FAULT‘s fashion team hit the catwalk shows and backstage at London Fashion Week (Feb ’14) to bring you our favourite pieces from the Autumn / Winter 2014 shows. Stay connected – on Twitter, Facebook or right here on FAULT Online – for our round-up of the designers and trends that we have our eye on.

Bora Aksu

The Bora Aksu show opened with a blast of Balkan music, pitching a fashion statement that was somewhat at odds with the first set of looks to come down the runway; muted looks in a restrained palette and subtle, sheer fabrics. The influences seemed to range from 17^th century Netherlandish portraits to nuns habits, reworked with quasi-Victorian detailing, Dystopian silhouettes and sculptural knits. The collection took a few twists and turns, first into a darker palette of navy blue and plum and then into a more surprising neon yellow. Through the collage of historical shout-outs, there seemed to run an unexpected (but highly successful) hint of sportswear, with perforated fabrics, clean lines and patent fabrics. Whilst the erratic colour palette seemed designed to give the collection a modern energy, it was actually this sportswear influence that enriched the looks, connecting the past to the present. Aksu’s treatment of knitwear was stellar, with a lightness that allowed the clothes to move beautifully. 3D knits were striking and semi-futuristic, whilst contrasting textures gave the clothes a subtle impact beyond the bold shapes and proportions. Aksu has long been a master of interweaving references and cultures, matching this with his eye for striking design and innovative detail. However, this season the leaps in palette were too great, resulting in a show that felt like three different collections presented as one.

 

Fyodor Golan

For S/S14, Fyodor Golan put out a collection that was elegantly simple; a presentation in summer shades and sophisticated shapes that spoke of their creative aesthetic without losing the clarity of their creations. For AW14, it was a different story; the palette was a riot of hot pink and silver, with busy silhouettes and draped fabric in a riot of colourful metals and wet-look fabric.

There were a lot of beautiful elements; the play of texture in thick wool and fur, the exaggerated proportions of jackets with balloon sleeves, the use of sheer fabric. The whole collection – created to be a bold statement that displayed the designers prowess as innovators succeeded in grabbing our attention. Occasionally the iridescent fabric looked overwhelming in parts and sometimes the craft at hand was lost within the high-shine of the fabric. Closer inspection revealed beautiful pleating and careful manipulation of the fabric, with the wet-look textiles, hanging in blocks of single colour.  When the designers briefly experimented with sheer printed chiffon, paired over metallic leggings, it possessed a subtlety that made for a much more focused statement of the designers’ talents.

 

J. JS Lee

J. JS Lee was inspired by camping for her collection this season, with the track-mark prints to prove it. We are used to seeing stark, wearable minimalism from this designer and this season was no different. Staying true to the roots of the label, we saw simple shapes in colour-blocks of royal blue, emerald green, brown, navy and cream. There was some texture in there in the form of laser cutting, tartan prints and chunky roll-necks. Overall the collection was a commercial success which is becoming more and more important for designers every season – with less focus on risk-taking and more on the lucrative attracting buyers. J JS Lee proved here the importance of knowing your brand and customers well and sticking to it.

 

Daks

Daks AW14 show was a celebration of the label’s 120^th anniversary and, with this in mind, Filippo Scuffi brought out all of the house’s most iconic trademarks. The house check was rendered in wool, sequins, fur and silk, and on everything from lapels and sleeves, to baker-boy hats and ballgowns. Riffs on English staples such as the trench coat and the cable knit were a nice idea but fell a bit flat, appearing  either too obvious or too costume. The show opened with a series of strong looks in black, camel and deep red, playing with Daks’ heritage yet managing to bridge minimalist shapes and silhouettes with sumptuous texture. Looks in leather and wool were both luxe and wearable, due in part to Scuffi’s eye for subtle detailing; piping, lining and fringe in fur and wool print. However, as the collection progressed into eveningwear it lost this subtlety and, as a result, a lot of its sophistication. Attempts to create the print in metallic strips were misplaced, whilst an evening dress with trench coat buckles was just too contrived. Scuffi’s (and perhaps Daks’) forte is daywear; from high-waisted pencil skirts and skinny silk trousers to the playfully-crafted knits and pleated leather daydresses. All in all, Scuffi’s tribute to Daks’ past treated the label hallmarks with enough innovation that one could get a sense of the brand’s future. Here’s to another 120 years!

