Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

Glitz, glamour and going out: London Fashion Week returns to the spectacle

Glitz, glamour and going out: London Fashion Week returns to the spectacle

The UK capital was back in full swing this season, with a packed physical schedule and an electric atmosphere.

Determination was in the air at London Fashion Week, as the usual set of editors, influencers and celebrities braved Storm Eunice and some of the highest wind speeds on record in England, all in the name of fashion.

Spirits were high, masks were scarce and the shows were packed. More than 50 labels on the schedule chose to present in person, with the overarching theme for many catwalks being go big or go home. It spoke to a genuine appreciation of the craft, and a palpable desire for normality.

This year, billed designers were a mix of established and new talent. Savile Row's first black tailor Ozwald Boateng, for example, returned to London Fashion Week for the first time after a 12-year hiatus. But the event was largely skewed toward newcomers: Postergirl and Conner Ives made their runway debuts, while LVMH Prize-winner Nensi Dojaka staged her highly anticipated catwalk -- just her second ever solo show.

Although there was a healthy dose of make-believe on offer (James Walsh, a womenswear graduate from Central Saint Martins, fashioned a bustier and pair of shorts out of a tree trunk), the impending removal of coronavirus restrictions in the UK meant some brands left reverie at the door and kept one eye on commercial viability.

"When we started doing collections over the pandemic, it was just about fantasy," American designer Michael Halpern told CNN. "And now that we're going back to a collection where part of it will go into stores, you have to be mindful of both worlds."

Next generation
British designer Matty Bovan, winner of the 2021 Woolmark Prize, created his collection in America.

Harris Reed was inspired by the royal wardrobe and Elizabethan-era makeup.

Reed's designs were "a queerer interpretation of kings...and kweens," according to the show notes.


The absence of fashion week heavyweights Burberry, Victoria Beckham and J.W. Anderson meant there was ample space for a new cohort of designers to flex their creative muscles. The 25-year-old Harris Reed staged a regal presentation of his new gender-fluid designs in a baroque-styled Westminster church, while Yuhan Wang -- who graduated in 2016 -- caught our attention with her tasseled leather suits, faux-fur coats and the inclusion of her cat, Misty.

Yuhan Wang sent her cat, Misty (far right), down the runway.

James Walsh produced a matching tree trunk set for the Central Saint Martins show.


Life of the party


Whether it be a moving orchestral rendition of Olivia Rodrigo's "traitor" at the Richard Quinn show, a German shoegaze band at Bora Aksu or Sam Smith performing at Reed's presentation, live music was back in a big way this season as designers celebrated the return of physical shows after many had gone virtual amid the pandemic. It was the Roaring '20s for RIXO, who presented their new gilded-age collection against the grandiose backdrop of Goldsmith's Hall, while Conner Ives partied like it was 1999 with face-gems, plaster-white under-eye concealer and silk halter neck tops.

RIXO stage an ultra-glam presentation at Goldsmith's Hall in central London.

Halpern's new collection prioritized glitter, sequins and dramatic fringing.

British designer Richard Quinn soundtracked his runway with a live orchestra.

Butterfly clips, beaded sarongs and face-gems gave the Conner Ives show a '90s feel.

This was the American designer's first London Fashion Week runway.

Richard Quinn's designs were often larger than life.

As were Molly Goddard's signature taffeta ruffles.

Goddard created perfect partywear for Autumn-Winter 2022.

While Quinn turned elegant evening wear on it's head.

Bora Aksu staged his runway inside a mesmerizing church in South London.


Banding together


There were some notable collaborations this season, with London-based label Roksanda creating an array of glamping-wear with the help of sports brand Fila -- including wellies and windbreakers that looked more like ball gowns, as well as a puffer jacket large enough to sleep in. Matty Bovan's club kid take on Americana similarly included repurposed pieces by Vivienne Westwood, Calvin Klein and Converse All-Star.

Roksanda collaborated with Fila on a range of glamping looks.

Matty Bovan upcycled pieces from a range of designers in his Autumn-Winter 2022 collection.

Roksanda held its catwalk inside the Tate Britain.


Sex sells
Skin was front and center at the Nensi Dojaka show.

Similarly at S.S. Daley, less was more.

The Fashion East runway gave a new meaning to the term "open shirt."

Richard Quinn used latex, dominatrix suits and skin-tight silhouettes in his collection.


Rising star Nensi Dojaka successfully forged a seductive winter wardrobe by swapping mesh for velvet in her lingerie-inspired Autumn-Winter 2022 show; while British menswear designer Steven Stokey-Daley (of S.S. Daley) veered away from his typical output of bold shirts and Argyle knits to experiment with stripping back -- literally. One of his more memorable looks included nothing but a leather waistcoat, black underwear and a pair of sock suspenders.

