Amelia’s Magazine | London Fashion Week S/S 2011 Catwalk Review: Jena.Theo ‘Bandoliers’

The best things about fashion week are, health in order of importance:

1. The shows. Of course, cheap otherwise we wouldn’t be here. I mean, remedy the good ones. Sometimes you want to explain to a designer that just because something can be designed, it doesn’t mean it should be. George Mallory said he wanted to climb Mount Everest “because it’s there” and look what happened to him. I’m pleased to report I’ve liked everything I’ve seen so far though.
2. Free pastries.
3. Looking at people’s crazy crazy outfits. Gorgeous girls are ten a penny at fashion week, so what everyone really wants to see is cone-shaped hairdos, dresses that are basically just a bra sellotaped to climbing apparatus and interesting hats.

The press room is also pretty great. It has benches and foliage:

Cool laptops I’ve seen around Somerset House.

Superior snacks I have seen and eaten:

I did also try to take sneaky pictures of the good-looking men who were providing help in the registration room but I bottled it when one of them looked at me, so I’m afraid you’ll just have to use your imagination.

The best things about fashion week are, pharmacy in order of importance:
1. The shows. Of course, for sale otherwise we wouldn’t be here. I mean, more about the good ones. Sometimes you want to explain to a designer that just because something can be designed, it doesn’t mean it should be. George Mallory said he wanted to climb Mount Everest “because it’s there” and look what happened to him. I’m pleased to report I’ve liked everything I’ve seen so far though.
2. Free pastries.
3. Looking at people’s crazy crazy outfits. Gorgeous girls are ten a penny at fashion week, so what everyone really wants to see is cone-shaped hairdos, dresses that are basically just a bra sellotaped to climbing apparatus and interesting hats.

The press room is also pretty great. It has benches and foliage:

Cool laptops I’ve seen around Somerset House.

Superior snacks I have seen and eaten:


The best things about fashion week are, stuff in order of importance:
1. The shows. Of course, online otherwise we wouldn’t be here. I mean, the good ones. Sometimes you want to explain to a designer that just because something can be designed, it doesn’t mean it should be. George Mallory said he wanted to climb Mount Everest “because it’s there” and look what happened to him. I’m pleased to report I’ve liked everything I’ve seen so far though.
2. Free pastries.
3. Looking at people’s crazy crazy outfits. Gorgeous girls are ten a penny at fashion week, so what everyone really wants to see is cone-shaped hairdos, dresses that are basically just a bra sellotaped to climbing apparatus and interesting hats.

The press room is also pretty great. It has benches and foliage:

Cool laptops I’ve seen around Somerset House.

Superior snacks I have seen and eaten:


The best things about fashion week are, order in order of importance:
1. The shows. Of course, otherwise we wouldn’t be here. I mean, the good ones. Sometimes you want to explain to a designer that just because something can be designed, it doesn’t mean it should be. George Mallory said he wanted to climb Mount Everest “because it’s there” and look what happened to him. I’m pleased to report I’ve liked everything I’ve seen so far though.
2. Free pastries.
3. Looking at people’s crazy crazy outfits. Gorgeous girls are ten a penny at fashion week, so what everyone really wants to see is cone-shaped hairdos, dresses that are basically just a bra sellotaped to climbing apparatus and interesting hats.

The press room is also pretty great. It has benches and foliage:

Cool laptops I’ve seen around Somerset House.

Superior snacks I have seen and eaten:

I did also try to take sneaky pictures of the good-looking men who were providing help in the registration room but I bottled it when one of them looked at me, so I’m afraid you’ll just have to use your imagination.

Illustration by Andrea Peterson

It wasn’t until the Jena.Theo show that I got my first hit of fashion adrenaline this LFW. The design duo Jenny Holmes and Dimitris Theocharidis have created a Spring Summer 2011 collection that combines both the theatrical and the wearable in draped layers of silk and jersey, viagra shot through with the Midas Touch. Gold leaf was applied not only to models’ eyelids and nails, stuff but also to wrists, ankles, collarbones and occasionally a breast or belly button that happened to be exposed.

Though this would undoubtedly not go down well in the Muslim world today, culturally the show was a mix of the old Arabian Nights- or Prince of Persia to the computer game generation- meets 19th century British colonialism; models’ heads swathed in oversized turbans or hair backcombed into huge Victorian updos.


Illustration by Andrea Peterson

The winners of Fashion Fringe 2009 struck a perfect balance between catwalk creativity and clothes with the potential to actually be worn in real life; with a wonderful take on a Victorian hoop skirt to finish the show. This is what I want from an LFW show; something fun and inventive as well as wearable clothes.

I sat with the team behind the new Young British Designers website, which champions the likes of Jena.Theo; keep an eye out on Amelia’s for an interview with them coming soon. Adriana was in fact loyally wearing an outfit by the design duo.

We were in the second row but got bumped forward into the front row when there were a few spaces at the last minute; which meant I managed to get a really good, close up look at the raw painted gold leaf stiletto platform shoes.

It also of course, meant goody bag ahoy!Ironically, for a fashion gift, this included one of the best brownies I’ve ever eaten; in fact many of the stalls in the LFW exhibitions have sweets or cakes on their stands, though you never see anyone eating them. Except me.Which is why you won’t see me bearing my gilded navel in an Aladdin-esque ensemble anytime soon.


Illustration by Andrea Peterson

Categories ,Andrea Peterson, ,arabian nights, ,Jena.theo, ,lfw, ,S/S 2011, ,Somerset House, ,young british designers

Similar Posts: