Ecru Yarn

Linen Linen is a textile made from the fibers of the flax plant, Linum usitatissimum. Linen is labor intensive to manufacture, but when it is made into garments, it is valued for its exceptional coolness and freshness in hot weather. It is superior to cotton in this regard. obey">http://www.himfr.com/buy-obey_shirts/">obey shirtsTextiles in linen weave pattern made of cotton, hemp and other non-flax fibers may also be loosely, if improperly, referred to as "linen", which can make the exact meaning of the word linen, depending on the context. Such fabrics generally have their own specific names other than linen, for example, fine cotton yarn in linen weave is called Madapolam The collective term linens is still often used generically to describe a class of woven and even knitted bed, bath, table and kitchen textiles. The name linens is retained because traditionally, linen was used for many of these items. In the past, the word "linens" was also used to mean lightweight undergarments such as shirts, chemises, waistshirts, lingerie, and detachable shirt collars and cuffs, which were manufactured almost exclusively of linen. Linen textiles appear to be some of the oldest in the world: their history goes back many thousands of years. Fragments of straw, seeds, fibers, yarns, and various types of fabrics which date back to about 8000 B.C. have been found in Swiss lake dwellings. Linen was used in the Mediterranean in the pre-Christian age. Linen was sometimes used as currency in ancient Egypt. Egyptian mummies were wrapped in linen because it was seen as a symbol of light and purity, and as a display of wealth. Some of these fabrics, woven from hand spun yarns, were extremely fine, and cannot be matched by modern spinning techniques. Today linen is usually an expensive textile, and is produced in relatively small quantities. It has a long "staple" (individual fiber length) relative to cotton and other natural fibers. [1] Flax fiber Flax fibers vary in length from about 25 to 150 centimeters (18 to 55 in) and average 12-16 micrometers in diameter. There are two varieties: shorter tow fibers used for coarser fabrics and longer line fibres used for finer fabrics. Flax fibers can usually be identified by their “nodes” which add to the flexibility and texture of the fabric. The cross-section of the linen fiber is made up of irregular polygonal shapes which contribute to the coarse texture of the fabric. [2] Highly absorbent and a good conductor of heat, linen fabric feels cool to the touch. Linen is the strongest of the vegetable fibers, with 2 to 3 times the strength of cotton. It is smooth, making the finished fabric lint free, and gets softer the more it is washed. However, constant creasing in the same place in sharp folds will tend to break the linen threads. This wear can show up in collars, hems, and any area that is iron creased during laundering. Linen has poor elasticity and does not spring back readily, explaining why it wrinkles so easily. Linen fabrics have a high natural luster; their natural color ranges between shades of ivory, ecru, tan, or grey. Pure white linen is created by heavy bleaching. Linen typically has a thick and thin character with a crisp and textured feel to it, but it can range from stiff and rough, to soft and smooth. When properly prepared, linen fabric has the ability to absorb and lose water rapidly. It can gain up to 20% moisture without feeling damp.[citation needed] When freed from impurities, linen is highly absorbent and will quickly remove perspiration from the skin. Linen is a stiff fabric and is less likely to cling to the skin; when it billows away, it tends to dry out and become cool so that the skin is being continually touched by a cool surface. It is a very durable, strong fabric, and one of the few that are stronger wet than dry. The fibers do not stretch and are resistant to damage from abrasion. However, because linen fibers have a very low elasticity, the fabric will eventually break if it is folded and ironed at the same place repeatedly. Mildew, perspiration, and bleach can also damage the fabric, but it is resistant to moths and carpet beetles. Linen is relatively easy to take care of, since it resists dirt and stains, has no lint or pilling tendency, and can be dry cleaned, machine washed or steamed. It can withstand high temperatures, and has only moderate initial shrinkage. [2] Linen should not be dried too much by tumble drying: it is much easier to iron when damp. Linen wrinkles very easily, and so some more formal linen garments require ironing often, in order to maintain perfect smoothness. Nevertheless the tendency to wrinkle is often considered part of the fabric's particular "charm", and a lot of modern linen garments are designed to be air dried on a good hanger and worn without the necessity of ironing. A characteristic often associated with contemporary linen yarn is the presence of "slubs", or small knots which occur randomly along its length. However, these slubs are actually defects associated with low quality. The finest linen has very consistent diameter threads, with no slubs. The standard measure of bulk linen yarn is the lea. This is a specific length, or indirect grist system, i.e. the number of length units per unit mass. A yarn having a size of 1 lea will give 300 yards per pound. The fine yarns used in handkerchiefs, etc. might be 40 lea, and give 40x300 = 12,000 yards per pound. The symbol is NeL. More commonly used in continental Europe is the Metric system, Nm. This is the number of 1,000 m lengths per kilogram. In China, the English Cotton system unit, NeC, is common. This is the number of 840 yard lengths in a pound. The quality of the finished linen product is often dependent upon growing conditions and harvesting techniques. To generate the longest possible fibers, flax is either hand-harvested by pulling up the entire plant or stalks are cut very close to the root. After harvesting, the seeds are removed through a mechanized process called “rippling” or by winnowing. The fibers must then be loosened from the stalk. This is achieved through retting. This is a process which uses bacteria to decompose the pectin that binds the fibers together. Natural retting methods take place in tanks and pools, or directly in the fields. There are also chemical retting methods; these are faster, but are typically more harmful to the environment and to the fibers themselves. After retting, the stalks are ready for “scutching”, which takes place between August and December. Scutching removes the woody portion of the stalks by crushing them between two metal rollers, so that the parts of the stalk can be separated. The fibers are removed and the other parts such as linseed, shive, and tow are set aside for other uses. The short fibers are separated with