London Menswear Collections SS 2013

2012 is London’s year: we’ve celebrated the Diamond Jubilee, are counting down to the Olympics and not to be overlooked, 2012 has also signalled the first ever London Fashion Week for menswear. This was an opportunity for London to present the designers that define it as one of the fashion capitals of the world, and in light of the recent celebrations, it seemed apt for Prince Charles to inaugurate the event. From Topman to Gieves & Hawkes, there was great variety in the style and form shown by those that chose to debut their collections.

In the tradition of the stereotypical English gentleman, classic fashion houses such as Gieves & Hawkes and Hardy Amies presented collections of well-tailored, distinguished designs. It was good to see an appreciation of the heritage that London holds, not just a focus on the contemporary talent that is on offer. As the epitome of the distinguished fellow, Gieves and Hawkes embraced the pastel trend with ice-cream coloured suits and also added accents of colour to the sensible well-structured suits with bold ties.

The high street was well represented by Topman. Combining City boy with East London, this was a collection that took its inspiration from the streets of Shoreditch. Neon shouted out from the catwalk with bright blues and pinks that contrasted from the dove grey that featured on tailored suit jackets and shorts. City boy somehow merged into skater chic, as tops became cropped, small beanie hats in bright colours appeared and bright bomber jackets hung loose on the models and yet the tailored shorts remained. Basketball was also seen to be an inspiration with numbered jerseys and a strong use of mesh within the collection. Overall, it gave the indication that next summer boys will stand bold and bright with loud colours and garish prints.

American sport was a seen to be a big inspiration for the collections, perhaps indicating the obsession with American culture that lingers in the capital. Basketball was the sport that took residence at Astrid Anderson. Taking to the catwalk in the form of a basketball team, lemon was the prominent colour and was paired with black with just the odd player sporting burgundy red or bright turquoise. Lace and mesh gave us peaks at the models’ muscular physique, whilst the shorts and trousers remained baggy.

Lou Dalton also gave a nod to this trend, but adopted baseball as her sport of choice. Baseball-style jerseys and jackets were interspersed with shorts that fell to just below the knee. Panelling was used on the jumpers and tops that enabled the use of a mix of materials and colours. At the other end of the spectrum, JW Anderson was greatly anticipated and proved that without a doubt London is the most unique fashion capital out there. He provided a collection that tested the boundaries of masculine and feminine style with sheer floral mesh, that similar to that of Astrid Anderson, featured as shirts and also as wide-legged trousers. Other standout pieces included a pink asymmetrical coat and teddy-bear cartoon like print used on vest tops.

This gives just a small overview of the designers that presented out of a very talented bunch. The first London Collection: Men embodied what the city offers. Despite such a variance in designs, this affirmed the London man to be someone who combines eclectic and yet polished outfits, embracing the diversity of the many identities of London.

Written for The 405

One to watch: Erin Hawkes

CSM, renowned worldwide for the top-class talent it produces, has named Erin Hawkes as this year’s winner of the L’Oreal Professional Young Design Talent Award.

A collection of over-sized, exaggerated shapes took to the catwalk as Hawkes channelled conservative nun mixed with hip-hop style. The lengths of the hemlines were long, shoulders big and collars high so as not to enhance the female silhouette but keep it hidden. Further symbols of traditional influences were seen with conservative hats and apron style skirts that mimicked outfits of olden times.

Hawkes then introduced low-slung tailoring, corpulent shapes and prints normally associated with 90s ghetto style. Graffiti denim, plaid and flannel were carefully used to give the collection another dimension but were somehow able to flow well with the conservative designs. A palette of dark shades of blue, violet and black were juxtaposed with white and cream, with the odd flash of vibrant print that also brought a contemporary feel to the final collection.

Last year’s winner Flamina Saccucci, with her recognizable collection of disjointed lengths and floral graphics, is now stocked at Browns focus, her designs featured in Vogue Italia in March 2012, and more recently the starlet Solange Knowles wore an outfit for the 2012 Museum of Modern Art’s party. All reminders of the powerful accolade this prize can bring. It is no doubt that like past winners, Hawkes and the other 2012 graduates of CSM have a bright future ahead.

For a long time people have been talking about Nasty Gal and in an effort to be more responsible with my money, I tried to steer clear of internet shopping .  Big mistake ( for my wardrobe ). Nasty Gal has the perfect style and easily blows Topshop and other high street stores out the park. Born from an ebay store, Nasty Gal has grown to a global site, with everything from clothes to accessories. Unique and on trend clothes are offered for all price tags so whether you want to add a small piece to your wardrobe or go full-blown and get some Jeffrey Campbell x Nasty Gal shoes, there is something for everyone. Based in the US, it really captures the Californian, hippie x trendy x slightly alternative look that we all aspire to have. The dresses range from tiny 90s cut designs to long floaty dresses perfect for the summer.  I fell in love with the jewellery, the perfect mix of edgy and hippie with lots of turquoise, gem stones and spikes. Even better, there is a vintage page on the site. Although it is expensive, and out of my price range, it offers something especially unique.

Super 8

This week I saw the highly anticipated Super 8. I am a huge Sci-Fi geek and not ashamed in the slightest. My friends have to constantly deal with my love of Stargate, Star Trek and Spielberg films. I haven't seen a great film in this genre for ages and so it was an absolute treat to see this film; funny, moving and epic, this film delivered in all ways. I am still in awe of how well the young actors delivered the story. Elle Fanning, one to watch with regard to fashion and her superb acting skills, is a doll on screen, captivating the attention of the boys and the audience. I didn't feel bored at any point in the movie, with the story developing in many directions. Sometimes, when a director brings in the depth of emotion and family issues, it doesn't always flow and seems cheesy but in this case, it was not over the top and added more value to the film.

Eating Out..

As another treat, my friend and I went to PIX, the new tapas bar in Soho. From living in Spain, I am always weary of tapas and the quality but was impressed with this quaint bar. We ate Olives stuffed with ricotta, salt cod with honey, patatas bravas and churros for dessert. We added a glass of red and it only came to £20 - super cheap for London. It wasn't the best Tapas I have ever had but for the price and lovely setting, this is a great place for a few snacks with friends.

Beauties

So, it must be said that I do have a little obsession with rings. I have my own darling collection that I have inherited from my family and I keep these safe at all times but I am always on the look for more beauties to add to my jewellery box. I do adore anything that sparkles and I think these rings using natural quartz are beautiful and raw, offering something a little more contemporary. Of course, the YSL rings are a bloggers dream and I very nearly bought one the other week but with my indecisive nature, I couldn't decide which colour, which design..ahhh decisions, decisions.

Biutiful

I am a huge fan of Spanish cinema and as a lover of all things Spanish, it is always a must to see the latest export in cinema. Thankfully, living in Edinburgh this is quite easy and last night I went to the Filmhouse, an arty, independent cinema to see this masterpiece. I knew to expect a film brimming with artistic style, European cinema always does, nevertheless, this film blew me away. Javier Bardem's performance was seamless, completely capturing the attention of the audience ( everyone was completely silent and motionless ) and delivering a powerful story of life. The story is powerful, compelling, humorous, tragic and captures all the emotions of being alive. I particularly enjoyed the magical realism that Iñárritu adopted in the film, something that dominates Spanish literature, here it defined the magical elements that blur between the interior and exterior, presenting the spiritual and beautiful dimension in life. Although an intense 2 hours, this is a must see.