Vauxhall Fashion Scout SS 2010 Round-up – London Fashion Week
DAVID KOMA
Georgian-born designer David Koma, winner of the Vauxhall Fashion Scout Merit Award, showed a S/S 10 collection of body-con, 60s inspired dresses inspired by sculptures of Nikki de Saint-Phalle and organic shapes.
Combining a mosaic of bold colours – vivid orange, pink and green – with a monochrome black and white canvas, the focus was on the geometric shapes in contrasting colours. A variety of materials was also used: from leather to wool, silk to jersey, all of which was embellished with multi-coloured handmade glass jewellery. ‘The glass embellishment was a last-minute idea!’
When asked about his inspirations, David says: ‘Very often I just have a vision. A lot of people helped me since I graduated. My professor at Central Saint Martins, Louise Wilson, was also a great inspiration. Also Gemma Davis from Browns Focus, and Vauxhall Fashion Scout: so many amazing people!’
KOMAKINO
Federico Capalbo and Jin Kim, the two designers behind conceptual menswear label Komakino presented their S/S 10 collection with Vauxhall Fashion Scout. According to Federico, the collection revolves around symbolism and sub-cultural references. ‘We tried to expand the range of menswear, and introduce tailoring for the first time, as a natural evolution of our offering of street wear.’
The collection was almost all black, using leather, printed panels and fabric manipulations. ‘We always do black and white, that’s what we wear, we want to keep the tone minimal in order to focus on textures, with a touch of digital prints of purple tie dye.’
Latex socks and ripped jeans epitomised the idea of ‘rubber couture’, born from a collaboration with latex designer Atsuko Kudo. Another partner for the show was accessories designer Keko Hainswheeler, who created organic metal headpieces.
WILLIAM TEMPEST
Entitled ‘A View To A Kill’, William Tempest’s SS 2010 collection was inspired by Le Crazy Horse de Paris and Ian Fleming’s Bond novels filled with glamorous women. Before the model’s hit the catwalk they were told: ‘You are a seductive, powerful, provocative Bond girl.’ The sleek styling paid homage to the 1940s with bunny suits and bolero jackets and sleek hair with beautiful silhouettes, textures and great wearablitiy.
The colour palette was rich grey, black, coral, monochrome and metallic. The corals consisted of a peeled out bunny suit, sculptured and fitted mini dresses. Beautiful monochrome prints covered the swimwear, cute mini dresses and a stunning full length gown. The metallic’s signified eveningwear. Copper gowns with cut out details, asymmetric cuts, paneled construction and pewter detailed shoulders and a bubble-hemmed dress.
Tempest also ventured into the world of accessories with gorgeous oversized bags, a first for the designer.
KANGst
KANGst SS 2010 – A collection of juxtaposition inspired by Spanish culture with the ruffles and movement of flamenco dresses and the strong structure of bullfighters. Nature also influences the shapes and details of the fabrics with ruffles rippling down dresses like waterfalls, fabric folds and drapes on the body like flowers and dense beading on shoulders like waves falling on to boulders.
The colours were oranges with grey tones to detail and a green dress adding to the dimension. Key looks include a structured mini dress with cascading ruffles, a puffball dress with a structured cage over the top, a grey swimsuit with a heavily ruffled bolero and a dress with a wide ballooned skirt and grey ruffles falling down the shoulders. Hair was slicked back into a bun complimented by sharp burgundy eye make up.
ROMEO PIRES
60s fashion and art inspired the voluminous verging on clownesque Romeo Pires SS10 collection.
A monochrome palette rose to include multicoloured prisms before developing into a muted colour frenzy.
Romeo Pires’ collection began with black/white oversized shirts, capes and tops with exaggerated collars, cuffs and ties. The contrast of the black and white created a dramatic look with the draping turning the oversized into wearable elegance. Prisms of colour were injected into the collection adding pizzazz to the monochrome pieces. The collection soon developed into a muted colour frenzy of surrealist prints including apples, geometric shapes, twisted pop art and skeletal prints. A grey toned skeletal print on a white bellowing shirt succeeded in becoming one of the most beautiful pieces of the collection.
