ICEBERG // LFWM AW19

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Iceberg's AW19 collection was a triumph of juxtaposition between 80s throwback with an alpine feel, along with modern punk grunge undertones. Bold colours and graffiti prints were the order of the day! There were new silhouettes of coats in high sheen wool, keeping with the exquisite tailoring Italy is so famous for, while the neon accessories and sportswear added a modern twist. I particularly adored the kilts and split dresses and the abundance of layering just sang to my soul! This is how to do slope to après ski, even in London!

Words // Christobelle Batchelor - Fashion Director 

Photos // Iceberg

This season Liam Hodges enticed us with his AW19 collection, ‘Mutations in the 4th dimension.’ The inspiration for the collection comes from the attempt to work out a look for a new wave, finding your own individual identity; as in this century everything is so quickly accessed on social media, the nostalgia of true singularity is lost. 

The futuristic and mindful collection focused on clashing prints of stripes and colourful paint splashes, printed on rugby style jersey shirts, Ellesse tracksuits, and oversized bomber jackets. Shirts consisted of several different patterns, purple and white large striped on the sleeves, with condensed striped black and yellow on torso of the top, completed with a block white collar. The contrast of the prints and tones create individuality and a sense of finding yourself which perfectly reflects the inspiration of the collection. 

The collection focused on tesseract which is a four-dimensional square that can be drawn in 2D; but can’t be seen in all dimensions. Hodges portrayed this confusion of stuck between two dimensions by contrasting silhouettes and textures. Some pieces were futuristic with blocking colours of white, black and grey. Juxtaposing with the busier patterns of stripes and colour.

The ready to wear collection is multipurpose for the winter months and spring with the pop of colour infused in the collection. Never compromising on standards and perfectly executed.  

Words // Ellie Mose - Senior Fashion Assistant 

Photos // Liam Hodges

This season Qasimi presented their futuristic nomadic AW19 men’s collection. Qasimi’s collection was inspired ambulant travels to the near future with a vision of hope within a Utopian landscape. 

The collection homes in on futuristic textiles and sci- fi imagery, with rigid clean-cut silhouettes. Textures were a combination of cash wool, denim, weaved jacquards, coated fleece and technical nylons. 

I loved this collection as it is ready to wear and is extremely contemporary and some pieces were timeless. Biker jackets, trench coats, parachute like bomber jackets, elongated tailored shirts, completed with dexterous printed oversized army jackets. My favourite print from the collection was the techno ikat print which was a combination of glacier grey, blue and white tones creating an Ombre effect through parallel lines. Other techniques featured were the dot check print and Mel Odom portraits printed on tailored white shirts. 

Qasimi created a unique and adroit collection, perfect for men’s autumn wardrobes, catering for all occasions from casual to smart attire. 

Words // Ellie Mose - Senior Fashion Assistant 

Photos // Qasimi 

This seasons Astrid Andersen show was full of elegance and finesse, blending luxury with streetwear a look which I adore! Inspired by 20’s American fashion there was the classic pin stripe but reimagined in softer fabrics. The Pilgrim hats were hand made in Copenhagen and this added an understated feel of wanderlust to the collection. The colours were exquisite with deep blues, oranges and reds. My personal favourite were the Saga furs to add that bit of drama to the look which I think one always needs!

Words // Christobelle Batchelor - Fashion Director 

Photos // Astrid Andersen

This season Barbour celebrated its 125th anniversary and fifth generation milestone in the beautiful surroundings of Lancaster House. Barbour showcased the new ‘re-engineered collection,’ featuring limited edition pieces, inspired by Barbour’s archive collections from the 1980’s, which have been reinvented into a contemporary and urban style. 

Barbour presented a prodigious collection consisting of 5 exclusive styles; the Haydon wax cotton jacket, a lightweight parka, two quilted jackets and a leather motorcycle jacket. Each style was composed for men’s fashion and altered for women’s fashion also. All distinctive pieces were completed with dress Gordon lining and 125th anniversary collectable pin. 

The collection also featured a jacket which was designed for the producer and film director Ridley Scott. The dexterous piece was completed with large pockets to hold A4 scripts, detachable padding for all set conditions, and completed with anti-glare zips and buttons. Scott’s daughter also accompanied to create the women’s style producers’ jacket.

What I loved the most about the collection, was that it celebrated its heritage and the brands roots. Barbour originally catered to fishermen and mariners, their style developed and became a ready to wear, stylish urban brand. I particularly became fascinated with the biker style, this is a very classic style which is suitable for all occasions and all seasons. 

What sets Barbour apart from other brands is how diverse they are, their pieces are made for men, women and children, with stylish shirts, trousers, smart and casual shoes. The pieces are all extremely practical, including detachable linings, detachable and hidden hoods to allow the pieces to be perfect for all seasons. 

Words // Ellie Mose - Senior Fashion Assistant 

Photos // Barbour

The collection from Belstaff was the first by Sean Lehnhardt-Moore reflecting his love of the roots of the brand. This was a coming home in more ways than one, as the collection was shown at Belstaff House in Mayfair. AW19 was about ‘honouring the roots of Belstaff and exploring the incredible journey the brand has been on from the 1920s in the industrial north of England in Stoke-on-Trent – from outfitting early motorcyclists and aviators, and making uniforms – to today, ‘dressing our twenty-first century customers in evolved British designs that are built for life and dedicated to all those who love the spirit of adventure.’ 

