Stylist and RR blogger, Ameena Kara Callender gives us her low down on London Fashion Week’s Autumn/Winter collections 2010


Look who I bumped into at Somerset house, Its my mate Dee from Robots in Disguise!

Despite the rain and the wind causing potentially devastating style hazards, London Fashion week was an inspiring week, fuelled by coffee, ‘fashion week friends’, Champagne and canapé fun!! Every corner and orifice of Somerset house was stuffed full of exhibitors, catwalk shows, presentations and installations showcasing hundreds of Autumn/Winter collections for 2010. It made a cosy, beautiful and buzzing background to the biannual fashion trade event.

It’s been pretty difficult to narrow down a selection, as every corner I turned; I was faced with yet another colourful, innovative, textural, must-have collection.

Women please, don’t loose those shoulder pads just yet…


Picture from Elleuk

I really liked Hannah Marshall’s collection – it was a twist on her usual style using black slashed velvet with mesh and leather… colour was a blue mohair style cardigan with big shoulders to match the lipstick on the models. Mesh over the shoulders of one outfit combined with velvet slashed body con dress. Go on I dare you…I would.



Ashish’s – ‘Ashisistan’ - A light hearted collection loosely woven from the story of a women’s migration from the far East to Eastern Europe. The trademark hand embroidered sequins and sparkles have patterns taken from Middle Eastern prayer mats in contrast to skirt shapes from Russia and Bavaria, high wasted baggy trousers and shorts in grey and brown wool, with big beautiful cable knits and big woollen jackets thrown over them. Beautifully styled in a pimped hobo sort of vibe by Celestine Cooney, this collection nodded towards a very inspiring and directional look for winter including the choice of woolly hats like what Vivienne Westwood is wearing at the moment, and flat vintage brogues as a refreshing alternative to skyscraper platforms and wedges.



This very talented boy - Charlie Le Mindu created a whole army of Disco-Goth cousin ‘it’ incarnations. Charlie creates dramatic silhouettes and sculptural headpieces, and accessories all from black, blue-black and tie-dyed hair. It’s no surprise that he also goes on tour with Lady Gaga to make her wonderful hair creations. Styled by Anna Treveylan the models wore lace body stockings, Swarovski encrusted globes, crosses and baby blue fur stoles. Black magic!





Basso & Brooke - Our home grown major laser print maestro’s came with their burst of unashamed colour…and some fur collars…and, I loved the snake print dress with red gloves. Shingae, The Noisettes front woman and Jodie Harsh graced the front row, and Korean model Hyoni Kang had my favourite walk of fashion week (I told her this too). That said… wear Basso & Brooke with attitude!



Jena Theo – imposing and dramatic oversized flowing jumpsuits in grey silk, big artist smocks and very high waisted trousers, inspired by 1920’s silent films and icons like Charlie Chaplin.



Here is one of Lu Flux’s lovely workroom assistants wearing one of her infamous Bear dress designs. Her pieces are inspired by vintage themes, and British folklore. The dress and suit Jacket in the background are from Autumn/Winter collections Dame and Knight. You can buy Lu Flux pieces from Labour of Love on Upper Street and from SUPERSWEET.

Tara Starlet inspired 40’s and 50’s style clothing available at Topshop…Check out their work-wear look jumpsuits too.




Me trying on glasses…again.

They’re light; they’re super cool and will look amazing with lots of bling jewellery and fake fur…and for each pair sold, Kayu funds one sight restoring surgery in the developing world. Available from Green With Glamour.

Alex Monroe


Beautiful feathery jewellery by Alex Munroe

BOOOBS!…err I mean., SHOOOES!




Some amazing shoes by Nina Dolcetti.

Ha ha! No I don’t think they look like boobs really… I actually really love these, and the signature-curved wedge is based on the reverse of the instep, super sexy and really high…gorgeous, and all made by hand.



Peeping up at me from the recreation of part of Jeanette’s Closet were the cutest shoes…
Jeanette’s closet is a shop opened to host a range of one off t-shirts and designer collaborations where you will find anything from Christopher Kane dresses to Nicholas Kirkwood Shoes (in the picture above).



While we’re on the subject of shoes, I HAVE to have these ones by Opening Ceremony, I loved their whole collection.


Brooke Roberts at Victoria house for ON | OFF

Radiologist turned Fashion designer Brooke Roberts, seems to have spent years in the radiology department and in theatre dreaming up ways of turning imperfect head scans into knitted body con jumpsuits and dresses…scary! Some of them even incorporate surgical steel components for broken limbs! This is an ongoing fascination of hers, and the results are beautifully made and very wearable science-inspired design.


Some Beautiful knitwear by Yang-Du


My friend and Stylist Sasha Rainbow wearing Simon Ekrelius at Victoria house

The FASHION EAST menswear presentation held in the east wing of Somerset house had the same layout and atmosphere as an art private view at an open house in Brighton. I wandered around from room to room, complimentary Gin & Tonic in hand, chatting with designers and discovering displays of collections and multimedia installations.

