Distilled: Paris Fashion Week A/W '11

This is the last in the series.  Paris, following on from New York, London and Milan, is probably the most-hyped fashion week, with a record number of high-profile designers showing collections (and a lot of monotonous flicking through photographs on style.com for me).

Here are some Parisian picks, arranged by trend - I use the word 'trend' in the loosest possible terms, because I've just made most of them up.



all photos style.com



Row 1 - Anne Demeulemeester, Cacharel, Haider Ackerman

Row 2 - Chanel, Maison, Martin Margiela, Alexander McQueen

Row 3 - Jean Paul Gaultier, Miu Miu, Tsumori Chisato

Row 4 - Loewe, Louise Vuitton, Valentino

Row 5 - Carven, Jean-Charles de Castelbajac, Sonia Rykiel

Row 6 - Chloe, Christian Dior, Lanvin

YAY TRENDS

• Row 1 - Absolutes - Make outfit statements in one colour (or two) - emphasis is on texture and silhouette.
• Row 2 - Come together, fall apart - Deconstructed, zipped and ripped apart outfits.  I shouldn't love this because these are oriented towards the willowy of body, but I do anyway.
• Rpw 3 - Little old ladies - Pour talcum powder in your 'do, amp up the boxy silhouette and invest in a furry shopping trolley, as seen at Gaultier.
• Row 4 - Night porter - Leather trenches with very little little on underneath for the dominatrix vibe.  Christian Dior jokes optional.
• Row 5 - Plaid - pensive plaid at Carven, Playful plaid at Castelbajac and Sonia Rykiel - it's all good.
• Row 6 - Textures with pattern - wooly snakeskin at Chloe and flower print gazar fabric at Lanvin. 

NAY TRENDS

• None - though when it comes to Paris, I have rose-tinted specs.  Perhaps there was an overabundance of fur, but that seems to have been an overarching trend covering all four weeks.

What are your PFW picks?

Distilled: London Fashion Week A/W '11

Here's another extra super-duper, handy-dandy guide to Fashion week. Last one was New York, Milan will be posted in a few days. Here's some of my favourite looks, with a bit of trend prediction thrown in under the guise of journalistic integrity.

from l-r

Row 1 - Deep Red - Betty Jackson, John Rocha, Saloni

Row 2 - 70's Granny Patterns - Christopher Kane, Henry Holland, JW Anderson Woman

Row 3 - Twisted Brit Heritage - Burberry, Paul Smith, Pringle

Row 4 - Bright Pattern Clash - Jonathan Saunders, Lousie Gray, Mary Katrantzou

Row 5 - Grown-up Prints - David Koma, Erdem, Jonathan Saunders

Row 6 - Bonkers Tailoring - Jaeger, Jean Pierre Braganza, Krystof Strozyna

All pics from catwalking.com

YAY TRENDS

• Asymmetrical lapels - lapels as dresses, lapels as scarves, lapels as trousers.  We'll be wearing lapels as bikinis next - this can only be a good thing.
• Blue and green - the ultimate optical aquamarine colourpop.
• Heavy materials - I there's something I love, it's going out with he reassuring weight of a blanket around my shoulders (actually, that might be something I need to see a psychotherapist about).
• Sherlock Holmes coats - full length or cropped, as seen at Pringle.  All I need now is a tweed hat and a pipe.  I already have a sidekick called Dr. Watson.

NAY TRENDS

• No... Can't think of anything.

NOTES

Pics 4 and 5 - Who knew that Granny's blankets would be back in fashion - and I don't hate it...

Pic 6 - Paisley has finally been given it's due in JW Anderson's first womenswear collection.

Pic 8 - Paul Smith's collection was probably my favourite catwalk show thus far - there was not one thing that I didn't want to wear.  And the models!  Like tall, willowy versions of Daria .

Pic 18 - Off-kilter draping deserves to be all over the place come this Autumn

Distilled: New York Fashion Week A/W '11

Here's a handy-dandy pocket guide to New York Fashion Week - Favourite runway looks, trend predictions and the stuff that didn't go over so well.  I'll be doing one for London, Milan and Paris every week so if you like this, make sure to check back next Friday for more catwalk overanalysis.


All photos from Fashion Gone Rogue, except photo 3, from Getty Images



From left to right, per row

Tartan galore: 1 - Y3, 2 - Rag& Bone, 3 - Libertine

Slick monochromatic tailoring:  4 - Jason Wu, 5 - Michael Kors, 6 - DKNY

Print clash:  7 - Proenza Schouler, 8 - Rodarte, 9 - Preen

Left-field details:  10 - Jeremy Scott, 11 - Marc Jacobs, 12 - Prabal Gurung

70's trend:  13 - Diane Von Furstenberg, 14 - Marc by Marc Jacobs, 15 - Rodarte

Trends from New York for Autumn/Winter 2010/11

YAY TRENDS

• Red - and LOTS of it.
• Pattern clashes - intricate patterns based on maths/science (as seen on Preen with their uniform polyhedra prints)
• Polka dots - as at Marc Jacobs.
• Texture tastic - not only will we be mixing patterns, we'll be mixing textures as well.  As seen at Marc Jacobs, Proenza Schouler,
• Thigh-high split skirts - my legs say no, but my brain says YES!

NAY TRENDS

• Sheer tights - Is it just me or are they a bit, erm, Maggie Thatcher?
• Fur - on everything - on cuffs, on hats, skirts, everything.  I guarantee that someone will manufacture fur underpants and make a profit.  My personal stance on fur is pretty non-committal but the sheer amount of fur on the catwalks in NY seemed incredibly self-indulgent.  Some of the most original collections didn't use fur at all. 

NOTES

Pic 10 - Where would we be without Jeremy Scott?  The world would be a much duller place (and Katy Perry would have a yawning chasm in her wardrobe).  I think that his collections are best viewed on individual merits.  Example; this bikini/clear mac combo.  Not something I could ever pull off in real life (and the world breathes a sigh of relief) but pair the crystal-encrusted mac with some monochrome tailoring?  WIN.

Pic 11 - Marc Jacobs also works the clear clothing look, but this blouse is much more subtle.

Pic 15 - If you can hold a pair of knitting needles, you could easily knit this Rodarte jumper.  I wonder how much the retail will be?

What were your NYFW highlights and lowlights?

Licentiate Column 17/02/11 Colour Blocking: A Guide

Colour blocking is a little bit like nuclear fusion. We all have a vague idea of what it is, but only people with specialist knowledge can explain it coherently or know how to work it properly. Colour blocking isn't the driving force behind the most powerful explosive men has ever known, but still, if you make one wrong move, everything is very liable to blow up in your face.
This particular trend has been all over the catwalks and in shops for several seasons now, but it has been hovering around the fringes of decorating, graphic design, home interiors, visual merchandising and art for much, much longer. If someone wants to draw your eye to something, be it a window display or a bathroom wall, colour blocking is one of the most effective ways to do it.
And yet, it is damnably hard to explain in simple, linear terms. I've spent a solid week researching and trying to write synopses, but the only one-line answer to colour blocking that I can come up with is this: If you look like a Fruit Pastille ice pop, then you're doing it right.
Colour blocking should be easy. In it's most basic term, it's the wearing a few contrasting colours in one outfit. Yep, it really should be easy - but it isn't. It's the sartorial equivalent of a sixteen year old trying to unhook his girlfriends bra. The swaggering confidence as the task begins soon turns, first to frustration, then crushing disappointment, insecurity and finally, an unsatisfactory conclusion for everyone involved.
There are a hundred and one simple rules for working colour blocking like a pro, but I only get five hundred words per column. I've wasted two hundred of them already joking about how difficult it is, so I'll just give you the basics. This is the fruit of reading about a hundred articles and embarking on some terrible wardrobe experiments, one of which resulted me going shopping in town resembling a human rubiks cube.
1) Only wear two or three colours at any one time. See rubiks cube statement above.
2) Pretend that you're colour blind. Remember 'blue and green must never be seen'? Rejoice, for the restraining order between cerulean and emerald has been lifted. A detente has been reached and the good news is ringing out all over your wardrobe. Red and pink are similarly jarring bedfellows.
3) The Clash is more than just an band. Red with blue? Yes please! Purple and green? Don't mind if I do! Yellow and teal? Why, I'll have a double portion. Please sir, I want some more!
4) Patterns are not your friends. Red and green is fine, if a little festive. Red and green stripes are a no-no. You're not Bosco, but wear that combo and you'll be sent back in your box. Patterns are generally eye-catching anyway, so they tend to have an America's Next Top Model-worthy fight for attention with contrasting trends. Remember, colour blocking = blocks of colour. That means no patterns allowed. No exceptions.
5) Neutrals are a welcome relief. If your multi-tonal antics are on the verge of inducing seizure, break up the colour party by introducing a neutral shade. Grey works well with cool blues and greens, tan and beige colours can look unexpectedly striking with warm tones. It makes an on-trend twist to all the boring basics.
So now you know the rules. Go forth and block your colours like there's no tomorrow. And if you find yourself looking longingly at stripes, just think to yourself - what would Bosco do?

