London shows off diverse looks at Fashion Week
Model Pixie Geldof wears a creation by designer House of Holland at the Autumn/Winter 2019 fashion week runway show in London on Feb. 16. [AP/YONHAP]
The spectacle is bringing much needed color and verve as gray London shakes off its winter blues amid the first hints of warmer weather. A look at some highlights:
HOUSE OF HOLLAND
London may not have Paris’s haute couture or Milan’s grand fashion houses, but the British capital has always been proud to be the wild child on the style front.
That irreverent, street-wise London sass was on full display at House of Holland’s show, where designer Henry Holland threw together 1980s power dressing, Asian dress details and loud, clashing tie-dye prints for his latest collection.
Holland said the show was all about the rebellious, and indeed these were flamboyant, look-at-me statement clothes. Models opened Saturday’s show with tailored coats and jackets in the traditional Prince of Wales check - albeit in bright orange and paired with slinky green velvet animal prints.
Then came everything from patchwork print kaftans, oversized silky pussy bow neckties to denim overalls, all worn with berets and clunky platform boots.
Quilted jackets and miniskirts, Mandarin collars and obi tie belts brought an Asian aesthetic. The designer emphasized a “global citizen” as his show’s theme and incorporated traditional Cambodian textile techniques into the urban mix.
MONASTIC CHIC
Who knew monks’ garbs could be so fashionable?
High necks, long sleeves, dropped waistlines, skirts that brush the calf or ankle: Veteran designer Jasper Conran took inspiration from “monastic” shapes with a new collection of utilitarian, sleek tunics and dresses that quietly exuded sophistication rather than screamed glamour.
Conran, a founding father of London Fashion Week, dialed down his signature flair for color for the collection, opting instead for a mostly severe palette of earthy browns, rust, mustard and indigo.
The designer focused on dresses that rival the comfort of sportswear. Some outfits - such as several brown-all-over sweater dresses - bring to mind something a friar might wear. But Conran always keeps things modern, with a thigh-high side slit here, a slashed neckline there, a bright sporty piping or geometric color blocks.
Conran ditched the covered-up look for the show’s final section, a collection of architectural column gowns. The colors are still understated here, but bare shoulders and sheer organza panels brought out the drama. AP
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
To write comments, please log in to one of the accounts.
Standards Board Policy (0/250자)