models backstage – the hair was so huge and oh so Studio 54. I hope back-combing makes a comeback.
It’s difficult to do disco that works – it’s a fine line between seductive chic and terrible pantomime. OLANIC hit exactly the right combination of aesthetic materials and design quirks allied with confident cutting and supreme tailoring, making OLANIC’s collection a winner.
Transparent tops were teamed with geometric leggings and cropped jackets. Simple shift dresses were pinched in at the waist with deep belts, enhanced by polka-dot lace sleeves, or given full sleeves for a more masculine look.
Disco wasn’t the exact influence; more dance as whole (save anything ballroom). Elements of tap and ballet were there, but I don’t expect the overall collection would go down too well with, say, Margot Fonteyn or Debbie Reynolds!
The show featured two fantastic jump-suits – the epitome of the disco era and no mistake. One was a gold lamé number with grey marl jersey sleeves and bat-wing shoulders, creating an almost bionic silhouette.
The other, a racy little one piece, body-conscious in lace and embellished with jewels from right shoulder to left hip. Hot Stuff.
Although these pieces stood out as the strongest, delicate florals and bow embellishments should not be overlooked. These were teamed with masculine tailoring, re-working the suit and exaggerating the female form.
Fabulous fringing, inspired by flamenco but re-worked for today, transformed simple yet sassy body-con dresses into outfits fit for the dancefloor…
…while this beaded sash teamed with lamé, or maybe even leather, completely summarises this sleek collection.
OLANIC’s show is definitely one of my LFW highlights so far. That’s The Way I Like It.
All photographs by Matt Bramford
Tags:
25th, 70's glam, dance, London Fashion Week, olanic, platforms, Somerset House