heckling combs by 'combing' them away, to leave behind only the long, soft flax fibers. After the fibers have been separated and processed, they are typically spun into yarns and woven or knit into linen textiles. These textiles can then be bleached, dyed, printed on, or finished with a number of treatments or coatings. [2][3] An alternate production method is known as “cottonizing” which is quicker and requires less equipment. The flax stalks are processed using traditional cotton machinery; however, the finished fibers often lose the characteristic linen look. Flax is grown in many parts of the world, but top quality flax is primarily grown in Western Europe. In very recent years bulk linen production has moved to Eastern Europe and China, but high quality fabrics are still confined to niche producers in Ireland, Italy and Belgium. Over the past 30 years the end use for linen has changed dramatically. Approximately 70% of linen production in the 1990s was for apparel textiles whereas in the 1970s only about 5% was used for fashion fabrics. Linen uses range from bed and bath fabrics (tablecloths, dish towels, bed sheets, etc.), home and commercial furnishing items (wallpaper/wall coverings, upholstery, window treatments, etc.), apparel items (suits, dresses, skirts, shirts, etc.), to industrial products (luggage, canvases, sewing thread, etc.).[1] It was once the preferred yarn for handsewing the uppers of moccasin-style shoes (loafers), but its use has been replaced by synthetics. A linen handkerchief, pressed and folded to display the corners, was a standard decoration of a well-dressed man's suit during most of the first part of the 20th century. Currently researchers are working on a cotton/flax blend to create new yarns which will improve the feel of denim during hot and humid weather.[4] Linen fabric is one of the preferred traditional supports for oil painting. In the United States cotton is popularly used instead as linen is many times more expensive there, restricting its use to professional painters. In Europe however, linen is usually the only fabric support available in art shops. Linen is preferred to cotton for its strength, durability and archival integrity. In the past linen was also used for books (the only surviving example of which is the Liber Linteus). Due to its strength, in the Middle Ages linen was used for shields and gambeson (among other roles such as use for a bowstring), much like how in Classical antiquity and Hellenistic Greece linen was used to make multi-plied Hoplite cuirasses. Also because of its strength when wet, Irish linen is a very popular wrap of pool/billiard cues, due to its absorption of sweat from hands. Paper made of linen can be very strong and crisp, which is why the United States and many other countries print their currency on paper that is made from 25% linen and 75% cotton. Linen has been used for table coverings, bed coverings and clothing for centuries. The exclusivity of linen stems from the fact that it is difficult and time consuming to produce (flax in itself requires a great deal of attention in its growth). Flax is difficult to weave because of its lack of elasticity, and therefore is more expensive to manufacture than cotton. The benefits of linen however, are unmatched. The Living Linen Project was set up in 1995 as an Oral Archive of the knowledge of the Irish linen industry still available within a nucleus of people who were formerly working in the industry in Ulster . There is a long history of linen in Ireland. The use of linen for priestly vestments was not confined to the Israelites, but from Plutarch, who lived and wrote one hundred years after the birth of Christ, we know that also the priests of Isis wore linen because of its purity. When the tomb of the Pharaoh Ramesses II, who died 1213 BC, was discovered in 1881, the linen wrappings were in a state of perfect preservation - after more than 3000 years. In the Belfast Library there is preserved the mummy of "Kaboolie,' the daughter of a priest of Ammon, who died 2,500 years ago. The linen on this mummy is in a like state of perfection. When the tomb of Tutankamen was opened, the linen curtains were found intact. In olden days, in almost every country, each family grew flax and wove the linen for its own use; but the earliest records of an established linen industry are 4,000 years old, and come to us from Egypt. The earliest written documentation of a linen industry comes from the Linear B tablets of Pylos, Greece, where linen is depicted as an ideogram and also written as "ri-no" (Greek: ?????, linon), and the female linen workers are catalogued as "ri-ne-ja" (??????, lineia)[5][6]. The Phoenicians, who, with their merchant fleet, opened up new channels of commerce to the peoples of the Mediterranean, besides developing the tin mines of Cornwall, introduced flax growing and the making of linen into Ireland before the birth of Christ, but the internal dissensions, which even in those early days were prevalent in Erin, militated against the establishment of an organized industry, and it is not until the twelfth century that we can find records of a definite attempt to systematize flax production. When the Edict of Nantes was revoked, in A.D. 1695, many of the Huguenots who had to flee the country settled in the British Isles, and amongst them was Louis Crommelin, who was born, and brought up as a weaver of fine linen, in the town of Cambrai. He fled to Ulster, and eventually settled down in the small town of Lisburn, about ten miles from Belfast. During the late war Cambrai became well known as one of the centers of the most desperate fighting. The name "cambric" is derived from this town. Although the linen industry was already established in Ulster, Louis Crommelin found scope for improvement in weaving, and his efforts were so successful that he was appointed by the Government to develop the industry over a much wider range .than the small confines of Lisburn and its surroundings. The direct result of his good work was the establishment, under statute, of the Board of Trustees of the Linen Manufacturers of Ireland in the year 1711. In the Jewish religion, the only law concerning which fabrics may be used together in clothing regards the mixture of linen and wool. This mixture is called shaatnez and is clearly restricted in Deuteronomy 22:11 "Thou shalt not wear a mingled stuff, wool and linen together" and Leviticus 19:19, "'...neither shall there come upon thee a garment of two kinds of stuff mingled together.'" There is no explanation for this in the Torah and any attempt to explain the restriction is generally considered futile. This is a type of law known as hukim, a statute beyond man's ability to comprehend.   About the Author I am a professional editor from himfr,which is a top B2B search engine .

