LFW s/s 2011: recap

With another fashion week behind us, it's time for another recap! Are you curious about my favorite looks of London Fashion Week or do you just want a quick peek at what the designers have in store for us next season? You can see for yourself after the jump!

I firmly believe that every brand should have a live stream of their show. It's a great way to create more 'buzz' about a brand and it gives the brand the chance to reach it's target group directly. It's a form of advertising to create so much buzz about a collection, months before it even hits the stores. From the viewers' point of view, the experience is simply amazing. It feels like you're there, right in the middle of it. You can see the gorgeous decor, hear the music and feel the vibe while being surrounded by tons of celebrities and famous fashion editors. The models seem to be coming towards you, and you start to feel sympathy for them, because they have to walk in those killer heels on that killer floor. The feeling gets stronger when you eventually see one hit the floor. Other than that, the most important thing is that you can see the outfits up close. So close that you can even imagine how the fabric feels. And all you can think is: "want it"! All of this kind of describes how I experienced the Burberry Prorsum s/s 2011 show.

The outfits were simply amazing. Christopher Bailey named the collection 'Heritage Bikers' and took Thomas Burberry's designs for England's first motorbike riders in the early 1900s as the starting point. He transformed the famous Burberry trenchcoat into a mini biker jacket and combined it with a thin belt in gorgeous neon colors. I can imagine the studded ones must have weighed a ton. I also loved the colorful silk apron dresses that were held together with black leather. The only thing I worry about is: is this collection wearable for spring/summer with all the leather and all? Maybe it's a good thing the live stream viewers could buy the collection right away. And maybe that was just the point since Bailey wants his designs to be worn all year round.

Christopher Kane's inspiration was an aristocrat gone bad (think Princess Margaret's fun side unleashed). Instead of neon accessories, he made complete neon outfits. My favorite ones are these lace dresses. You won't be able to disappear in the crowd with these! Wallflowers are better to skip these.

Sass & Bide's collection 'Papa Sucre' collection was inspired by Carribean voodoo. I love the prints (and I normally never do) and the way they played with raffia.

Henry Holland from House of Holland named his collection 'Something with a Fringe on Top' and had sort of a disco feel. The main prints were huge banana leafs and stars, again in neon colors.

Issa got her inspiration from India, using bright colors like fuchsia, turquoise, royal blue, emerald green and safety orange. For a brand that got known for its prints, there weren't many there. "You can't see the details if you have too much print," Daniella Issa Helayel explained. These colorful draped and lace embroidered dresses make the pieces appear effortless and elegant and they simply make me long for spring.

Peter Pilotto's take on ladylike is really fresh. By cutting the skirts into uneven panels they created a look that has a sense of velocity. They got their inspiration from retro Californian rockclimbers: a silk jacquard that looked like a technical nylon, a print inspired by rock climbers' carabiners and neon hoists, blouson tops in printed parachute silk, sewn-on scarves draped like rope, graphic knit cotton turtleneck dresses and tops.

"My storyboard is a girl marooned on a deserted island," said Matthew Willamson. "She has her Western wardrobe, and over time she becomes one with nature, picking up organic textures and materials." I've always admired Matthew for his prints and gorgeous dresses, and this time it's no different. You can take my word that the sequined  minidress with snakeskin finish Jessica Stam is wearing is sure to shine on some celebrity on the red carpet.

Antonio Berardi wanted the romance back, so he used an image of a Victorian-era fencing dress as his starting point, which guided the idea of movement and the fuller silhouette. The result is a collection with very sweet dresses made of different kinds of silk in sugarsweet colors.

David Koma built his collection of dresses around the classic ballerina's costume: a full and flaring thigh-high skirt with a tiny waist and tight, constructed bodice. I found his work of geometric shapes in this collection very interesting.

Jaeger London got its inspiration from modern British artists Robyn Denny and Rachel Whiteread, which resulted into very wearable and feminine sportswear.

Twenty8Twelve's spring collection was called 'Jericho' after Joni Mitchell's album Don Juan's Reckless Daughter. This resulted in petticoat dresses, animal prints, denim cowboy shirts and cute lace embroidered shorts with a bow. It's fun, girly and sure to sell.

Stay tuned for more looks!