 

Christopher Raeburn

At the forefront of Christopher Raeburn’s AW14 was a very British sense of utility. Not a tired tribute to the trench coat, but a careful and meticulously-detailed declaration of English practicality. Raeburn focussed on coats and jackets in muted prints and a refined but bold colour palette, with over-sized pockets and beautiful textile choice ranging from metallic to sheepskin. Details were rendered with a graphic emphasis, bringing to mind the chic (and incredibly popular) luxe minimalism of Celine. In the form of colour highlights or textile inserts, statement cuffs and collars meant each look was beautifully balanced, with unusually cropped hemlines on skirts and trouser legs creating new silhouettes that were eye-catching without being at all try-hard. The cutesy polar bear print detail could have been left on the studio floor but it was too minimalist to detract from the collection’s clean and refined aesthetic.

 

Jean-Pierre Braganza

Jean-Pierre Braganza’s AW14 collection was a triumph- not only of the individual pieces shown, but as an overall presentation. It progressed and unfolded beautifully, moving cohesively through a stunning series of constellation prints and gun-metal metallic shades, before climaxing with the unexpected but spot-on introduction of Versailles-era prints in icy blues. Braganza consistently merges effortless power with a modern romanticism, creating clothes with clean lines and bold silhouettes in shimmering silks and prints. Slouchy jumpers are transformed into modern evening dresses, with glamourous trains at the back and leather detailing. Placing power in proportions, shoulders and sleeves were maximised, allowing for an easy utility with skinny trousers and mini-skirts. This is a collection with a clear client and lifestyle attached; a woman who is cool, in control and exquisitely creative.

 

Mark Fast

Mark Fast sent out an array of his trademark bright knitwear under strong fluorescent lighting this season. From slouchy coats to a cool belted suit, these pieces all featured a cinched waist and a draped aesthetic. Fast created his spin on the oversized trend which we’ve seen everywhere this season to great effect. The Mark Fast girl this season is street-smart, effortlessly cool, collected and with a hint of quirkiness and play. The collection manages to be both commercially viable and catwalk-ready simultaneously, which is no mean feat in this era of fashion.

 

Eudon Choi

Set to the screams and black and white images of Beatles fans, the 60’s inspired catwalk show of Eudon Choi was a step away from his previous minimalism into new depths of layering. The models sported bed hair, black 60’s style flicks and nonchalant struts to the music. The clothes nodded towards his previous aesthetic, yet contained print, texture and some sharp tailoring. We loved the shots of royal blue interwoven amongst the texture of the clothes, the ruffled collars, the tassled shoes and the oversized coats. Eudon Choi proves himself yet again as  a designer that’s quickly rising through the ranks into a much larger label and we’d like to see more of his trademark minimalism and where he goes with his look in the next season.

 

Todd Lynn

Todd Lynn’s AW14 presentation was ultra-refined; straying little from an all-black palette and possessing a striking sharpness of silhouette- out at the shoulders and in at the waist. When he did venture out, it was only to add a pop of green fur that marked the shift from black to charcoal grey. This restraint has been absent in many of the shows this season; with some designers struggling to set their own boundaries, creating presentations that seem too wide-ranging to be a cohesive design statement. Lynn realises that there is a power in such a fixed aesthetic and as a result, his collection had a real punch to it. Every piece was high-octane glamour, but also wearable. In fact, not only wearable but transferrable; from the silk-detailed blazers and trousers, to the metallic cocktail dresses, these pieces would work on-the-go, as much as they would at a party or event. Given Lynn’s ability to successfully merge his own deeply personal creative aesthetic with the needs of a living, breathing client, it is no time before his label expands out. He most certainly has the design integrity to pull it off.

 

Words by Will Ballantyne-Reid