In context: Rene Gruau and John Galliano

I've blogged about Rene Gruau before and was delighted to see that John Galliano had sifted through the archive to draw inspiration from a man who helped to mould the Dior image with his illustrations throughout the 50's and 60's.

I have much love for Gruau's work but his books are all out of print and sell for serious money on eBay - the closest thing I have to a print is a card I received for my university graduation, which has lasted through several house moves and now has pride of place on my fridge.

Gruau's work is painterly, spontaneous, cheeky, seductive, inimitable and just a tiny bit risqué - all words that you could also use to describe Galliano's work.

Gruau'l illustrations for Dior

This illustration was used for Dior Cherie and was also a promotional image for the recent Gruau/Dior exhibition at Somerset house

It's great to see that Galliano hasn't used the clichéd 50's silhouettes that are being done to death.  His subversive eye tallies more with translating Gruau's often abstract paintmarks and translating them into dresses.  A Philip Treacy headpiece looks like a brush stroke and an exclamation point to top off an outfit.  A bow mutates into a shimmering tulle overlay on a ballgown.  A train folds and is tucked so it becomes a whole with a dress.  All the dresses have a fluidity that is synonymous with Gruau's work.  More brush strokes are transposed onto the skirts themselves.  Gruau's trademark love of opera gloves is evident.  And the make-up!  Ah, the make-up... No shading - just black, white and red.

What do you think of Galliano's couture?

My Personal Style Resolutions #1: Noisy Shoes

Our first blogger to talk about her personal style New Years Resolutions is Jane of Noisy Shoes.  Her blog is full of inspiring pictures, catwalk looks and her own incredibly cool textile designs.  Check out her blog or say hi to Jane on twitter!

This time last year I resolved to spend less time procrastinating on the internet. Actually, no that’s
a massive lie. I resolved to use the time procrastinated on the internet in a more pro-active way and
decided to start a blog, to record my procrastinating, as well as some thoughts and other things.
A year later and I am still avoiding work by lusting at things on the internet, but I digress. 2011
Resolutions...  Style resolutions are incredibly difficult, because it’s kind of like trying to predict how
I will feel in the future, but the lovely Sarah asked me to give it a go, so here’s what I got...

Back in September, I bookmarked these looks for SS11, so I guess I want to incorporate them into my
2011 look somehow...

1. Laser cutting – I’m obsessed with laser cutting at the moment, I really want to incorporate it
into my own work, but more importantly I want to wear it on my body!!! Philip Lim’s colour
palette for SS11 was really interesting too, I like the black,tan,blue combo.

3.1 Philip Lim

2. Summer Black – I’m so obsessed with black, but summer black can be a bit extreme. Looks like
these are a nice, summery way to wear my favourite staple. I love the sheer top & the distressed
detailing on the skirt.