And then, German born fine artist turned jewellery designer Husam el Odeh spooned me! Yes he did actually! He was kind enough to give me one of his conceptual spoon necklaces, which had a yellow boiled sweet splodge in it! It’s beautiful and I will cherish it forever!


A lot of designers are using the medium of video to replace the runway shows as a more economical and sometimes more creative way of presenting their brand and the collections

Occupying a darkened room at the end of the long corridor was Sibling. Two large screens loomed over the collection of mannequins, as one video played a hyper real cartoon. Various busty female victims, and innocent bystanders being surprised by various zombie types clad in the Siblings AW collection to the tune of experimental dance music by ‘The spiders and the flies’ (we likey). The Knitted long Johns, matching body warmer, jumper and Mohican balaclava is my favourite look…amazing! Check out the video here: ...

SPECCY-TACULA



This is one of the models from Mathew Miller’s menswear installation…I decided to swap glasses for the photo because I liked them so much. Each pair was handmade using Balsa wood to accentuate his collection of menswear, which included alternative crafted men’s tailoring incorporating PVC pockets with small plastic robots inside… no really…I only had one G&T!


Fred Butler was watching the MAN show to. Here she is wearing one of her amazing accessories

BRING ON THE MEN’swear!!!

Menswear seemed to be pushing more boundaries than the Women’s collections this season, with Pirates and Victoriana victory for A Child of the Jago’s collection. ‘’No hope No future’. Inspired leather body bag clad-fetish wear from Jaiden rVa James’s collection called ‘’Surrogate Skin’ at the MAN show, and Corduroy Jumpsuits for boys in James Long’s collection.

A Child of the Jago



On an ever so soggy Wednesday evening A Child of the Jago’s was held in a former Victorian slum in East London under the railway arches and right next door to the Child of the Jago shop on Great Eastern street. The Label was started up by Jo Corré (formerly one half of Agent Provocateur) and Simon “Barnzley”. The ‘Mischievous Monkey’ design duo set the tone of the evening with an intro gig by a northern punk folk band. Their label is a Victoriana inspired punk manifesto and they also publish a fantastic magazine called the Daily Terror - which is now available in Selfridges along with their line. In their own words, they’re cranking up the rusty machines of east London using the best fair-isle knits and heavy woollen tweeds and “Anything can happen because anything can”…

The show was well received by all, reporters, buyers, stylists and lots of family and friends of the designers including Janet Jackson and Corré’s mum Dame Vivienne Westwood, who I met briefly, and thankfully I was wearing my favourite Vivienne Westwood jacket.

Katie Eary at the MAN show



She’s a genius! She puts the Faaacking brilliant back into faaashion. The show made me so excited. “PARKAS CUT LIKE A PANTHER, READY TO POUNCE ON ITS PREY!!” I suggest you boys go out and dress yourselves head to toe in Katie Eary, then come and ask me out on a date…and I’ll say yes!

Jaiden rVa James


Experimental fetish wear dark lords Rasharn d' Vera Agymang & Jaiden James wowed and titillated and shocked some onlookers with their display of leather clad models

J.W Anderson


Tired but smiley in the midst of the menswear show preparations JW Anderson Jewellery and menswear designers at their exhibition space in Somerset house


Callum Wilson models JW Anderson at the BFC runway Somerset house


Here are some of my favourite randoms from LFW…

From left to right, Here’s Karlie Shelly wearing her handmade spiked pin badges (love her hair). Japanese buyer couple looking amazing everyday and wore matching outfits. And here is Pandemonia at the Pam Hogg after party in Mahikki.

PREDICTIONS



For what its worth, as the best way is to go with your gut on these matters there are so many great new designs out there, ever evolving and made especially for you, all you need to do is need to go and collect them…and cross the bearers palm with silver of course!

I seeee I seee…
Everyone seemed to be talking about the new Burberry Prorsum collection by Christopher Bailey. He had turned the classics inside out literally by designing really beautiful inside out sheepskin jackets and using ruched and layered chiffons and lace for his dresses and skirts. Rich leather in burgundy and browns. It reminded me of a sophisticated mix of Valentino’s lace pieces and Balmain’s collection from this Spring/Summer season.

The grunge look is staying here for a while…mix up your most expensive shimmery sequinned glam pieces with a Parker, a donkey or a Barbour jacket with brogues ala Ashish, and Vivienne Westwood Angry shoulders are still on top, drape Jackets, with drainpipes and a little turn up or high-waisted big baggy shorts, and trousers with extra fabric around the hips and in pleats above the belt line…And we’re seeing a lot of chiffon layers, velvet and felt, wool and corduroy textures…and LEATHER…defiant decadence.



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