“More, More, More – how do you like THAT?” Part I

Louise Gray kicked London Fashion Week off for me with its 'More More More'-ness – just to clarify, the More, More, More isn't just about loud prints or crazy colours/shapes though this post might beg to differ.  The more, more, more that I need to post about includes the likes of Christopher Kane, Richard Nicoll, Holly Fulton, Erdem, Meadham Kirchoff (!!!)… perhaps the list does go on and there is indeed so much 'More More More' that I may not reach the bottom of it – like an infinity pool of sense-jolting fashion.  I will endeavour to get there… I know I'm not the fastest but I promise I have something semi  

I spoke to a somewhat influential buyer about London Fashion Week thus far and she/he said that designers had to stop doing collections that were basically first time graduate collections and had figure out how to build a brand.  I semi-agreed at the time but the more I think about it, I ended up getting all fiercely patriotic and London-protective and to say that 200% indulgence in a vision IS part of the brand that a lot of London designers get known for.  So, I'm feeding out my LFW shows on a slow-paced drip because as the title denotes, there's More, More, More and lots of it.

Mary Katrantzou jolted another early morning because zane and sleekness met in a room (well actually different views from windows from Parisian apartments to Miami beach condos…) and mingled so well, by the end you were wondering how DID Katrantzou manage to get it all together.  Moreover (the more being the emphasis in all triple More posts…duh…) on the top of the rooms, the decadent interiors theme was honed in even more with the addition of cropped boxy shoulders that were trimemd with brocade, trophy silverwear swinging from the necks like candelabra and the most literal of all, skirts shaped like lampshades.  I know Katrantzou spoke of putting the room on the girl but beyond that, I loved that Katrantzou didn't shy away from something literal and non-manipulative.  Digital print is such that so much HAS been done that I'm scratching my head wondering why rooms and vistas printed on a dress HASN'T been done before?  Some say "Where's the customer?" and word on the grapevine is that Anna Dello Russo has already ordered a lampshade piece.  As fabulous as Dello Russo is, I'm pretty sure there are like-minded spirits out there who would love to indulge in Katrantzou's World of Interiors vision.  I'm taking the long view and going for the LA by day and night dress… that is if I had the foresight and patience to save up for it…

On a less literal scale but no less impactful, I think Michael van der Ham for me really took it to another level where the collaging seemed more seamless.  Perhaps it had something to do with the fact that he designed his own prints and so there was something more personal about the fabrics gelling together.  I the jarring decades of his striking MA collection had been continued for a while but now, it feels like he can definitely build a brand out of his mode of collaging, something that he can tweak and twist every season depending on where his fabric choices go (and hopefully they go to some weird and wonderful places…).  I loved all the velvet devore that went in in shades of chartreuse, grurple (as seen below… see… grey and purple!) and hot fuschia.  The assymetric qualities of his work is less emphasised this time round as the fabrics draped and almost melted into each other as though they had been spilt onto a canvas and some sort of happy accident happened.  That said, knowing Michael, I'm sure each panel, portion of fabric and colour combination had of course been considered and re-considered.