BCBG

3. Shirts - I’ve been wearing shirts with increasing frequency for a little while now, they are fast becoming
another staple for me. I like the casual elegance, and the boyish element that they can bring to an
outfit. So more of those please!!! I am also having a bit of a Mexican-gangster style moment where
I keep buttoning the neck button and leaving the rest of them open...I don’t know why, I just can’t
stop doing it!!!

Paul Smith

4. Maxi-everything - I have recently embraced the maxi thing, and I resolve to wear more maxi things in 2011. I currently only own one maxi skirt so I will be on the hunt for new maxi things over the coming months.

Givenchy

5. Prints - Final resolution for 2011 – I resolve to wear more print on my body. I study printed textiles but I
am hopelessly devoted to block colour. Which is a bit silly really, it’s not very supportive of my own
endeavours!!! My only problem with this resolution is that while Erdem and multiple other designers
create amazing prints, the ones on the high street can be a bit crappy, and overwhelming when seen
on just about everyone. So maybe I should amend it to “prints and second hand”, as more than likely
I’l just try to source good prints second hand, as it’s pretty much the only way to make sure every
other bird around you isn’t wearing the same thing!

So, I think that’s it! I’ve been very good at keeping this year’s resolution (resolving to procrastinate
has to be the most inspired/stupidest thing I’ve done in a while). Hopefully 2011’s resolutions are as
easy to slip into!

Thanks to Sarah for inviting me to do a guest post, and for challenging me to think about
things in a way I probably wouldn’t have otherwise! I normally think about things here.
*Final thought: Seeing as this snow is clearly not going anywhere til the new year, for 2011 I resolve
to fully enjoy wearing normal shoes and appreciate ice-free ground every day!!!! I MISS MY SHOES!!!!!*

2010 Roundup - favourites, highlights and everything in between

It's that time again.  Sluggish bloggers, slowed down into a cosy Christmas chrysalis are sloughing off the excess of too many mince pies and slices of blue cheese and evaluating the year in order to burst into 2011 a beautiful blog butterfly.  Like the alliteration?  I wrote it just for you.  Here's my 2010 'best of' blog mixtape.

Blog Highlights:  I started this blog in March with the aim of sharing what I liked and meeting a few like-minded people.  In the space of a few short months, I've racked up readers from around the world, landed a fashion column, learned a hell of a lot about the fashion industry, joined the Vice Blogging Network, went to London Fashion Week, networked like a mad thing, was mentioned as one of Ireland's most influential bloggers and made some truly exceptional, hilarous and supportive friends.  All of this due to blogging aspersions.  So, to my readers, I'd like to say a massive THANK YOU!  You guys are the best.  Seeing all your comments really brightens up my day.

(source)

Click 'Read More' to, ehm, read more, look at nice pictures and watch some fashion films...

Holly Fulton S/S '11 at London Fashion Week

Something I forgot to add to the litany of woes detailed in the previous post - I somehow managed to lose ALL of my LFW notes in a pub in Dublin while meeting some fellow bloggers.  D'oh *smacks head*.

Luckily, the lovely Lorna had my notebook, so I received it today.  Here it is in my slightly greasy, oily palm (I accidentally put my hand in some wood varnish today... don't ask), complete with my list of LFW notes and all my careless scribblings, ready to be shaped and moulded into something coherent, which might not happen, because I am still whacked out on painkillers.

But perhaps being slightly stoned is no bad thing, especially when considering Holly Fulton's collection.  Don't get me wrong.  Hallucinogens are used in some religious ceremonies to commune with a higher power and her collection is operating on a higher plane. Or, to quote my favourite stoner Jeff Spicoli (Lebowski doesn't even get a look in), "Awesome, totally awesome! All right, Hamilton!"

I was lucky enough to have a good sift through Fulton's current season in The Topshop NEWGEN area and her stuff is amazing, appealing on a sensory level of colour and tactility that made me want to rip everything off the rails and sleep in a big ol' pile of Swarovski-studded fur clutches, acetate collars and snakeskin shift dresses.  Spring/Summer is no different.

