I’M A ‘FASHION-EAST-ER’!

If you went down to the London-Fashion-Week-woods on September 17th, you were in for a BIG surprise…especially if you happened to go via the ‘Fashion–East’-End!

I, excitedly, took that detour, and as if I’d fallen down a man-hole on Main Street, rather than that of a Wonderland-rabbit, I found myself entering whimsical world of Hong Kong designer, Ryan Lo! It was, indeed, a cordial welcome into a rich and textural tapestry of creations, with (spoiler alert!) anthropomorphic models, made-up to appear as fairytale-foxes and princess-pussycats, to name but a few!

 A veritable treasure-trove of vintage-lace appliqué, fluttered against knee-skimming skirts, whilst also being delicately-layered, as tie-string tops, in a kaleidoscope of watercolours, such as dusky-pink, sweet-pea blue and champagne-yellow. Tulle came full-length, in a peach-blossom frock, with ballet-flounces, frothing beneath a mid-length overcoat (complete with ‘tail’), in antique-gold-on-white, and would develop into a gorgeous gilet, which undulated like the rarest, underwater coral.

The knitwear-story was akin to turning the pages of the most vibrant pop-up book, EVER!!! Bubblegum-pink party-pieces were ousted by cardigans in kiwi-green, with a ‘moo-cow’ motif and chocolate-brown, with a fantastic farmyard-scene, a fresh-and-fruity, strawberry-strewn sweater/ mauve micro-mini ensemble and (my pièce de résistance) a full-length, lime-green, crocheted-cape, bursting with sunshine-marigolds in full-bloom!

Before I knew it, the collection had come full-circle, with the finale look of a soft, baby-pink-on-white, horizontal-striped coat, in a darling ‘trapeze’ silhouette…A fond farewell was given to the animal theme, in the guise of a huge, ‘pussy-bow’ neck-fastening and although it was his last word in the show, I’m getting more- than-an-inkling that, with his highly-skilled ability to emboss his unique vision upon the runway, Ryan Lo’s superstar-story has only just begun…

©AFROW2013-2019 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

MFW DELIVERS A FUTURE/ R-ETRO FASHION-FEST!!

Now, aside from pulling-off next year’s styles with poise and panache, the Milanese Fashion Week also has a penchant for providing ampitheatres as show auditoria! Never before have I witnessed collection-after-collection being displayed in such gargantuan spaces and it was no different at Etro!

The vastness became noticeably apparent when front-of-house assistants seemed to take on Borrower-like proportions as, flanked by mountains of onlookers, they peeled back the wedding-train of cellophane-covering from a glacier-white runway!

So done, so began a stream of Etro-consciousness of a distinctly paisley-inspired, retro feel! Colourways revolved around a pastel-blue/ mint-green/ coffee-cream/ lemonade-yellow/ powder-pink palette and were dreamt-up on jumpsuits, handkerchief-hemmed separates and dresses of midi and maxi options. Print-clashing proved popular and a truly inventive ensemble-for-the-eyes were a knee-length skirt with the aforementioned pattern, topped by a ‘tsunami-wave’ design. The antithesis, a veritable repertoire-in-rust included a midi-dress and skirt, both adorned with a black, ‘vine’ motif, which would be later presented magnified, upon a sheer blouse of the same shade. Metallics were also seen, with hints of gold, shot-through a particularly playful backless dress and a jumpsuit which looked as if it had leapt straight from the days of psychedelia!

Drapery was de-rigueur and artfully-incorporated as a ‘scarfed’-neckline, accompanied by a distinct love-of-layering, which was charmingly portrayed, tumbling into voluminous flares. Fringes, whilst exaggerated, were tastefully used to enhance plunging v-necklines and a single-strapped, ‘tube-form’ added extra interest to the dress silhouette. The label also showed a single-take on coats, it being of oversized ilk, in two-tone, mint-green and silver, a finishing touch which surely sets-out their optimistic stall for scorching  weather next year!

  So, I’m packing my bags with some of those splendid r-Etro spring/summer styles, because I, for one, want to be wherever they are in 2014!

©AFROW2013-2019 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED