London | Five takeaways from Fashion Week

(London) Like a fashion industry optimistic about an exit from the pandemic, London Fashion Week devoted to the autumn/winter 2022-2023 collections which ended on Tuesday was marked by parades imbued with color and sensuality.

Here are five things that stood out during the five days of parades, in person or virtual.

Young creators

In a city renowned for its fashion schools, London Fashion Week is an important showcase for young designers, who have taken center stage this year in the absence of established names like Victoria Beckham and Burberry, while the punk fashion icon Vivienne Westwood opted for a short video presentation.

Victoria Beckham, who complained in an interview about the cost of running the shows, made a surprise front row appearance at Supriya Lele, known for her sultry, sheer designs.

sex appeal

The collections presented did not lack sex appealwith designers embracing the current miniskirt trend, from the punk tartan of Westwood to the pastel faux furs of up-and-coming Asian-American designer Chet Lo.

British brand Poster Girl, known for its ultra-revealing dresses worn by celebrities like Kylie Jenner and Dua Lipa, held its first après-ski themed show, featuring neon-hued pieces, like embellished puffy coats faux fur.

Even more minimalist, the young Albanian designer Nensi Dojaka stood out for her string dresses reminiscent of pieces of lingerie.

ornaments

Other designers opted for elaborate embellishments — fringes, flower appliqués, Swarovski crystals and sequins.

At Chinese-born designer Yuhan Wang, models wore ethereal false eyelashes to match their outfits. One of them, covered in a faux fur coat, was cuddling a real long-haired cat in her arms, because “women are like cats,” Yuhan Wang said, “We can be very cute sometimes. , but sometimes we bite”.

Some have drawn inspiration from history, like Irishwoman Simone Rocha for her voluminous dresses evoking the Victorian era.

Rising star SS Daley, short for Steven Stokey-Daley, qualified by the magazine QG as “one of the most exciting voices in British menswear”, staged a show evoking the start of the 20^and century, with baggy trousers and knitted tank tops, reflecting his concerns about British class society.

Diversity

Diversity was more displayed, with white, black or Asian models participating in the parades.

Ozwald Boateng, former creative director of Givenchy Homme, the first black designer to hold this position in a luxury house, celebrated in a fashion show at the Savoy Hotel “the influence of black culture in the United Kingdom during the 40 last years “.

Born to Ghanaian parents, Boateng admitted that he had a habit of denying facing racism in interviews in the past.

But the murder of “George Floyd had an impact on me and I think we are now at a time when we can finally really say what matters,” said this big name in British fashion, known to AFP. for his vivid creations.

Young British designer Saul Nash explored his country’s Afro-Caribbean culture, reflecting on his Guyanese heritage.

Others, like Poster Girl, Nensi Dojaka, Supriya Lele and Yuhan Wang, have tried to break weight taboos by using more chubby models.

“Every season I learn more about it, and how to dress all shapes,” Dojaka told the Times. “For me, power comes from diversity,” Wang said.

Sustainable

Sustainable fashion was also in the spotlight at this Fashion Week. Irish designer Robyn Lynch has reappropriated unsold items from the American sportswear and leisurewear brand Columbia. Young designer Matty Bovan reworked existing clothes from other designers.