Girls On Film: LFW Highlights SS16

This season, London Fashion Week stepped into the heart of Soho, where designers embraced individualism, free spirit and delivered a host of fresh, lively trends for Spring/Summer 2016.

Burberry Prorsum’s collection was hailed as the show of the season, not only for the clothes but also the celebrity guest list. Christopher Bailey’s youthful streetwear influenced SS16 range included oversized hoodies, slouchy trousers, grungy see-through lace vests, and oversized, floor-length glamour gowns. Bailey also previewed the collection on Snapchat the day before it was seen at LFW, endorsing the collection as a reflection of the way in which social media is changing the world.

With her signature pink bob, eyes rimmed blue in shadow, Zandra Rhodes returned to London Fashion Week with her more-is-more approach, and we dig it! Although it’s autumn, you wouldn’t have known as indoors she had created summer. Her collection divided into two colour palettes – from a host of hot pinks to baby pastels, and the other being a royal blue cut through with bright zingy orange.  The collection looked comfortable yet stylish (oh, and also wearable!)

Vivienne Westwood brought another anti-establishment protest ahead of her Red Label SS16 show, entitled ‘Flash Mob’. Westwood and a band of models paraded the streets branding signs reading, ‘Climate Revolution’, ‘Fracking is a crime’, ‘Austerity is a crime’ – a campaign turned into slogan tees feature in the designer’s Man SS16 collection. The renowned designer’s collection was a mix of floral, lilac and pretty prints clashing.

Nine of London’s brightest emerging talents received sponsorship to showcase their SS16 collection at London Fashion Week, courtesy of NEWGEN sponsored by TOPSHOP. Catwalk sponsorship included: 1205, Ashley Williams and Ryan Lo; with presentation sponsorship including: Claire Barrow, Danielle Romeril, Faustine Steinmetz, Molly Goddard; and exhibition sponsorship: Marta Jakubowski and Sadie Williams.

Ashley Williams has a tendency of beautifying it-girls in cartoon pop prints and PVC, and this season was no different. Williams has taken the London fashion scene by storm since her graduate show in 2012, and is a designer no blind eye should be turned on.

With her trademark painted leather jackets being worn by Rihanna, Claire Barrow is another designer everyone should be paying attention too. Her SS16 presentation consisted of 30 models, some standing, some sitting and some lying while playing an instrument. Barrow’s signature illustrations were everywhere; with models wearing only painted leather, high-waist panties, or a suit with nothing underneath.

Sadie Williams is known for often mixing odd combinations of juxtaposing influences together to create modern and playful work. She works freelance and received Newgen sponsorship for her own label, previously showcasing her debut ‘Ikebana’ collection for AW15, and this season her SS16 collection.

Sadie Williams SS16
Sadie Williams SS16

Faustine Steinmetz, once again sponsored by Cotton USA, gave her presentation a surreal twist, with models limbs dangling singularly through a white washed curved wall. Steinmetz showcased her hand woven collection of distressed-to-destruction denim pieces, all created individually with careful detail.

There are three things that can be guaranteed from London Fashion Week SS16:

1. Pristine blow-dried hair, pulled back into buns
2. EVERYONE is swapping their high heels for trainers

And finally…

3. Black is back – in fact it never truly went away

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Words: Kirsten Goljar
Feature Image: Reuters