London Fashion Week

If I'm being honest, London Fashion Week is my favorite. 

I partially credit to my love of Harry Potter, thus my eternal desire to move to London and go to Hogwarts. But It's also because London has this crazy sense of style that I could never ever pull off. The crazy hair; the "I don't care what you think of me" mindset... it's all so intriguing. Naturally, my favorite shows were that of Burberry and Mulberry (I seem to have a thing for "-berry"s). Their classic exhibitions and gentle, feminine styles are what I live for. Tom Ford took "independent style" to the extremes, while Giles Deacon and Christopher Kane beautifully contradicted each other.

Burberry
My absolute favorite couture house. On the planet. I practically ran home from lecture to watch the show when it went live online and was not the least bit disappointed. First of all, Christopher Bailey is an artist in the greatest sense of the word. His looks were feminine and calm... like a garden of English Roses. The color scheme and lace details were the epitome of spring. The whole show was, in fact! From the music to the ivory coloring. I watched the show three more times, that's how much I loved it. But those addition watches pointed out a few flaws in the collection. Number one, those skirts. Who in their right mind would wear a see-through lace skirt? Okay if you're 95 pounds and 6 feet tall, they look fabulous. But for even the fittest clients, those skirts are just... risky. Number two, no trench coats! I loved the outerwear, but not one classic Burberry trench? Not so sure about that. Luckily for Bailey, his final look was his saving grace. The see through jacket with complete with shiny embellishments? I'd sell my soul for that jacket (and I'm pretty sure that'd be the asking price).

Tom Ford

The eclectic, shocking Tom Ford. As to be expected, I could never ever pull off any of Tom Ford's looks. But, that's what makes him so.. London. The impractical heels and suits channel the chic rocker chick... if that demographic even exists. Completely different from the white, bright feel of many other LFW shows, Ford's show was harsh. The runway was full of mirrors and spotlights on a black backdrop. It sure made his metallic and black & white looks pop, but makes me feel uncomfortable. Probably because it's so not my style. The saving grace for Tom Ford is his personality. I read an article by Rita Wilson that profiled the man behind the clothing, and I fell in love! He seems like such a charming, down-to-earth, yet frightening man- an intriguing combination of traits to say the least. But then I looked back at the collection after the article, and I saw Ford in his show. If we take the stance that high fashion is a work of art (which I 100% do), the artist is reflected in the art. In that sense, Tom's classic, gentle self is reflected in his classic pieces: the coats and jackets. His modern, fashion-forward self is reflected in the patterns and geometric angles. All becomes right again, as the art reflects the artist. I still could never wear any of his collection, but I've gained a new appreciation.

Mulberry
Mulberry is new to me. I'd heard the name but never really thought twice... until now. I was looking through all of the Vogue coverage on LFW and found the looks to be charming. A little more research told me why I hadn't paid much attention before- Mulberry is rather new to the Ready-to-Wear scene. With me being new to the "smaller" high fashion brands, it all adds up. What I loved was the simplicity in the looks. They all had very feminine colors and silhouettes without looking too ordinary. Thanks to the lace and prints, the show was a fresh and sunny contrast to the rainy London weather... almost like a garden walking down the catwalk. And the best part? The looks are actually practical [read: can be recreated, for those of us who don't have a couture budget]. I'll definitely keep an eye out for Mulberry in the future. 

Cara in the Burberry clear coat!

The shows all expressed the individual artists behind the brand, making for an artistically diverse week. All the differing looks and colors made the one constant stand out: Cara Delevingne. LFW's golden girl. Those eyebrows. That bod. And the best part? Her awesome personality. Just search her name in Youtube and you'll see what I mean. She's crazy. That's a fact, but that craziness is balanced by her elegance and poise on the runway. If only I could be that graceful and that bubbly. Can I just be Cara? 

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My favorite of all the Fashion Weeks, I kept up with London the closest. I love seeing the Tom Ford-like designers push the boundaries, but I love the British classics even more. This spring collection was infused with feminine colors, pretty beading and patterns, and practical looks (for the most part). Burberry was my favorite, but I'm a bit biased. I tried to branch out my interests and really soak in the art and ideas provided by the many, many intriguing shows, which I think gave me an even better appreciation for the week. Watching all of the street coverage and interviews gave me serious wanderlust...

Add London Fashion Week to my never-ending Bucket List.