FILATURA ZarOne Yarn Ecru 1071 10 skeins Tahki Terra Collection Yarn SKY 1 ECRU 10 SKEIN LOT 1 lb cone Alpaca Lace Ecru Yarn for Dyeing 4960 yards PAPI 10 Ecru 10 Balls TRENDSETTER Yarn Component Accent Bags Felting Necklace

London Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2011

Winter is nearly upon us so our thoughts turn to spring/summer as LFW SS11 begins. Even the weather warmed to the event as it went from crisp chilly days to end with blazing hot sunshine.

Early on Day one and opening the show at the BFC marquee catwalk was Paul Costelloe. Still sleepy, frantic shouting backstage put a smile on our bleary eyed faces.

 

PAUL COSTELLOE

Titled ‘A Long Day's Night', the collection is girly and described as ‘Tinkerbell turned party girl'. Cropped biker jackets are thrown in to give a harder edge but are softened with the use of lighter colours and soft sheen fabrics.

Skirt lengths go to the extremes - either short or maxis. The short skirts are fun and flirty whilst the maxis are elegant and ethereal – one a sensual diaphanous fabric with modesty only prevailing through the pale pink and blue zigzag wave pattern.

Colours are sugar pink, mint green, silver, pearl, greys and navy. The pinks formed abstract checks with navy and white, lightly spice up graphic patterns with pale apricot, zigzagged with pale blue in waves and graduated alone from light to a bolder hue. The mint green was refreshing in a shiny jacquard fabric.

