Joy Starkey, Editorial Assistant
What I wore: Topshop jeans, COS jumper, vintage coat, Daniel Wellington watch
The gossip: The bar staff at Victoria House created beautiful coffee foam art for show goers, but what most people didn’t see was the cup decorated with a penis, strategically (but not quite successfully) hidden under the bar by the baristas.
Overheard at LCM: “So David Gandy just walked up and started manning our stand!” – the exhibition room and Victoria House.
Catwalk Trends: James Long’s innovative use of delicate navy lace (clearly popular for both men and women this winter) with aviator shearling and sporty separates was perfection. An usual painterly motif offset the preppy aesthetic, however – printed on polo necks and zip-up skater hoodies – harking back to fashion’s artistic-streak of SS14.
Alex Mattesson presented one of the most colourful collection of the season, with utilitarian dungarees and construction overalls rendered in Lego man brights – all underpinned by grey tracksuit-fleece. Along with many other designers Mattesson welcomed back the ‘logo’ for AW15 – stamped onto sleeves and pockets, heralding the return of the ‘it-brand’.
Every year Duchamp is one of PHOENIX’s must-see shows, primarily for its ability to use the show space (the grand Rosewood Hotel) as a complete embodiment of the brand’s suave and sophisticated tailoring. With live jazz playing in the background, show goers sipped their bloody marys and peruse the impeccably dressed models, whose age range perfectly reflected the timelessness and transformative power of a well-made suit.
CMMN SWDN’s (no, we’re still not sure how to say it) presentation was an ode to the beautiful game, with a mix of smart ‘football manager’ coats, sporty bomber jackets and post-game press conference suits. Black and orange returned as the palette of choice, seen in grids on colourful knitwear and running down trouser legs in sporty stripes.
FROW trends: Polo necks were popular on and off the runway, layered under three-piece suits and nestled beneath bomber jackets, making them the fash pack’s official layering item of choice.
Words: Joy Starkey
James Long
London Sock Company
Alex Mattesson
Duchamp
CMMN SWDN