ZIAD GHANEM Interview
London’s ‘cult couturier’ Ziad Ghanem introduced his S/S 10 collection, named The Immoralist, for his ready-to-wear label Maiden Britain, with a capsule range of seven pieces for sponsor Firetrap. The collection, supporting the Mayor’s Fund, is inspired by Andre Gide’s novel The Immoralist, taking diverse references from Hollywood’s Golden Age to Pop Art, from fast food to London’s multi-cultural mix.
In an exclusive interview for F.TAPE, the designer talks about his inspirations, his collaborations and gives away insider’s secrets about his next collections.
Inspiration…
‘We tend to judge people quickly on the street. I try to create things based on the character that I find in London, France, my travels, the people I know. My models are people I met in clubs or on Facebook and who inspire me. My collection was also inspired by the 40’s Hollywood glamour era, when people wanted something happy. That was the time when Coca Cola turned from brown to red.’
The Mayor’s Fund…
‘The Mayor’s Fund helps children’s poverty in London, to create a better future for them, so they can become better people. I want to show people that we have choices; we can all follow our dreams, because I come from that society, I come from the ghetto, but I followed my dreams, not my nightmares.
Also, I wanted to do this capsule collection with Firetrap, to sell the clothes for a charity that can represent us. I am very grateful that the Mayor gave us his building to exhibit the collection. London is the centre of the world and the Mayor’s building is the centre of London, so that’s great support.‘
Vogue…
‘I have been very impressed by the support from Vogue. They understood the comedy behind my work. They shot a piece on one of my favourite models: Naomi Campbell. It is like Lady Gaga wearing one of my dresses, she is very on trend right now, and people were like ‘Oh my God, you dress Lady Gaga!’ so it’s good publicity.’
Recycling…
‘I love recycling, but recycling actually costs a lot of money. So I can’t do it as much as I want. There is not enough support from the fashion industry, which is more supportive of the use of fur and new textiles. I believe there is no need to create new fabrics, if you can work with whatever is around you, so I go back again to the story of the environment.
It was the same with Firetrap, I went to the factory and I asked: ‘What are you not using?’ and they replied ‘This is not good, it’s old, you could have any fabric you want.’ But I said ‘No. Give me everything.’ And there is one piece, that is made from 20 pairs of jeans!’
Politics…
‘I am very anti-political. I have been brought up in Lebanon, where politics are very drastic. I am not trying to convey messages. I am not trying to save the world. I am just trying to make comedy out of drama.’
Firetrap…
‘Firetrap have given me complete freedom, they have been very supportive, financially, emotionally, physically. I am very pleased with the result, so it was a wonderful collaboration. We did a few pieces that will be sold in auctions for the Mayor’s Fund in December, and the other pieces will be developed more to be sold and produced for Firetrap.’
Viktoria Modesta…
‘Viktoria Modesta is a singer and a model whom I met and I wanted her to model for me, for the finale, so she wore a white Couture dress made of denim. She inspired a lot of the collection as a person. I believe she has a great future.’
About immorality…
‘Immorality is what society defines immoral. What is immoral in Congo or Saudi Arabia is not what is immoral in the UK or the US. It depends what you base immorality on. The immoralist is someone who sheds away all these social rules and just listens to himself. I don’t think the people who wear my clothes are immoral but I don’t think being immoral is a bad thing, as long as you’re happy!’
Future projects and collections…
‘I want to work more on denim, on a bigger-scale, because it is a very practical and long-life fabric. And I always make sure there is comfort with my clothes, and denim is very adjustable with the body. Also I want to experience on new techniques, like metallic prints. So I am definitely using denim for my next season, and for my couture collection too. And my next couture collection will be inspired by Dita Von Teese, but I can’t say more!’ – Ziad Ghanem.
Vauxhall Fashion Scout – ONES TO WATCH
ADA ZANDITON
Ada Zanditon is a first class graduate from the London College of Fashion. Having completed internships with Alexander McQueen, Jonathon Saunders & Gareth Pugh she established her own innovative ethical fashion label. Ada continues to create her collections using organic and natural fabrics whilst implementing waste-reducing and energy-conscious methods.
Her SS10 collection ‘The Colony’ pays homage to the Honeybee. Blues, whites, red and oranges, with cut out hexagonal patterns, softly layered hexagons on dresses & tops, jumpsuits, and skirts. The honeycomb image is clear yet remains beautifully detailed in gold metal work of jewellery and accessories. Bold structures created with soft fabrics produced an elegant and wearable collection.