Textures come in metallic weaves and twill, patterns in abstract checks and graphics. Large bows don the back of low backlines.

The short skirts swirled in skater style, cocooned legs in tulip and puff ball shapes and looked art deco in a dropped waist pleated style. The more interesting were the silver embossed puff ball dress tied at the bottom to form the shape of a large bow and the jacquard mint green dress looking futuristic with its stiff 3 tiered skirt.

To keep the smile on our faces, we were treated to Costelloe's six sons strutting down the catwalk (albeit nervously) suited and booted.

 

BUNMI KOKO

Kicking off the Vauxhall Fashion Scout at Freemasons Hall Covent Garden was Bunmi Koko. To celebrate the start of the show a lone Ekpe man danced in a bright red and yellow masquerade costume looking very much like a large pom pom.  It was hard to visualise the collection usurping this, but amazingly it did.

Hear we saw no pretty summer pastels or girlie styles. Colours were bold monochrome, bright reds and burnt ochre. Prints are Ekpe, leopard and tie dye designed to create fiery flames. The style epitomises the confident feminine woman who knows what she wants and aims to get it.  Titled ‘Matriarchy' the collection celebrates female empowerment whilst fusing cultures of Nigeria and the UK. This is power dressing with a wild twist – sharp tailoring, enhanced waists, and strong shoulders embellished with pom poms, beads and fringing. An eclectic mixture of fabrics and patterns are used together such as tweeds, organza and silk – all accessorised with ornate feathered masks.

 

CAROLINE CHARLES

There was a mixed reaction to this sleek ladylike lux inspired collection as you instantly thought ‘mother of the bride' due to the lengths of the skirts which are either on the knee or just below, plus the accessories of hats, long gloves and kitten heels .

For day wear there are sleeveless dresses in brightly coloured 50's print floral silk, polka dots and animal prints. Suits have full or pencil skirts and boxy jackets in white, black and yellow. All cinched in with skinny leather belts of various colours.  Black Capri pants and leggings give a more youthful feel worn with tunic shirts in a monochrome check and a leopard print. Although not sure on the skull caps which looked suspiciously like rubber swimming hats.

For the evening, dress shapes vary from the shift dress to the full volume skirt. Colours are of soft golds, pearls, reds and black. LBDs are accessorised with diamond and pearls. Lots of sequins and beads.

This collection probably wouldn't appeal to the younger woman but then again it is right on track for Ascot, Goodwood and Henley's where fashion rules are not to be broken if you want to get in.

 

JENA .THEO

The designer duo's (Jenny Holmes and Dimitris Theocharidis) collection titled ‘Bandoliers' is inspired by the spirit of India with a touch of 19th Century Victorian British colonialism.

Silk turbans adorned the models' heads, handcrafted Indian trim embellished flowing fabrics and skinny pants whilst fabric versions of the bandoliers feature as low slung belts, cuffs, necklines and garters.

Denim creates contrasting structure in shorts, jackets and dresses. Colours are either block pastel hues of iris blue and dusty violet pink or raw ecru. The raw ecru splashed with hand painted colour was inspired by the Holi festival when coloured pigment and herbs are thrown in a joyful celebration.

Stiletto platform shoes were adorned with raw painted gold leaf, as was the model's arms, ankles, stomachs and even one nipple.

The Victorian influence came in the disguise of a corseted iris blue mini dress with soft side bustle and a mini dress version of the cage crinoline.

 

Day 2 and another early morning start on a chilly day. This time at the Off schedule location of the edgier Old Sorting Office's industrial hall in new Oxford Street

 

BERNARD CHANDRAN

Titled ‘A Modern Romance'  Chandran keeps pastel hues to a minimum preferring the richer tones of golds, greens, silver and black.  His clean rectangular silhouettes are given texture through the use of a Malay technique called kerrawang, to create linear prints. Silk organza sleeveless tunic dresses show a military feel with oversized floating flap pockets and boxed sleeves, whilst the prints reflect the Malaysian rainforest.

Metallics bring fluidity and a sci-fi feel with liquid silver pieces and as multicoloured panels on dresses. Here we still see the floating pockets and the boxed sleeves become more exaggerated. New fabrics used are lurex silk and patent leather.

