LONDON S/S 2021 SHINES A BIG SPOTLIGHT ON UNLIMITED IMAGINATION

LONDON S/S 2021 SHINES A BIG SPOTLIGHT ON UNLIMITED IMAGINATION

London S/S 2021 sums up what London fashion is all about, imagination. I am an anglophile, meaning I admire England, its people, its culture, and the English language. Moreover, I love the London fashion scene. The London fashion scene is unique because of its creativity and imagination. London’s creativity in fashion design has never been so vibrant. For years we have seen creative fashion genius at London Fashion Week. Partially this comes from its connections to its fashion schools. Fueled by its sheer size, its diverse inhabitants, and a sense of chaos, London nurtures an adventurous spirit that has put the city firmly on the fashion map.

London S/S 2021 shows us creativity. Most of the designers came up with their collections at home, there is a move towards ingenuity and artistry. While many would find the confines of working from home limiting, here it shows it to be resourceful and imaginative. What’s happening harks back to Nineties London, when budgets were tiny and designers relied on raw creativity.

LONDON S/S 2021

BURBERRY

While we celebrate imagination and creativity in fashion, sometimes it can go amiss. I find this to be the case when looking at Riccardo Tisci at Burberry. Burberry a quintessentially British brand known for its iconic beige raincoat was plunged into a new direction under Tisci's creative directorship.

With a backdrop of a forest, brilliant blue and orange replaced the classic beige. While some designs were bold and striking, where was the respect for the brand? Since certain brands rely on history, do these radical departures blemish the character of the label? Tisci seems to have imposed his international sportswear into a forest of fashion with little earnestness.

The inspiration for the collection was the sea and nature. Some pieces strike an air of brilliance. Below I have shown my favorite pieces from the collection. Some many details and accessories add depth to this collection. While I may fault the overall direction, many pieces are standouts. Perhaps if this collection was for a different label, it would have landed better.

LONDON S/S 2021

HALPERN

Michael Halpern is a 32-year-old graduate from St Martins who at graduation in 2016, immediately went to work at Versace. The London-based designer launched his label Halpern in 2017, with its distinctive sequined designs. He experienced rapid commercial.

Halpern in a response to the pandemic celebrated the essential workers who put their lives on the line. He cast eight women—from a train operator and a hospital cleaner to a nurse and an OBGYN—designed bespoke looks for them, and captured their stories in a short film released alongside a look book that features the full collection.

Loving this collection comes easy, it has a joyous madness. The specially made clothes are in line with the designer's disco-inspired aesthetic. An emerald and black polka-dot silk draped orb dress and tea-length dress melding leopard jacquard with an explosion of ombre pink-to-black plumes were particular standouts. Moreover, this collection celebrates the existence of fashion it's self. Halpern finds influences throughout the fashion history of the last half a century. Feathers, plaid, polka dots, and more made this excessive collection one to be celebrated.

LONDON S/S 2021

CHRISTOPHER KANE

Recall the title of this post, and you have the London S/S 2021 collection of Christopher Kane. While the London fashion scene is fed a steady new supply of designers from London's fashion schools, Kane comes from an artistic background. The unlimited imagination referred to in the title is exemplified by Kane's collection of painterly fashion.

Kane went back to his roots by painting figures, sparkling with tinsel glitter, personal artistic work that he had made in his teens at the very start of his career. This represents the pure creative energy of the imagination. Because of these lock-down induced painting sessions comes a bright collection, freeing, and intensely personal.

LONDON S/S 2021

ERDEM

While I have recently written a post about designers who pared back because of the pandemic, this is not the case with Erdem. Erdem ( Moralioglu) has a 15-year body of work that shows his deep romantic streak. Since the lockdown curtailed his trips to London's museums and galleries, he needed to find inspiration elsewhere. The vision for his latest collection came from the pages of Susan Sontag's novel The Volcano Lover, Sontag’s portrait of the 18th-century beauty Emma Hamilton, who married a volcanologist obsessed with Grecian vases and had a passionate love affair with Lord Nelson.

We are treated, to richly patterned and colorful clothes photographed in a forest (again!). While the clothes look as though they come from a different time, the designer says there are “beautiful parallels between that period and the way we are now”. Erdem creates garments that will be worn for years to come. This collection has pieces that are crinkled and appear like a combination of garments married together. Puff sleeves, empire waists, and dainty florals are mixed with cardigans and trench coats to create an imaginative collection strong on wearable pieces. As Erdem put it "a beautiful story in ugly times".

LONDON S/S 2021

ROKSANDA

Roksanda is always a must-see at London Fashion Week. The line is known for the bold use of color, luxurious fabrics, and clean, elegant lines. S/S 2021 is different for all designers, Roksanda Ilinčić rose to the occasion with a look at everyday life. The models are famous and strong women in domestic settings, eating, reading, and experiencing lock-down.
Moreover, the clothes almost played a secondary role in the universal themes of isolation and womanhood. However, fashion is always about clothes. That said, the collection was refreshing and relevant, with the majority of the pieces made from repurposed fabrics.

LONDON S/S 2021

MOLLY GODDARD

A write up by me on London Fashion Week would not be complete without covering Molly Goddard. This designer caught my eye a few years ago (post on Molly Goddard), I have followed her progression since. Her amazing tulle creations have not only stolen the stage at London Fashion Week but got rave reviews in the hit tv program Killing Eve.

Since the pandemic hit, many designers have seen their orders canceled and their futures in jeopardy. Moreover, some labels like Molly Goddard questioned whether they could survive these difficult times. While she considered doing a practical, more commercial all-white collection, her brash, vivacious nature won out. Therefore, with an optimism that is always present in her designs, we see a collection that is one of Goddard’s most exuberant to date, with brilliant colors and fluffy playful bursts of tulle on almost every look.

LONDON S/S 2021 INCONCLUSION

While, we are all missing live fashion shows and events it is a credit to the fashion industry and designers that they have found solutions to our current restrictions. Certainly, London Fashion Week is the perfect example of how ingenuity and imagination can overcome obstacles. However bleak the current environment is it is up to us to celebrate fashion and support labels to ensure their survival. Equally important we should support our smaller independent fashion brands. Furthermore, we are seeing many labels branching out and making masks, purchasing these as gifts is a great way to support your favorite designers.

WEARING BURBERRY

CIAO FOR NOW J.ANDREW

BURBERRY, Christopher Kane, Erdem, Halpern, london fashion week, Molly Goddard, Roksanda, S/S 2021, Spring/Summer 2021

LONDON S/S 2021 SHINES A BIG SPOTLIGHT ON UNLIMITED IMAGINATION

<img decoding="async" src="https://www.jandrewspeaks.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/BFF09DD0-AECE-4C85-B7E3-A7A050DA5518-e1610410518718.jpeg" />