Fulton has stayed true to her Art Deco leanings and has firmly established an identity that would make anyone worth their fashion chops know one of her pieces from a hundred paces.  Yet her clothing doesn't just look good in teeny catwalk pictures, it looks even better close up.



Last season, she introduced fur trimmings and this season she has progressed yet again on the trimming front.  This looks like raffia or maybe hair (or more fur, even.  If you know what it is, please let me know) and it's placed in a flirty way, horizontally across the hips, thighs and hem.  The lines of the clothing are very sixties resort, and remind me a bit of the film oldie Gidget, in which a oh-so-sassy teen goes to the beach with her family and learns to surf.



Oh, perforated leather.  Has it ever been done so well?  I ended up spending minutes poring over the patterns of perfectly popped out circles on several Fulton garments, so much so that I thought that I was going into a trance.  The best thing about looking at these dresses close up is realising that the patterns that Fulton uses aren't abstract at all but are very concrete things.  Last season it was the telephone that kept popping up in garments (a serious instrument of the technology and status obsessed 30's Deco elite).  This season it's the martini glass, as seen in the pic of the dress above, on the right.



That's not to say that there's no progression in terms of design, because it's evident that Fulton is thinking of what her next sartorial move might be - to stick or stray away from the Art Deco influence?  These dresses are beautiful, but remind me of the cartoonish motifs of JC de Castelbajac or the sparkly-sequinned goodness of Ashish, which is ironic when you consider that those two labels have pretty much stuck fast to the same design vision and ethos since Day 1.

What do you think of Ms Fulton?

Mixtapes @ The Glucksman - A closer look at Linder

This post has been a long time coming, and I certainly hope that I can do the subject justice, as I now schedule what must be the millionth post tonight before I head to London.



Last week I took a wander with my friend Hayret to the Glucksman Gallery, situated smack bang in the middle of a leafy enclave in the UCC campus grounds. Our target was the Mixtapes exhibition, which explores contemporary art through the work of artists who are heavily influenced by music.

It's fairly safe to assume that a majority of art is visual, and so the art involved is not so much involved with music itself as the visual aspects of music, like dancing, instruments, album covers and of course, the fashion that separates out followers of one musical tribe from another.  One of the things that drew me to punk as a young'un (and at a later stage, No Wave) was how different the clothing was to everyone elses.  It might seem like a shallow response, but that's because it is.  In my defense though, ask yourself, 'would Lady Gaga be half as interesting if she wore Clarks and sensible sack dresses instead of JC de Castelbajac and Thierry Mugler'?


Dancehall Danceoff from Sarah Doyle on Vimeo.

Sarah Doyle's artwork plays on a loop (I think her stuff will most definitely merit a much longer post when I have the time), zooming in and out on watercoloured ladies gyrating in tight denim, crop tops and bikinis to a tinny, merry-go-round sound.

The one artist that I came to see though, had her work displayed under glass at a small display table.  Here were a few works of Linder Sterling, an artist I knew from her simultaneously jarring and sexy collages from the late seventies to early eighties.  Like Cosi Fanni Tutti, but less obvious, or Duchamps with a decidedly feminist bent, Sterling succeeds where others have failed.  She manages to create a cohesive feminist statement, but remains a part of mainstream consciousness.  Her early work was concerned with music and her collages were used as covers for Buzzcocks singles, but today her work has been more broadly translated into fashion, with Richard Nicoll using her prints to form the basis of his A/W '09 collection.

Richard Nicoll's A/W '09 Collection.  Pics - style.com 

It isn't such a big jump from music to fashion and we can see that Sterling's work is easily applied to both.

Left - Sterling in 1981.  Right - Sterling's cover of i-D, October '09

Take the Punk Ladies series for example.  Sterling takes a photo and makes two different collages, the focus being on the new and different textures that are added to the clothes. 

The original photo

One of the resulting collages.

