London Fashion Week showed no sign of slowing down on day three. Featuring an eclectic mix of collections inspired by horror folklore, the British love of football, cats and a celebration of life, these collections are the very best of LFW Day 3.
Simone Rocha
Atmosphere has certainly been a strong point of shows this year and Simone Rocha was no exception to that, producing a show and collection inspired by traditional Irish horror story ‘Children of Lir’. The gloomy atmosphere of London’s inn of Court served as an excellent backdrop to the collection which featured an array of classically gothic inspired pieces, with hallmarks such as gloriously large frilly dresses and dramatic lashings of black lace. It’s easy to tell that inspiration for this show came from a horror tale because this show was scarily good.
David Koma
Fashion and football aren’t two subjects that you think of crossing over very often, but that doesn’t matter to David Koma, whose focus on British culture for his collection led him down the pathway of the country’s most popular sport. Having recently become a British citizen, Koma looked towards British player Lily Parr who played during the 20s and 30s as the source of inspiration for this show. None of this means that the collection was dressed down though, far from it, as Koma’s signature use of crystals lay sparkling atop gloriously dramatic thigh high boots, seductive slip dresses and even traditional striped rugby shirts. This unusual combination of high-end glamour and sports culture has created a collection that won’t soon be forgotten and gives more reason to combine the unexpected to create something truly exciting.
Yuhan Wang
Titled Venus in Furs, one of the main sources of inspiration behind thus Yuhan Wang collection was none other than her cat Misty, who even made an appearance on the catwalk being carried by one of the models. Considering the inspiration, this collection was unsurprisingly sophisticated yet delightfully playful at the same time. Big bold prints ranging from florals to cat faces were a constant down the runway, adorning elegant streamlined dresses, meticulously tailored jackets and skirts and lavish faux fur coats that would have Cruella de Vil herself in complete hysterics.
16Arlington
In November last year, one half of 16Arlington, Federica “Kikka” Cavenati, passed away aged only 28. Due to such a sad and tragic loss you would forgive her partner Marco Capaldo for putting fashion to the side and stepping away for the season. He did no such thing however, seeing the opportunity as a way to keep Cavenati’s spirit as both a person and a designer alive. 16Arlington is known for its dancefloor ready DNA and Capaldo was able to honour both the brand’s image and his partner’s legacy by creating a collection that was ethereal, beautifully sophisticated and, most importantly, full of life. Minimalist pieces such as tailored jackets, dresses and skirts bathed in cool greys walked alongside more extravagant looks sporting huge turquoise furs, crushed velvet jumpsuits and tie-dyed two pieces. The show was a truly refined celebration of life that served as a wonderful tribute to Cavenati.
Chet Lo
Part of the Fashion East collective, Chet Lo made a bombastically bubblegum appearance at this year’s LFW with a collection washed in a sea of pastel blues, pinks, greens and whites. While the colour palette was undeniably cutesy, the clothes themselves were packed with a punch thanks to the wonderfully over the top adornment of spikes across boots, bags, dresses and even earmuffs. With a small number of furs also thrown in to soften proceedings up a little this collection echoed the styles of futuristic fashion you would see in media from the 60s, making the collection both a vintage and futuristic delight.
Maximilian Davis
For his final show for the Fashion East collective, the LVMH nominated Maximilian Davis curated a show that was dripping with the sleek and sophisticated Y2K inspired style that he has become so known for. The show featured a huge variety of different styles to fawn over from the expert tailoring of boxy, oversized blazers cutting dramatic silhouettes to more casual looks that still look delightfully elegant and sophisticated, such as hoodies paired with sandals to a chic black turtleneck paired with baggy black trousers. Sweeping dresses also made an appearance with a fantastic pink sheer number closing out the show in stunning fashion.
Words By Andrew Coyle
Photo Credit: 16ARLINGTON/Filippo Fior
