The penultimate day of London Fashion Week might have seen a drop in temperature, but not in excitement. Newcomers and big designers alike made up Monday’s schedule.
Clemmie Harris, head of women’s and childrenswear at Harrods noted the retailer’s “hugely loyal Burberry customer”. Trend wise, she said “For colour we have been loving the pops of red we have seen and feel this will be something that will be in high demand from our clients next season.”
Read on for Drapers show reports.
Tolu Coker SS24
Tolu Coker
Drapers 30 Under 30 alumna Tolu Coker opened Monday morning’s catwalk schedule with a highly-anticipated Newgen debut celebrating the cultural impact of the Yoruba – Nigeria’s second-largest ethnic group. Lightweight, breezy tailoring and midi skirts were juxtaposed by rich leather shirting and longline coats, while polished shirt and blazer dresses in muted shades of blue, olive and dark grey were accessorised with intricate grass-woven bucket bags. This texture was replicated in a show-stopping men’s navy-and-white suit paired with a wide-brimmed hat from the same material.
Edeline Lee SS24
Edeline Lee
Canadian-British designer Edeline Lee presented her SS24 collection in an art-installation-like manner. Set in a store front on Old Burlington Street, models paced the floor behind glass, frantically typing or taking calls on iPhones. Attendees watched from outside, filming and taking photos which created a rather meta experience – the collection was entitled “Future Lady” and aimed to showcase “a busy world of thoughts and ideas, decisions and complexities”. Clothing wise, it was a kaleidoscope of colours with fuchsia, turquoise, tangerine orange and royal blue. The collection was gown heavy – including strapless, caped, button down, long sleeves and cinched waist styles, there was truly a style for everyone. Metallic gold punctuated the rainbow shades, with sequins and lamé featuring across bustiers and leggings, as well as ruched dresses.
Chet Lo SS24
Chet Lo
Chinese-American designer and Fashion East alumna Chet Lo referenced ancient Chinese erotic art in his SS24 collection, which was opened by a sleek, ivory ensemble of co-ordinating, slim-line trousers, tube top and elbow-length sheer gloves – a significant departure from his signature scuba-textured spiked looks in bright colours. Lo partnered with Turkish denim mill Isko for a pair of laser-print dark-navy denim trousers which debuted in a new material known as Ctrl+Z – a blend of recycled cotton and polyester with regenerated cellulosic fibres. Closing the catwalk presentation was a showstopping black, sheer gown with thin, bright red rope detailing – a reference to Chinese knots, which are a symbol of good luck, as well as the Japanese rope bondage technique Shibari.
Ashish SS24
Ashish
Ashish Gupta’s SS24 presentation was shown on Monday afternoon at the Nobu Hotel. With the designer’s first major exhibition at The William Morris Gallery closing last week, the anticipation could be felt amongst attendees for what was to come next from one of London’s most beloved labels.
Creative direction for the show came from radical British artist Linder Sterling, and the show notes stated that the two worked together as “they each know the value of exquisite detail and positioning”. This was confirmed when the clothes emerged from behind a set composed of a giant, silver sparkling moon and swan-shaped bed (complete with models atop of each). Ashish’s signature intricate beading was the first look shown, in a floor-length flesh-toned gown, covered in a pastel rainbow star print, which dazzled as the model weaved through the seated onlookers. A diverse cast took to the runway whilst Doris Day’s ‘Dream a Little Dream of Me’ played. The old-school salon feel to the show was dialled up by large bunches of lilies being carried by various models, and even thrown into the air during the finale. Pink tiger print, florals, and butterflies were all given Ashish’s beaded treatment, making for a show that brought a much needed flash of optimistic sparkle to the penultimate day of London Fashion Week.
SRVC SS24
SRVC
Womenswear label SRVC – whose creative director Ricky Wesley Harriott is also behind the Asos Fashion Discovery Prize 2019 winning eponymous womenswear brand – showcased a Y2K-heavy SS24 collection featuring modular designs including cargo trousers which can be adapted into shorts and stretch-knit tops with detachable sleeves. Titled “Wish I were here”, the collection was inspired by the cultural phenomenon of observing one’s peers’ summer holidays through the lens of social media – including pixel-like prints – providing a futuristic take on adaptable fashion which can be worn to the beach and the office alike.
Burberry SS24
Burberry
Designer Daniel Lee’s second season for British heritage label Burberry was one of the most anticipated shows of the London Fashion Week schedule. With various marketing activations – including Bond Street tube station being renamed to Burberry Street and a controversial collaboration with North London cafe Norman’s – drumming up interest throughout the previous week, all eyes were firmly on the Highbury Fields location where a green Nova Check tent had sprung up to see what Lee would do next.
The collection was certainly a departure from his last for the house – this time around there was more of a focus on heritage, with classically coloured trench coats being reimagined in leather and given large Nova Check collars. Elsewhere, there was a focus on white and red, with outerwear and dresses alike featuring an all-over chain print. Despite royal blue dominating the external marketing, it was surprisingly scarce throughout the collection. Unsurprisingly, there were plenty of handbags, ranging from white leather shoulder barrels to functional crossbody styles with large silver clasp clips. The last look in the show was a pair of dark navy suit trousers, worn with nothing but a belt featuring a large silver Burberry logo buckle.
https://www.drapersonline.com/product-and-trends/catwalks/london-fashion-week-ss24-daniel-lees-burberry-plenty-of-sparkle-at-ashish-and-tolu-cokers-debut