Want to see the other collage?  It's one in a series of three posters promoting the exhibition.  I've got one, which is tacked up safely on my fridge.  If you want to see it, maybe you should check out the exhibition or the Glucksman website (I know, I'm such a spoilsport).  Last I heard the posters were given away for free by patrons who mentioned the gallery's twitter feed, but this may not be the case anymore.  Free swag or no, it's still a must-see and Linder Sterling's work alone makes this well worth visiting.
The exhibition itself is well worth a visit and runs until October, should you want to spent a diverting afternoon learning, getting your fill of culture and generally having good, clean fun.

A massive roundup (with bonus giveaway section!)

I've been pretty much incommunicado due to travel and 'fat finger' syndrome from eating too many of my sister's delish cookies, cakes and brownies from The Hummingbird Bakery Cookbook.  That, and I'm spending the next week in the hometown, clearing out my old room and attending the excuse for drinking on the street that is this monstrosity.

So, here are a few things I missed in the past week or so.



The trailer for The Black Swan, starring Natalie Portman and a hell of a lot of Rodarte costumes.  It's got high fashion, psychological intrigue and slightly gross bird transmogrification going on, so something for everyone...



Speaking of birds, Cheap Monday have gone for an 'oil-on-water' look at Stockholm Fashion week.  I'm not a massive fan of the jeans on the catwalk, but the cuts are great and the tops are a perfect mix of sheer and slouchy.  Mostly, I just want to know where I can get those plazmoid boots.  Waterproof and I have to force myself to wear matching socks?  Excellent. (Fashion Gone Rogue)



New favourite editorials ; Josephine de la Baume gets sacrelicious for Oyster, German Vogue's massive triumvirate trend spread and Cintia Dicker having a modern West Side Story moment for Marie Claire France.



Moschino - one of my absolute, all-time, top 5 favourite labels, cross my heart and hope to die (exhale... phew) has collaborated with Gabriele Muccino on a short film, titled Senzo Tempo.  And it's only beautiful.



You can throw a load of blood diamonds at Naomi Campbell via Super Fashion Stars.  Unfortunately, it's just a flash game and not real life.


SUPER DUPER BONUS GIVEAWAY SECTION!!

Ok, less of that.  Typing in caps makes me feel like I've just climbed a hill.

1)  The lovely Ms LolaDee of Things I Fell in Love With Today is hosting a giveaway of her incredibly cute handmade accessories for her 300th commenter.  Just go to http://www.loladee.com/ and leave a comment.  It's that easy.

2) If you happen to be in Cork, the Lewis Glucksman Gallery is giving away free posters from the Mixtapes exhibition to all it's twitter followers today.  There's three designs - I really want to get a hand on the Linder Sterling punk ladies poster - don't suppose anyone wants to pick one up for me?

3) I'm a big fan of Nina Chakrabharti and her whimsical illustrations and have blogged about her amazing book, My Wonderful World of Fashion before.  You can win a signed illustration and a copy of the book just by displaying your best colouring efforts here.

P.S You can read my newest Licentiate column, only in The Cork Independent, out today!  It's about leggings - they're not trousers, so cover your shame.

No-one remembers Buster Keaton anymore...

I love this image of Keaton and Chaplin squaring off from Damian Blake's Deviant Art profile 

You'd be forgiven for assuming that Galliano's menswear show would focus on purposely shabby, frayed materials if you saw the flurry of twitpics before the show of whey faced Chaplin-alike models with curly hair and suspect mustaches.

Instead it seems more like a play on proportions (tight jacket/baggy trousers) that makes Chaplin the perfect fit (ahem) for the show.





However, when the tailoring and proportions turn more towards the square shoulders and starched collars, the models look more like Buster Keaton, with straw boaters and newsboy caps.



I wish more men dressed like this.  The world would be a much more interesting place if they did.

Watch video of the show here .
Runway photos from style.com

The best word in the world

Mamihlapinatapai - a look shared by two people with each wishing that the other will initiate something that both desire but which neither one wants to start.