Famous faces
Idris Elba closed the Ozwald Boateng show, held at the Savoy Theatre in London.

"Top Boy" actor Nicholas Pinnock was also in the model lineup.

Irina Shayk strutted the runway in a fuscia pink shawl-dress.

Lila Moss made an appearance at the Richard Quinn show, too.


Ozwald Boateng's landmark show ran on a specific type of starpower. An array of Black talent -- including actor Idris Elba and rapper Dizzee Rascal -- featured in the model lineup wearing expertly tailored jewel-toned suits. Richard Quinn also enlisted a handful of familiar faces, including burgeoning model Lila Moss, the daughter of fashion royalty Kate Moss, as well as Irina Shayk and drag queen Violet Chachki.

AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Vatican hosts first Catholic LGBTQ pilgrimage
Apple Unveils iPhone 17 Series, iPhone Air, Apple Watch 11 and More at 'Awe Dropping' Event
France joins Eurozone’s ‘periphery’ as turmoil deepens, say investors
France Faces New Political Crisis, again, as Prime Minister Bayrou Pushed Out
Nayib Bukele Points Out Belgian Hypocrisy as Brussels Considers Sending Army into the Streets
France, at an Impasse, Heads Toward Another Government Collapse
The Country That Got Too Rich? Public Spending Dominates Norway Election
EU Proposes Phasing Out Russian Oil and Gas by End of 2027 to End Energy Dependence
More Than 150,000 Followers for a Fictional Character: The New Influencers Are AI Creations
EU Prepares for War
Trump Threatens Retaliatory Tariffs After EU Imposes €2.95 Billion Fine on Google
Tesla Board Proposes Unprecedented One-Trillion-Dollar Performance Package for Elon Musk
Gold Could Reach Nearly $5,000 if Fed Independence Is Undermined, Goldman Sachs Warns
Uruguay, Colombia and Paraguay Secure Places at 2026 World Cup
Trump Administration Advances Plans to Rebrand Pentagon as Department of War Instead of the Fake Term Department of Defense
Big Tech Executives Laud Trump at White House Dinner, Unveil Massive U.S. Investments
Tether Expands into Gold Sector with Profit-Driven Diversification
‘Looks Like a Wig’: Online Users Express Concern Over Kate Middleton
Florida’s Vaccine Revolution: DeSantis Declares War on Mandates
Trump’s New War – and the ‘Drug Tyrant’ Fearing Invasion: ‘1,200 Missiles Aimed at Us’
"The Situation Has Never Been This Bad": The Fall of PepsiCo
At the Parade in China: Laser Weapons, 'Eagle Strike,' and a Missile Capable of 'Striking Anywhere in the World'
The Fashion Designer Who Became an Italian Symbol: Giorgio Armani Has Died at 91
Putin Celebrates ‘Unprecedentedly High’ Ties with China as Gazprom Seals Power of Siberia-2 Deal
China Unveils New Weapons in Grand Military Parade as Xi Hosts Putin and Kim
Rapper Cardi B Cleared of Liability in Los Angeles Civil Assault Trial
Google Avoids Break-Up in U.S. Antitrust Case as Stocks Rise
Couple celebrates 80th wedding anniversary at assisted living facility in Lancaster
Information Warfare in the Age of AI: How Language Models Become Targets and Tools
The White House on LinkedIn Has Changed Their Profile Picture to Donald Trump
"Insulted the Prophet Muhammad": Woman Burned Alive by Angry Mob in Niger State, Nigeria
Trump Responds to Death Rumors – Announces 'Missile City'
Druzhba Pipeline Incident Sparks Geopolitical Tensions
Cost of Opposition Leader Péter Magyar's Economic Plan Revealed
Germany in Turmoil: Ukrainian Teenage Girl Pushed to Death by Illegal Iraqi Migrant
United Krack down on human rights: Graham Linehan Arrested at Heathrow Over Three X Posts, Hospitalised, Released on Bail with Posting Ban
Asian and Middle Eastern Investors Avoid US Markets
Ray Dalio Warns of US Shift to Autocracy
Eurozone Inflation Rises to 2.1% in August
Russia and China Sign New Gas Pipeline Deal
Von der Leyen's Plane Hit by Suspected Russian GPS Interference in an Incident Believed to Be Caused by Russia or by Pro-Peace or by Anti-Corruption European Activists
China's Robotics Industry Fuels Export Surge
Suntory Chairman Resigns After Police Probe
Gold Price Hits New All-Time Record
UK Fintechs Explore Buying US Banks
Greece Suspends 5% of Schools as Birth Rate Drops
Apollo to Launch $5 Billion Sports Investment Vehicle
Bolsonaro Trial Nears Close Amid US-Brazil Tension
European Banks Push for Lower Cross-Border Barriers
Poland's Offshore Wind Sector Attracts Investors
×