Evening wear in the guise of embellished structured lapels, one with an extremely low neckline which kept falling off the models shoulder, with the last outfit resembling the 1920's with its long straight camel maxi and ostrich feathers capelet.

Unfortunately for one model the winged styled shoes with their high and extremely thin killer heels almost made her crash land.

 

CRAIG LAWRENCE

‘Siren Mermaids' inspired by Sirens of Greek mythology and the fantasy world of mermaids. Using cutting edge materials such as Japanese Kyototex metallic yarns in his knitwear techniques, Lawrence enables the garments to glisten as if wet.  Colours are peacock green, silver and white. Long tube maxi dresses cling to the models like mermaid tails with the two toned greens and silver creating the illusion of fish scales. The garments are also turned inside out to show web like textures and chain mail detailing which adds to the illusion. A white strapless tube maxi is adorned with loose long yarns like floating seaweed, whilst an empire line maxi is covered with feather-like yarns to represent sea foam.  Very mystical.

 

LAKO BUKIA

Next stop was Freemason's Hall to catch Lako Bukia's show. Titled ‘Surati', the collection has been dedicated to Georgian culture and religion, Bukia's native country. Colour palette of soft blues, pinks, greys and natural tones were taken from the Georgian buildings although red, midnight blue and black were also included. And strong shoulders souring out and upwards representing the silhouettes.

Light fabrics of silk satin, crepe and cotton contrasted well with the angular structured shoulders. Whilst a top layer of organza, georgette and chiffon are used to create the illusion of looking outwards through the curtains of windows. Dress shapes keep the buildings rectangular silhouette by either falling straight from the neckline or with drop waists. Whilst rows of windows are represented through the placement of strips of fabric crossing over each other, and the cutaway necklines.

The models wore shoes designed by Bukia with what is becoming to be her signature heel - chunky and triangular.

 

 

OSMAN

Back in the big tent at Somerset House, Osman proved to be in demand with some unlucky ticket holders being turned away.

Staple colours are tans, beiges and navy with a refreshing splash of honeysuckle pink, zingy yellow, and apple green.

Woven and soft patent leathers come in creamy beige sculpted shorts, swing skirts, and bandeau tunics. Cotton blended ottomans appear as crisp summer white dresses; lightweight gossamer silks come to life in the vivid hues and the organic dark blue denim brings an edge to sculpted tailored dresses

Hemlines bring interest to the minimalist tailoring with asymmetry, softly folded tiers, extremely long tail coats and attached coloured drapes of longer length.

 

Evening and just time enough to squeeze in another catwalk show before the Phrophetik after show party. This time the location was the Charing Cross hotel and the show called ‘A la Mode' was organised by La Genève North events. A LA MODE is a one stop destination to snap up and discover some of the best independent international designers.

OMAR MANSOOR‘s collection is named after Terence Rattigan's ‘After the Dance' – a play whose central characters have spent years in a round of endless hedonism in the 20s. Mansoor's designs reflect the glamour of this era with embellishments of Swarovskis and thread work on draped chiffons and silks in silver grey, dusty pink, wine and midnight blue. The long gowns ooze elegance and sophistication, whilst the knee length floaty cocktail dresses have a flirtier look allowing you to dance the night away.

VALERY KOVALSKA's collection ‘Professional Suicide' includes both mens and womenswear and has a contemporary punk rock edge.  Various shades of blues with a striking design of white lightening. Weave designs on shirts and waistcoats add texture and loving the men's kilt style coat.

BELINDA LIU's ‘Marquis de Sade' collection takes its inspiration from the French aristocrat's libertine lifestyle and the fashion of his era. Here we see the modern version of the full bloomers over mini puffed skirts, corset style bodices, matching cuff bracelets and romantic lace hooded capelets. More wearable pieces include the tailored knee length dresses with matching capelets.

ZED-EYE . An eclectic mix of patterns and textures. Feathers adorn shoulders and waists, ruffles necklines and peplums, and a mesh of pearl beads around the neck. Floral patterned pencil skirt is matched with a striped blouse. Not all pieces are busy, such as the elegant jumpsuits in bold block colours of pink and blue with a touch of patterned trim.

MALAM's ‘Lost Dolls' collection is cute with a little edge - an assortment of lace, cotton, linen and silk.  Black lace dress is adorned with a 2 tone metallic pink cowl neck collar and fingerless gloves, and there's a pantomime feel with principal boy style waist coats worn over girlie lace trimmed dresses and fairy wizard type pointed hoods.