For example, there is a definite mamihlapinatapai between myself and this €3,600 Moschino jacket.  I get the feeling it's only a matter of time before someone DIYs one of these bad boys.

L-R Photo by Tom Munro for Elle, Jacket and catwalk pic @ Net A Porter 

Cork Fashion Week Young Designer of the Year Award

Saturday evening was the night of the Young Designer of the Year Award and was the first major event to kick off Cork Fashion Week.

I had the good luck to interview four of the six finalists for the Cork Independent last week.  They were all nice as pie and very excited to be participating and, as I listened to them describing their inspiration and what they'd be working with, I started to get very excited indeed.  As the day neared I started to wonder how their pieces would look on the catwalk as opposed to the images in my mind, and wondered if I'd be disappointed.

Nope.  Not disappointed at all.  In fact, I'm kicking myself for even harbouring such thoughts in the first place.  Although all of the finalist's collections were excellent, for the sake of space (and my sanity because I'd probably end up writing a thesis) I'll stick to writing about my three favourites.



Laura Eliason - I could make a lorryload of puns about this American putting we Irish in the shade with her parasol heavy collection...  but I wont.  The parasol is a direct link to each of the outfits, as her main source of inspiration is a vintage umbrella that belonged to her grandmother.  Everything was suitably vintage-esque, with nude shades and crochet details.  The crochet!  How my heart breaks for a nice bit of crochet.  I really should have paid attention to my fifth class teacher when she was breaking out the crochet hooks instead of reading Sweet Valley High books.   As you can see, the shape of the dresses are relaxed and fluid.  I really wish I'd taken video footage because these photos really don't convey just how flouncy and flippy and flattering these pieces really are.



Marie Clair Foley
Foley's collection of dresses really have to be handled up close and personal in order to be properly appreciated.  The hand dyed material in particular was a great design feature (the bodice on the pink dress above, second from right, was incredibly well constructed.  I was staring at it so hard from my seat trying to see exactly where material was overlapped and folded that I almost forgot to take a snap).  The hand dyed material really cut through the stripes and gingham, giving it an unusual edge.  Also notable were the cut outs under the bust and around the back



And last but by no means least, my absolute favourite, the collection by Belinda Sullivan.  There's no two ways about it - she should be working for Prada.  While I wasn't too mad about the lime green accents (purely a personal thing), I was in love with everything else - the colours, the tailoring, the perfect balanced proportions, the textures; everything.

Her collection does seem very reminiscent of Prada.  Think 'ladylike with a twist'.  There's no way I could express how much I loved her looks in one paragraph, especially looks 1 and 4 above.  The burnt orange and tweedy brown colour combination of the dress with short sleeved coat with an amazing, puckered texture... To quote Rachel Zoe, I die.  And, of course, the the high-waisted sailor trousers had just the right amount of 'flip' at the cuffs - something that is sadly missing in many a pair of wide legged trousers.

Belinda won the competition - a well-deserved win.  I can only hope we'll see more of her and the other contestants in the future.

Ignore everything about these videos.

Ignore the odd stances and awkward porturing of the models.  God, don't you hate watching shows where the models have obviously been told 'look like you're having FUN' and they just end up lolloping awkwardly and shrugging at the end of the runway and then maybe doing a little halfhearted jump... "Er, what do we do now...  I know, I'll jump in the air for no reason and pray it turns out alright".

Ignore the baby doll dresses and strapless sweetheart necklines.
Ignore the candy colours.
Ignore the impromptu burlesque strip in the 2010 video (if you can).

But I DEFY you to ignore the 3D knits. Fam Irvoll is an irreverent genius, the bastard child of Minnie Mouse and JC de Castelbajac, who ran away with the circus and picked up some knitting needles after a food fight turned for the worse, leaving her unable to do any trapezework ever again and with an odd urge to knit her snack choices into jumpers and headbands.* Must... have... the liquorice allsort jumper... immediately.










*That never happened.  I made it up.  It would be pretty cool though, no?