In a season where Milan and Paris have decided that all we should be wearing is grey, it was good to see that London’s new breed of fashion masters had a different idea. London College of Fashion’s MA Show drew a distinguished crowd to the V&A for a 45 minute long showcase of 19 collections. Selected by judges including Lauretta Roberts and Hywel Davies, the postgraduate designers were watched by a packed crowd that read like a who’s who of fashion.
Menswear was definitely the talk of the show, with more shown than womenswear for the first time. Interesting shirt collars from Lester Ng, Marina Nicolaidou and Anette Whalstrom gave an edge to double-breasted suits with wide leg trousers and zoot-style shoulders. Tight tailored short-shorts and all manner of cropped trousers were a recurring theme, teamed with sheer shirts and flashes of pink, blue and yellow.
Carly GarwinJames Hawkes was the only designer to show sportswear. His skinny joggers with panelling were of particular note, along with short jackets with big vaulted shoulders and sculpted sleeves. An architectural collection that really stood out.
Dimitri StavrouConnie Ho painted sheer fabrics in yellows, greens and purples, representing all of the people that had touched the garments. Her above-the-ankle trousers with yellow waistband are bound to be a favourite.