KATE WILLIAMS's otherwise colour palette of black and white sees touches of tans, aquas and yellows in digital prints. The collection is a capsule wardrobe ranging from the black and white striped bikinis for the beach, tufted tasselled high waist shorts, jacquard trousers, white full skirted day dress, and digital printed jersey dresses to the floor length pearl satin evening dress.

 

Day 3 and back to Somerset House

 

BASSO AND BROOKE

The designer duo's, Bruno Basso & Christopher Brooke, collection is where' bleeding edge techno-fusion meets dusty hand scribbled antiquity'.

Digital prints of handwritten notes by Da Vinci, Tolstoy, Balzac and others mix with vintage florals and topography.  Prints of suede, tweed and leather add digital texture to the smoother silks, cotton and gabardine.

Prim and proper necklines juxtapose with short flirty skirt lengths – long sleeved shirts buttoned to the top were worn with short swing skater skirts and mini shift dresses wore their necklines high.

Black and white multi tonal graduating stripes look striking as peg leg pants and capes. The neutral colour palette of earthy tones and pale dusty pastels is giving a jolt with electric blues and bright oranges joining the prints either as panels or the main piece.

 

ANN-SOFIE BACK ATELJE

After rushing to get to the Portico Rooms we then could relax and enjoy the slower paced salon show of Ann-Sofie Back.  The theme for the collection is porn and the sexualisation of society.

Not being at all seedy the colour palette is sophisticated black and white.  The look is simplistic with added twists: One fascinating white dress has the appearance of being damp and clung to the model's body. Detailing is seen as twisted plexi bras worn over simple tops, large silver rings framing cutaway circles on backs and tear drop jewellery weights securing the drape fabrics.

 

CHARLIE LE MINDU

It was a touch of the Emperor's New Clothes – did the models realise they were naked bar pink platform boots, wig and a hat?   Apparently the effect was to focus on the wig and the hat – not sure it worked. I think part of the audience either concentrated on the boots with down cast eyes and the rest didn't look up as far as the models head.

Not all the models were naked; most were decently covered in leopard prints or yeti like fur.

See it didn't work, I haven't once commented on the wigs.

 

 

Day 4 and at last, time to look around the exhibition. Here are some highlights:

TAMARA FOGLE

Tamara Fogle makes bags out of antique textile such as German flour sacks, Hungarian grain sacks, military tents, sailcloth, Welsh blankets and French mattress ticking. The German flour sacks (date range 1830-1940's) are trimmed in chocolate brown Italian leather. The writing which is different on every sack (and so makes each bag unique) states the farmer's name.

This season new colours of oranges and teals give a contemporary twist.

LEJU JEWELLERY

Leju use a special Amazonian seed known as vegetable ivory as a sustainable alternative to elephant ivory. Rich colours are created by staining and dying the seed with natural plant extract and oils. Their new collection brings together intense colours and bold structure threaded together using leather, hemp, wax thread, stainless steel and copper wire. Great to adorn your plain LBDs.

FINSK

Titled ‘Adagio' this new collection is inspired by ballet training and slow movement is represented by the shape of the shoe or fold of leather. Tones are muted in mint greens, greys and flesh pinks with brighter shades of yellow, lilac and black in small details capturing the dancer's movement. Her wooden wedges are HIGH with an almost rocking chair construction.

LA PERLA

La Perla collaborates with Jean Paul Gautier and brings out his signature cone bra cups and corseted waists. Colours are orange red, black and nude.

PIERS ATKINSON

Atkinson's hats are whacky as ever with this season the story floating between Adam & Eve, Sleeping Beauty and the Green Man. Main colour palette is green (obviously) ranging from apple to moss, creams, gold and pale pinks to fuchsias. Designs are berets in suede or leather, straw mini-fezzes and silk florals creations.

 

Back on the catwalk shows, this time at Vauxhall Fashion Scouts' Freemason's Hall

ROMEO PIRES

This mens and womenswear collection has a circus clown feel to it with long broad braces holding up very low slung baggy trousers and skirts with wide loose waist bands. Main colour palette is crisp white and stone with touches of black and splashes of terracotta. Layering is key and prints of large skull are bold and dramatic.

