LONDON FASHION WEEK A/W2010-11 – KATIE EARY
 

 

Polished and utterly realised, Katie Eary extinguished the cliche of the Urban Jungle with a collection that truly revealed the vitality of MAN day. To the bounce of 'Junglist Massive', the extension of Katie's repertoire immediately emerged as digital prints of snakes writhing in an explosion of oranges, greens and blacks enveloped full looks from trousers and shirts to trenches and even shoes. Cuts remained relatively classic but manipulation and the choice of fabrication they were truly invigorated.

Patent crocodile skin in lime green and fluorescent orange transformed oxford shirts and slim leg pants, velvet was stripped away to reveal sheer zebra stripes and echoed in matching trousers, avian feather prints enveloped t-shirts and fur decked parka's with a feral abandon. Matching studded baseball caps and glittering grills, blunt coloured fringes and velvet machine guns hanging from backpacks, a clash of irridescence and matt of texture and flat print, maintained a vivid, uncompromising vision, and one that Urbanite or Jungle dweller, explorer or home body would be happy to don.

Photography by Emma Gibney

Backstage photography by Matt King

LONDON FASHION WEEK A/W2010-11 – JW ANDERSON

 

 

 

Taking the season’s outdoorsy theme and imbuing it with a distinctly British Punk-gone-country edge, JW Anderson turned rural on its head. The first look, small scale tartan trousers in tones of red, black and burgundy paired with a lightweight moss green t-shirt, studded - and ridiculously covetable - hiking boots and a belt cinched tightly around the neck a la Raf simons AW09 set the tone for an individual highland fling.

Aran knit jumpers, worn beneath lightweight sheepskin jackets and - in a nod to collections past - overlaid with delicate sheer, hit a country stride, as did picnic blanket jackets and rucksacks, the seams raw and fringe left on. Tones of camel, putty and cream, utilised in knit longjohns, rolled up chinos and hunting style jackets too sent Jonathan's boys to the hills, whereas new takes on the moto jacket - again in blanket box red tartan - slogan t-shirts and a foray into denim - embriodered and slashed in stonewash rebounded with rebellion.

The final few looks; boots bedecked in freshly picked flora and fauna, a rucksack crammed full in a possible nod to Morrissey - the boy after all with the thorn in his side, studded belts winding up ankles, tied waist jumpers cut-out to become skirts in a continued play with definitions of masculinity, anoraks in technical fabrications and long-line wool coats captured the tone of the season, characterising a balance between country pursuit and youthful disaffection.

Runway shots by Emma Gibney assisted by Katy Davies

Backstage photography by Matt King

LONDON FASHION WEEK A/W2010-11 – CHRISTOPHER SHANNON

 

 

 

  

Nineties classic blasting out, I naively anticipated another Shannon masterclass in scally sportswear. A resounding rebuttal of my expectations, Christopher Shannon instead leapt forward, balancing texture and stealth in a collection ringing with elegant swagger. The sportswear hallmarks remained - a longline shirt come parka in glistening technical grey and blue, cargo shorts were worn over knitted leggings and sheening trousers were fabricated in parachute material, and all paired with clunky unashamed hiking boots.

Texture though snuck in; a navy sweatshirt came panelled in sheer, towelling and jersey, trademark wetlook shirts in navy, fuschia and violet were contrasted against grey shearling and again against denim - the front black, the back bleached light blue. Multiple layering, built up with tied waists, insignia bedecked scarves and beanies to shorts over trousers, long length shirts layered beneath short sweatshirts further softened Shannon's boys. A pixelated paisley print, applied to jersey roll necks and long johns, continued the evolution of classic pieces, as did an engine blue shirt, cut away to reveal the shoulders.

The final look; a sheer boiler suit belted at the waist and accented by a fuchsia pocket balanced cerebral masculinity with a new delicacy; a surprising but welcome step in a new direction.

Catwalk photography by Emma Gibney

Backstage photography by Matt King

LONDON FASHION WEEK A/W2010-11 – JAMES LONG

 

 

 

With the slew of astrakhan and shearling ambling down the catwalks at Paris, Milan and now London, James Long too turned to texture for Autumn/Winter. His Boiler Room boys, inspired by the work of Bruce Labruce and Guy Maddin came decked in ultra heavy corduroy pile trousers in the richest of navy and extending to a softer, more tactile play on the boiler suit. Mohair and piled and matted fur were played off against leather and ribbed wool when utilized for an update on the moto jacket and flight jackets and gillets too saw an ammalgamation of ultra tactility with corduroy, quilted leather raw wool and fur played off against one another.

The juxtaposition of hard and soft continued through to James' trademark knits. In navy and layered over black, chunky cables were deconstructed and unravelling, their ultra soft contrasted against slim cut biker style leather trousers.

Photography by Emma Gibney

LONDON FASHION WEEK A/W2010-11 – JAIDEN RVA JAMES

 

Their first full show under the MAN banner after exhibiting at Fashion East Menswear installations last season, Jaiden rVa James built upon the dayglo rubber gimp suits and bondage inspired-wear of season's past with an all out confrontation of fetish inspired black leather. To the strains of Marilyn Manson, models stalked out their heads either covered by gimp masks, extending to a gag, and harnesses laced around the face, or streaming Alice Cooper make up and crowned by flowing black mullets.

