Quote of the day
“We were the creators and patrons, responsible for the creation and destiny of our houses. But when we gave up our houses, we gave up our souls.”
Emanuel Ungaro, The Independent
Designers
What makes a ‘fashion designer’?
I wasn’t going to comment on Sarah Mower’s scathing critique of Henry Holland’s show but in light of the hullabaloo* surrounding the Lindsay Lohan/Ungaro debacle, I couldn’t resist.
Question: what is a designer? Is it someone who has an understanding of the entire design process, who cuts their own patterns and pins their own toiles? Or is it someone who has an eye, is good at styling and can tune into the zeitgeist despite not having a design background? What I’ve learnt from the last few weeks is that fashion is subjective and there is no cut and dried answer. I sat through the Kinder Aggugini show, non-plussed at what I was seeing – ‘derivative… Galliano…not quite there’ went my scrawls while post-show I listened to Hilary Alexander and Michael Howells praise him as the next big thing. Henry Holland’s show (below) was pretty much laid into by Style.com’s Sarah Mower which was weird as she also has a role at the BFC to promote emerging British talent and Holland is one of her fledging designers. Mower’s beef with Holland was that his shows have become media circuses that revolve around his celebrity playmates and his design skills are little more than jumbling up a few eighties references without much finesse. Her concluding line was, “perhaps it would be cleverer to quit the runway altogether and throw parties instead.” Ouch.
Can a ‘designer’ who didn’t study design or train as a designer rightfully call themselves a designer? Well, that brings me to Luella. She came from a similar journalism background to Holland (although hers was Vogue to his Sneak) and if truth be told, it is the styling and clever pop culture references that keep her brand at the forefront of British fashion. There’s really nothing new in terms of design innovation at Luella and yet she is considered a real designer against Holland’s marketer-posing-as-designer.
And so to Lohan. Where to start with this? The girl is an actress who has made music and then decided she wanted to have a go at fashion. And who could blame her? The celebritisation of fashion means that everyone has had a play at ‘fashion designer’ and from what I know, her leggings line has sold well. But to install her as creative director of Ungaro, a luxury house of forty-odd years standing. Really? I didn’t buy it from the beginning and I’m glad it failed. According to WWD, it was “quite simply, an embarrassment“. Yikes, don’t hold back WWD!
A designer has to take the job seriously, they have to live and breathe the role and if they don’t it shows oh-so-clearly. Where do things go from here? I am really hoping this will be the end of the celebrity-as-model, celebrity-as-designer, celebrity-as-author trend. It won’t happen overnight but this could be the catalyst.
*new fave word
*new fave word
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LFW – Day three
Another day of running around and hitting the shows to ‘hoover up’ stories for The Daily. Betty Jackson was first where I snapped some cute little almost-flat shoes with fabric pompoms and tried not to stare at Peter Blake and Tracey Emin (two of my favourite artists). Mulberry at Claridges was a very classy affair but tempered with candy-coloured balloons to make it less formal and more fun. Clothes-wise is was very commercial. I’d say it’s all about those fringy boots…
Topshop Unique was also uber-commercial and very derivative. I saw shades of early Luella crossed with Bananarma and Courtney Love. There were so many ideas there though – XXXXL oversize mens shirts with the sleeves sliced off and fluoro spray paint as a print. And still the mega high heels continue. At Jasmine de Milo, I liked the simplicity of a long, eau de nil long-sleeved gown and the leather cocktail dresses with pockets. Why can’t all dresses have pockets? Tomorrow, the Americans arrive (by which I mostly mean, Anna W), although one American is here already. I made friends with Britt from Fashionista, who was also filing copy for The Daily. Britt loves London, having interned for Stella McCartney back in the day. I also caught up with a record number of bloggers including Frassy, Bish Shops, Magazine Machine, That’s Not My Age, Torfrocks. Wee Birdy, Aindrea, Susie Bubble, Rebekah Roy and Discotheque Confusion. Did I forget anyone? Crikey, no wonder I’m so zonked out and my eyes are closing as I type.
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Front row fix AW10
It’s day two of LFW AW10 and I’m already dead beat. Someone get me a stamina sandwich please! The good news is that there is a fantastic optimistic atmosphere. Whether it’s due to the weather or the new venue, everyone is in upbeat mode! Day one saw Joan Collins pitching up bright and early, obviously loving all the shoulder pad action going down in the collections. I was thrilled to see Yang Du (below) finally show on a catwalk – her cartoon stripy T-shirt dresses and knitted tiger bags were so graphic and poppy. I must say, it was bloody hard watching shows, getting designer quotes and filing copy for The Daily (practically all at the same time) but I managed to pull it off by the skin of my teeth.
Today was an easier ride beginning at Mark Fast. I’d heard a rumour that he would be sending out (gasp!) plus size models and he did. Opinion was divided on whether this was a good move. His original stylist refused to work with ‘big girls’ so he had to cast at the last minute. Unforch, size 14 models aren’t usual catwalk material so his girls weren’t brilliant at mastering the catwalk strut. Hey ho. That aside, the collection was brilliant and OMG, the suede ruffles were beauties.
Mary Katrantzou showed back-to-back with Mark. More cleverly thought-out shapes plus Mary had developed her glass bottle prints into something slightly more abstract and freeform. I loved the painterly eye make-up too.
The Kinder Aggugini show was the big WOW. I earwigged on a post-show conversation with Hilary Alexander and set-designer Michael Howells as they each took turns to say an exclamatory line.
“Sensational!“
“He’d be perfect for Ungaro!”
“Haute couture!“
“If he’s not snapped up within the year…”
“…you’ll eat your cigarette!”
I can never quite decide about Kinder Aggugini (OK, I didn’t like it) but I loved the Louise Gray presentation. There was collagy layering and art-school patchwork, hot pinks and blues, more colourful crayon make-up and DIY accessories fashioned by Judy Blame. And the DIY aesthetic extended to the decoration of the space – fluoro spray paint (a la Madonna’s Borderline video), gaffer-taped signage and even Louise’s own grafitti’ed laptop.
Ashish as usual was a riot of sequins and colour, this time with a holiday theme. Nike tick sequin tees, flamingo motifs and the Beach boys all added up to vacation, vacation, vacation.