Red was a new tone for the collection shown off spectacularly in the hooded Wing Jacket. There was the chestnut suede women’s Flight Jacket – named after the aviation pioneer Amelia Earhart. The iconic Belstaff motorcycle jacket styles were reimagined in rinsed, dark denim bringing them right up-to-date. A hybrid navy blue technical jacket combines nylon and wool Melton, fusing past codes with modern ones, offering a shearling trimmed hooded version for women. This had the perfect balance between nostalgia and the modern day whilst remaining true to the quality of the brand.
 

Words // Christobelle Batchelor - Fashion Director 

Photos // Belstaff

‘Premium Mediocre’ was the title of Patrick Grant’s collection for E. Tautz, which was a definite oxymoron as this was anything but mediocre; one could argue it was understatedly cool but this was far from mediocre. In a world of over saturation and constant stimulation, 

E. Tautz showed us that you can still be luxurious without being brash. We were treated to lovely corduroy moments with tweed jackets and a modern twist on bomber jackets and sweatshirts. I just loved the visceral colours and this just added luxury and softness to the collection.

Words // Christobelle Batchelor - Fashion Director 

Photos // E. Tautz

Oliver Spencer’s AW19 collection took us on an Alpine journey of natural beauty with a focus on eco consciousness, which we as a collective, must all take steps to remedy and be a part of the return to natural symbiosis with Mother Earth, to heal the planet and ourselves. ‘2019 is the year of slow fashion.’ Ochre, green and navy tones in eco wools were a stand out! Inspired by utilitarian clothing of the slopes with contemporary luxury, this was for the gentleman who is in flow with the universe and the mountains. There were sharp lines of tailoring merged with softer silhouettes, echoing the rise and fall of the mountain ranges. The star fabric was a woolen seersucker made into our go-to suits, home-grown in Lancashire.

Words // Christobelle Batchelor - Fashion Director 

Photos // Oliver Spencer

Bobby Abley’s show is always guaranteed fun! This season was no different! Inspired by every 90s kid’s obsession with Pokémon and with Pikachu even closing the show! When I was a child I didn’t connect the elements of the pokemons but now looking back with older and wiser eyes, it just makes sense!  Fiery oranges of Charmander, soft lilac of Mewtwo (earth) , powdery blues of Squirtle (water) and of course, the unmistakable sunshine yellow of Pikachu’s electricity (air) . 

It was a mélange of sportswear inspired fabrics and technical fabrics, with the addition of corduroy wide-cut trousers, white vinyl cut in to jogging bottoms, and a blanket tracksuit with appliquéd leather lettering spelling out ‘Whatever Forever’, which was of course the wording of one of the designer’s many tattoos. There was something so creative about this collection, yet wearable at the same time. Other moments which followed on from this sentimental theme were the inclusion of baby blankets and scarves hand knitted by his mother (and other relatives), which was such a lovely ancestral touch that reminded us of the love and skills that are passed down to us.

Words // Christobelle Batchelor - Fashion Director 

Photos // Bobby Abley

This season Fashion East didn’t disappoint with its emerging authenticated talented new designers showcasing their abilities at the highest standards. This season Fashion East showcased compelling collections from Mowalola, Robyn Lynch and Stefan Cooke.

Nigeria born designer Mowalola’s erotic collection ‘exposed’ explored the concept of exposure, in both a physical way by showing your skin or in a psychological way, by making yourself vulnerable, Mowalola expressed this concept through the composition of her designs. The collection consisted of pulsating pieces exploring sexuality through peeled down the waistband on trousers to sit just above the crotch on men, composed of leather, satin and glossy vibrant materials. The womenswear consisted of barely-there minis and cut-away tops accompanied with Louboutin thigh high boots. Nappa trenches and pebbled calfskin jackets were printed with features of erotic nudist prints from the talented photographer Lea Colombo. The textures included glossy like the skin exposed by the cute away tops and trousers, infused with colour and tie die patterns. 

Words // Ellie Mose - Senior Fashion Assistant 

Photos // Fashion East

This season Pronounce explored the abstract relationship between light and individuals, through designs such as; ‘Each individual is a beam of light’ – such an interesting concept as we are all light beings emitting a frequency and this is intimately connected with the vibration of the clothing we wear. If we think of the different light frequency vibrations which make up the visible light spectrum thus each colour carries with it a vibration which has the ability to lift our moods accordingly. Featuring a plethora of the visible light spectrum from navy blues to burnt oranges and deep olive greens. My personal highlights were the abstract piping on the clothing which really echoed lasers which drew the eye to the cut of the clothing. There were also oversized moments and hand polished buttons which again played with the proportions of light vibrations.  

Words // Christobelle Batchelor - Fashion Director 

Photos // Pronounce 

An incredibly topical theme was chosen for AW19 Private Policy’s show - with the title of "Human VS. Money”, the concept is about exploring our world’s obsession with materialism. Money is an energy after all and is inextricably linked to our self-worth, as the value we must put on our time and energy is quantified by how much money we earn. Money is of course a fiat currency which means that it is only real because we believe it to have value, it isn’t anything tangible like water which we can use, so this begs the question do we need this debt based society at all? But that is a discussion for another time… 

The AW19 collection followed the story of four characters who are integral to the monetary system: bankers, workers, police officers and robbers. The streetwear was mixed with structured pieces and a palette of rich browns, greys and blacks with pops of gold added that wealthy feel. There were literal references to currency with US and Saudi bills and coin wrapper patterns to show the hold that money has over us. 

Words // Christobelle Batchelor - Fashion Director 

Photos // Private Policy