Styled by Anna Trevelyan, high heeled wedge shoes and thigh high boots, brutally pointed at the toe anchored skin tight leather trousers with exposed zip, tunics, shift dresses, shirts and ties. Leather jackets, belted in multiples at the waist and ringing with silver hardware commenced a harness motif which extended to chaps on leather trousers and tightly cinched buckles snaking up sleeves. Shearling and mongolian lamb fur and suede in black lent a softer touch and offered a textural element to a collection which brought an air of macabre showmanship to the days proceedings.

Photography by Emma Gibney

LONDON FASHION WEEK A/W2010-11 – NEW POWER STUDIO

 

Dealt the difficult hand and of closing this season's MAN show, New Power Studio continued the lineage of Great British street sportswear, honed under Kim Jones and continuing with Christopher Shannon. Oversized sweatshirts in navy, trimmed donkey-jacket style in leather alongside sweatshirts elasticated at the waist and technically fabricated joggers in tones of blue and black and paired with white Nike Air Max hinted at a similar aesthetic. Tones of brown snuck into suiting as cleanly executed patchwork shirts came paired with slouchy formal joggers and tightly tailored blazers.

A brief interlude into womenswear saw a long length jersey skirt - offset by a cropped t-shirt and boxy cropped donkey jacket - exude a relxed insouciance whereas a finale trench come jumpsuit in sheening black, trimmed in brown leather and teamed with fur headpiece hinted at a more exhibitionist streak.

Photography by Emma Gibney

     LONDON FASHION WEEK A/W2010-11 – TOPMAN DESIGN 

 

In a further shake-up the menswear day schedule, Topman Design staged their first standalone - and perhaps strongest overall - show. Inspired by the industrial counter culture of East Berlin, a polished and protective utilitarianism - offset by forest friezes - maintained the outdoorsy theme of the day and season with a relaxed ease. Straight leg trousers, belted paper-bag like at the waist gave a subtle hint to the practicality of a collection which was fully realized through standout parka's

In waxed canvas and weighty wool, moss green and black variations came thick and vast, with shearling collars and oversized rucksack appendages. Three quarter length crombies and great coats too provided a safety blanket protection emphasised by degrade and waffled knitwear in the collection's palette of charcoal, dove grey, burgundy and olive. Quilted bomber jackets and cargo pants, battered denim and brutal bovver boots hinted at the dichotomy between protection and combat, whereas shearling collared pieces and tactile long johns provided commercially available luxury.

Photography by Emma Gibney.

     LONDON FASHION WEEK A/W2010-11 – JAMES SMALL

Having scoured the internet for research into James Small, I turned up at his show in the vaults of Somerset House woefully ignorant of what to expect and the crowd he managed to pull. Kate Moss, Lily Allen and Jefferson Hack were perched front row and the show notes featured thank yous to various luminaries of the fashion world, from Kim Jones to James Brown.

What emerged then was a befitting collection of polished classics updated with a contemporary tweak. Straight leg indigo jeans appeared fairly classic from the front only to reveal zips running th full length at the back, should the wearer wish to manipulate the fit. Blazers and jackets came cropped at the bust, boxy and cowl necked, bedecked in nubby fur or with pockets displaced to the back. A dark denim boiler suit worn with space-age bomber gave a nod to the seasons trends without departing from classic, as wide leg pleated grey trousers and camel chinos, all worn with polished oxfords and rolled back beanies.

Photography by Matt King.

LONDON FASHION WEEK A/W2010-11 – RICHARD SORGER

The final trip of the day to Victoria House saw Richard Sorger stage a dalliance with dark sensuality. An intimate show - the catwalk winding amongst the audience models strolling with a languorous determination – granted a vital close up glance at Sorger’s exquisite embroidery.

Long hair backcombed into dishevelment and a pale base make up, highlighting dark eyes, informed the dressed up darkness that characterized the show. A small collection of shift dresses, strong shouldered in a muted though never dreary palette of burgundy, gunmetal, lilac and black and fabricated in stiff silks provided sumptuous backing to appliqué and embroidery.

From afar a cobwebbed, lace pattern, a closer glance revealed a cluster flies swarming over bust and arm. Variations came one shouldered and roll necked, and a finale full length gown in lilac was interspersed with large scale flies in luxurious gold in a welcome juxtaposition of eveningwear and macabre.

 Photography by Palida Boonyarungsrirt.

LONDON FASHION WEEK A/W2010-11 – COOPERATIVE DESIGNS

After a short sharp stroll to John Adams’ street, we were greeted at Cooperative Designs’ presentation by a wealth of baked goods and walls plastered in an array of graphic prints. Stripes, checkerboard and window pane grid, all in a starkly monochrome palette flooded the space in a TV static. A foreshadowing of the collection itself, Cooperative Designs’ trademark dalliance with knits and stripes both horizontal and vertical expressed itself in a slightly more refined manner whilst along the way losing little of its inherent humour.

In a variety of weights and gauges, knitted hooded cardigans in a large scale window pane grid weave – the collar inverted colour wise – and paired with matching leggings, the monochrome palette broken by the occasional dart of red and blue, communicated a playful insouciance. A floor length skirt hitting high on the waist and slit to the thigh, rendered in greyscale stripes and paired with a layered crop-top hinted at a more sleek elegance.

Much like the commissioned portraits interrupting the stark stripes of the walls, Off-the-shoulder and V-neck jumpers, paired with cable knit cowls, fingerless gloves and Pollock inspired millinery by Noel Coward – all flailing thread falling from cubist masterpieces – balanced stripes often considered stark with ever-accommodating warmth.

Posted by Luke Raymond