Catwalk photos from Vogue.com
Mary Katrantzou AW12 LFW Courtesy of Vitamin Water

Seeing as the writing in this blog is essentially ‘scribbles’ compared to the likes of Vogue’s Sarah Mower or my new pen crush Sophie Dening, I can’t deny that the research behind any given post also generally run along the lines of typing in Google ‘exciting angles to write a blog post on glitter shoes without sounding like a mad woman‘… and oddly somehow I always end up watching that one sneezing panda video on Youtube. This time though it was an uncharacteristically intense session of shovelling through articles about the design phenomenon that is Mary Katrantzou, each time finding myself more baffled at how brilliantly one can bring together schools of thought into one fashion collection. In fact, at one point the ‘research’ wasn’t so unlike an episode of CSI, not exactly in finding a speck of dandruff that solves a DNA crime, but on learning that this collection was inspired by elements of Mary’s desk drawer. So I went on a Zoom in – enhance, zoom in – enhance mission, even went on to magnify the reflection off a screwdriver on Anna Wintour’s sunglasses and finally saw the intricate details of yellow school pencils, telephone dials, vintage typewriters forming mind-blowing patterns. Surely one of the perks of having a big lens is that it does lend me telephoto vision during the actual show but during that particular show I believe I was busy wiping off the hearts and rainbow-tears out of my eyes. Plus, isn’t that’s the beauty of her designs – a world of secrets bottled in a dress?

Beautiful experience courtesy of Glacéau vitaminwater, the official soft drink supplier to London Fashion Week. (Facebook page)

My handwriting is an embarrassment. I told you, too much type type type x time = retarded scribbles.

OK I’m just going to pretend ALL the above was written with my left hand.

I’ll make it as easy for those far away and possibly unconcerned for the party that’s now migrated to this rainy island, but over the next 5 days it might be rather stormy in here. Obviously you don’t come to this blog to read up on the hottest and latest of London Fashion Week and it’s not like I can do hottest and latest, I can do lukewarmest and backloggest if you want? No. There will be much curating going on here for your benefit, and please do have a peek at Full Frontal Fashion (of Sundance Channel) and the Next Blog from time to time – there will be cows and fences flying around in that storm.

Also on a separate note, I’ll be a part of a small collaboration with Uniqlo on their new fashion community Uniqlooks that launched today – just one outfit per month is all, although my love for that brand warrants many many more.

Ultra Chic Alize of Blog de Tendances

Jen Jen the Style Crusader; Awesome braids.

I remember it was exceptionally rainy on that last day of London Fashion Week, and none of those every-other-hour drizzles that characterizes London’s crap weather, but a steady downpour that lasted pretty much the entire afternoon. Rain or not, I had a fantastic time huddled under the Lavazza truck parasol with a group of new friends, collectively screaming when a bucket of rainwater dropped from the parasol edges, lunging for our cameras with protection of some sort. Thank you Kit, Jen, Jill, Michelle, and Craig of Altamira (briefly) for a wonderful afternoon, some lazy hoard of bloggers did we make, eh?

Well apparently nothing can rain on the LFW parade.

Saturday, 20th February 1:45pm Bloomsbury Ballroom

Bernard Chandran

I did a double take when the models first walked out looking like offsprings of a clown and a geisha. This is probably not new and in fact I feel that a lot of you will agree, but clowns and geishas freak the living daylight out of me. Oh what an irony, yes yes I do remember dubbing the LFW scene a ‘circus’ a few posts below. Although I confess, the makeup did eventually grow on me as the collection streamed out, made up by the extensive use of feathers, because only then the general vibe developed into a fantastic midnight exotic bird parade. The colour palette mainly consisted of charcoal grey with pops of electric blue, purple or yellows; fabric weights ranged from sheer to heavy textured knits. Especially loved the oversized bags and sailor knots with dark coloured ropes, I think it’s time to get in touch with my inner pirate and learn how to knot my victim sweaters…