LFW S/S 11 Day ???

(Vintage kimono, Edwin jumper stolen from Steve, vintage dress, Prada sunglasses, Nicholas Kirkwood sandals)

I'm probably teetering on the edge of exhaustion today hence my own version of 'cosy n' casual' in the above pic wearing a distinctly haggard look.  I'm also losing my voice so if any of you come up to me and you get a muted muffled noise, it's not because I'm being horrifically rude but because I haven't found a notepad yet to carry around my neck a la Ada from The Piano.  Still, LFW chugs on and goddamnit I only missed one thing today (the Maria Francesca Pepe presentation) and that was down to the Pope holding a vigil in Hyde Park so me thinks I did good.

You won't see the fruits born from the day all at once as I need to pace myself – what do I keep saying?  I'm just a LONE blogger (though a few noted bloggers have got themselves an assistant this season… hmmm… errr… do I ACTUALLY need one?) AND these collections have a longer shelf life than a week.  So I'm saving some goodies up…

Instead, I'll give you my fuzzy, muted memories of the day that came B.V.L. – before.voice.lost.  I'm also typing out thoughts on SHOWstudio's blog this week – more opportunities for hearing me out because my physical voice sure isn't serving me well. 

Soooo…. Viking Wong's collection needs a revisit but I'm liking the use of rubber/latex stripes worked into cotton casuals and sleek tailoring… sort of like a subtle 'Fuck You' to office wear…

Hats are floopy, big and open-headed according to Marc Jacobs and Simon Ekrelius did one that was just that – except bigger… will they grow when it gets to Paris?

I never look to House of Holland and stroke my chin pondering it in a serious fashion.  Perhaps being a 'joke' in fashion takes the pressure off and instead Holland can just concentrate on having FUN FUN FUN with his work which has got me into tropical prints paired with fringing and metallic lame in those bright shades that will forever remain in the HoH DNA….  me likes it – actually I never got to say how much I liked the last one too… hmm… needs further investigation and provocation…

Ah Emilio de la Morena… another one that needs further investigation especially as once again, he gave me another art history lesson by using Argentine painter and sculptor Lucio Fontana as a reference which gave way to the physical slashes in the collection.  In addition to Emilio's usual language of form, shape and architecture, I REALLY took to the colour combinations that he worked in… a little Dries-y but definitely welcome here to soften the edges of the slashes as well as the immense jewellery that was a collaboration with Scott Wilson…  (pics from Vogue.co.uk)

Ah…ah… Eudon Choi – oops, perhaps it's an affinity with designers beginning with the letter 'E' – his BEAUTIFUL pink trench from his S/S 10 collection is still one of my FAAAAAVOURITE pieces in the world to touch and wear (as well as one of those pieces that people ALWAYS comment on) and his take on the poacher jacket here from his S/S 11 collection was also an outerwear winner.  So many pockets, such lovely shades of neutral tones worked in and I also love the structure that it has – like a poacher that has been neatened and cleaned up.  The rest of the collection needs to be revisited as well…

I finally saw more from Yorkshire Pearl, the bracelet that Lira Leirner wore to my yard sale… these bangles are all charm encrusted to the max…

Cooperative Designs' S/S 11 collection was a big highlight of the day which is why it deserves more than just this pithy picture of one of the models ACTUALLY playing the piano in the Groucho Club where it was held… all I can say is I've never seen a reconfiguration of the 1920s quite like their new collection…

Finally Mr Charles Anastase – for some reason I've managed to miss his shows the last few seasons due to an over-manic schedule.  Tonight, I slowed it down, got there early and took in the almost cliched-French music as well as Anastase's return to a girly insouciance that his fans love him for – the oversized collars, the cat (?) blouse brooch and the embroidered flowers represent the quirkier touches that augment the collection as well as some forays into pastels as well as a silver textured leather in a 60s-style mod-coat.  As always, Natacha Marro provided the shoes but unfortunately some of the girls kept on stumbling in them… down to the wrong sizing me thinks because some show-goers were definitely rocking more treacherous footwear and doing ok in them on the streets.