Lulu Round Two

In my post about Lulu & Co's debut collection, I think I heaped enough praise on Lulu Kennedy aka London's Fashion Fairygodmother.  Can that title be officially bestowed upon her?  Seeing as Sarah Mower has the official and stately CBE, I say that we can all collectively sprinkle fairy dust on Lulu, so that she gets to be fairy godmother, Louise Gray wand and all.  Simone Rocha can make her a magic headpiece and Michael Van der Ham can patchwork up a fairy-dusted dress.  

Perhaps I'm so entrenched into the London fashion scene that it causes me to heap superlatives upon Lulu.  If I take a step back, it means I'll have to recap EVERYTHING that she's done and for those that don't know (really, why don't you know?) it's best to see the rollcall of names from Fashion East and who has come through this particular initiative.  

As I said before, Lulu & Co. is the perfect step-up for Lulu from waving her magic wand over designers and bestowing them a form of recognition to taking that awesome rollcall and calling upon past season designs to be re-issued and sold under her name.  If the first collection was mainly about dresses and long and heavy affairs, this second one seems to have lightened up a great deal with the bonus of doing away with zippers etc and just having the dresses slip on and off.  In addition Lulu & Co. have done more accessible pieces that collaborate not with designers but creatives that she has worked with in the past – so we have knitwear by Bella Freud, t-shirts boy BOYO (created by art director Patrick Waugh) and huge printed scarves.  Rather than reviving archive pieces in small quantities, I think Lulu & Co. have very smartly adapted designs so that the collection as a whole doesn't seem so lofty and 'strictly evening' as the last one.

I've seen it on the rails at Liberty already and I believe it's at Harvey Nichols and Selfridges in addition to a few international stockists.  The collection is lacking an e-commerce channel but seeing as A/W 11 deliveries are rolling in thick and fast, I'll wait up on either of the three department stores to get it up online…

Once again, I got to roadtest (basically me trying bits on and sending it back to where they came from with a tear in my eye…) a few of the pieces but the collection also comprises pieces by Michael van der Ham, Richard Nicoll and Simone Rocha… 

What is a Lulu & Co. post without a Louise Gray piece?  I'm mighty happy they have chosen this design from Louise's MA collection which seems like an absolute AGE ago.  It was this precise technique of embroidering swatches of fabric in abundance that started my love for all things Louise Gray… 

(Worn with vintage jacket, Nicholas Kirkwood flats)

Jonathan Saunders is another designer with a huge archive to draw from and this one is an early 2005 Bauhaus-inspired graphic print.  I love this silk georgette fabric which gives a body-conscious fit without being too 'huggy'.  

(Worn with Lacoste red jacket, COS cycling shorts, Beau Coops wedges)

Where is Natascha Stolle and why doesn't she just come back already?  This slubby grey sweatshirt with applique white patent croch effect is one stunner of a reason why she needs to come back.  I believe she's concentrating on freelance work at the moment but hopefully she's cooking up something on her own to update her very cute and engaging website with.  

(Worn with Undercover lace trousers, Zanita x Funkis clogs)

James Long has made knitwear his forte in both his menswear and his relatively new womenswear line, and testament to that is this hand knit patchwork mohair sweater with all kinds of holes and crevices to dig fingers into.

Ther's a curious knitted strap in the armpit, perfect size for putting my hand in, except I'm not entirely sure why I would feel the need to suddenly grab my armpit… 

(Worn with Toga skirt, Muji socks, Tommy Hilfiger x G.H. Bass Weejun loafers)

Underneath is one of the more simple pieces in the collection  BOYO studio is headed up by art director Patrick Waugh (ex Pop and Arena Homme Plus) and for the collection has created a series of 80s clubscene-inspired graphics that go on these fiendishly simple tees layered up with silk.