 

 

Day 5 and the sun is shining and I'm back at the big tent in Somerset House.

 

JAEGER

Inspiration for graphic simplicity and geometric lines is drawn from abstract artist Robyn Denny's clean colour blocked panels and the fresh sporty undertone from post-minimalist sculpture Rachel Whiteread.

Monochrome blazers and waistcoats have displaced lapels in contrasting shade to form sculptural shapes, simple tunic leather dresses and skirts are perforated and hemlines curved. 60's style dresses continue the geometric lines and monochrome look.

Softer lines and colours are brought in through nude and buttermilk suede and loosely woven macramé sweaters and maxi dress.

Vibrant colours also appear in abundance with marine blue, spearmint, emerald, gold, raspberry and navy.  And photographic print of large peonies in raspberry and monochrome bring a light feminine touch on silk gazar and organza shift dresses, tunic tops and skirts

 

ANTIPODIUM

The weather was definitely getting in to the swing of LFW as the sun shone through the Portico Room windows for Antipodium's ‘Hothouse ‘collection. This mens and womens wear collection is inspired by the Barbican hothouse and what could happen if revellers succumbed to their natural urges at a refined soiree.

Prints are oversized entwined limbs in greens and greys on shirts and shirt dresses, dense foliage in mulberry and green, plus moths on sky blue blouses and mini flared skirts and dresses.

Skirt length varies from the flirty mini to the elegant 40's mid calf length of the waffle knitted body con dress and stretch denim pencil skirts.

Brown washed linen shorts with a frayed hem look tailored teamed with waffled knit jumper and sky blue moth blouse, and the soft nylon raincoat in chartreuse gives the illusion of wet grass whilst the diaphanous chartreuse dress underneath reflects hot humidity.

Other main colour is dusty pale pink in a skinny leg pant suit and floor length diaphanous dress.

 

KRYSTOF STROZYNA

Lots of lace as high waist wide legged pants, maxi skirts and short dresses, but also as panelling in body con short dresses and lace fitted leg warmers.  Main colour palette is muted beige with accents of neon violet, mint green and fuchsia pink in chiffon drapes, panelling, animal and tropical flower prints.

 

 

Day 6, move over girls, it's now the boys' turn

 

CHRISTOPHER SHANNON

Titled ‘Never Get to Go Anywhere' this refers to the wanderlust of trips Shannon is yet to take.

The colours of the collection are light with lots of crisp optic white, pale sand and powder colours of lemon, pink and blue. Camouflage prints are pale blues, greys, black and white. Coloured panels are the look for shirts, shorts, trousers whilst nylon anoraks don coloured pockets. Rag tufting and mesh give texture to tops, shorts and hats.  Large light grey rucksacks add to the adventurous holiday theme. The overall look is clean and you can't help wonder whether this collection is more suited to a luxury holiday in the Caribbean rather than trekking in Nepal or on a dusty African safari.

 

J.W. ANDERSON

Titled ‘the Devoured and I', the collection looks at the intimacy and journey of 2 people as they experiment and get lost in self discovery and subsequently the fall out and consequences of this.

Layering is key with waistcoats, shirts over tees, and knits wrapped round the waist, but the silhouette is slim and not baggy. Colours range from the muted earthy tones to burnt oranges, blues, pinks and black.

Grandmas may have to lock up their doilies as hand crocheted ones make an appearance here giving texture to tee shirts and knits. Admittedly not all are the basic white as some are dip dyed with neon colours to represent hallucinations. Also adding texture and a bit of bling are Swarovski crystals embellishing tops and boots. Patterns galore on rolled up chinos and digital prints of William Gedney the photographer grace the backs of tops.

The show ended this journey with a Pulp soundtrack and a wide laser beam display above the catwalk resembling a dense clouded sky.

And it is also the end of my LFW journey, next stop London Fashion Weekend.

 

Karen Grace - Personal Shopper & Image Consultant for frumpy to funky.

Call for consultations on 07787 800 390

More details through the website: www.frumpytofunky.com

 

About the Author

frumpy to funky was established by Karen Grace, an affiliate member of the Federation of Image Consultants. Karen has studied Personal Styling at the London College of Fashion and received her professional training in one of the London's leading Image Consultancy training centre. More details can be seen on http://www.frumpytofunky.com