DEAN QUINN
Dean Quinn, Central Saint Martins graduate and winner of Womenswear Designer of the Year Award 2009 produced a breathtaking collection for SS10.
Inspired by Blade Runner, Dean aims to create pieces of a haute couture level, he is very much committed to a collection that is wearable and will prove a valuable investment within today’s fashion industry.
The structured pieces were carefully decorated with layered of glass beads creating definition and adding elegance to the futuristic tailoring. The black, white and grey collection was kept elegant by the styling of a beaded top with a simple chiffon skirt. The standout piece was the shirtdress, elegantly tailored and accentuated with a thick line of glass beads running down each arm. Breathtaking and exudes elegance!
HERMIONE DE PAULA
LAS VENUS: “AN UNCONSCIOUS ELEGANCE?” An extremely thought out collection inspired by the Roman Goddess Venus – with a twist.
A print specialist, Hermione de Paula says of her signature style ‘I incorporate prints that dissolve into the contours of the female form, with embellishments and my usual tongue in cheek themes’ and this was very true of her latest collection. The prints were intricate and feminine on a palette of pink, beige, soft grey, soft purples with reddish tones. Upon taking a closer look, the sheer silk shirts and tailored trousers revealed prints of the anatomy; a red blood heart with aortic valves and intestines.
The ensemble that appeared most well received was the aortic pump beige and red swimsuit with a neckpiece packed with soft blood red roses around the shoulders and neck.
MARKO MITANOVSKI
One of the most powerful and evocative catwalk shows, Marko Mitanovski showcased his “Lady Macbeth’ collection with theatrical styling. Giant antlers made out of hair were matched to the models own hair and pinned on to create pieces that looked like had grown straight out of the head. Whitened faces with heavy black eyeliner and jet-black eyebrows were oversized and extended on the face.
Violins played eerie and haunted versions of Nirvana songs with the power of the violins heightening the theatrical and Victorian inspirations.
The models hair and make up were completely befitting of the all but one pure black collection. The first look was a male model in boots, leather leggings, an exaggerated corset and oversized, thick PVC ruffled neck collar. The looks continued to be as dramatic with floor length ruffled skirts, corsets, leather finger nailed gloves, leggings with cuts outs and lace up details. However whilst the overall construction of the looks was extremely bold and loud, there was in fact so much detail to the individual pieces and a lot of wearability. A corseted satin jacket with defined shoulders and padded area that came out over the hips was laced and beaded beautifully with immaculate tailoring. The ruffled skirt that looked so dramatic was actually soft and pretty if styled differently.
Marko Mitanovski’s SS10 was by far one of the most exhilarating productions and a very exciting collection.
Vauxhall Fashion Scout - PRESENTATION
ALEXANDRA GROOVER
Whilst studying at Rhode Island School of Design, Alexandra Groover transferred to Central Saint Martins for a term and enjoyed it so much that she moved back to London after graduating to take on a placement with Alexander McQueen.
Her inspiration comes from natural sciences. ‘Last season it was shells and this season I started looking at fern fronds, I like the spiral shapes and enjoy translating their architectural silhouettes into three dimensional objects. I start out with the fabrics; work from my references and then place the sculptural pieces on the body to create my looks. ‘
Groover’s SS 2010 collection is entirely black. ‘I find colour to be a distraction. I want to focus on subtle textures and shapes. The details of the clothing are so subtle that I think it needs to be monochromatic and I just enjoy working with black. I think it looks fabulous on women.’
The intricacy of the collection is also a major factor of why she chose a presentation. ‘It is really important for my clothing because the details are so subtle it’s nice for people to be able to see them up close. To see things that you wouldn’t really get the chance to see on the catwalk. This season I wanted to do a film as I really enjoy taking fashion into other areas of fine arts. For me it’s about working with other creative people.’
The garments are minimalist chic, circles and translucent lightweight black organza echoing the feel of SS. A soft paneled organza visor, LBDs with a paneled hoods and sleeveless lycra cat suits with organza capes. Alexandra admitted that she is ‘obsessed’ with hooded garments and aims to explore them as key pieces of her collection as she evolves.
‘I’m going to stay in London. I really like it here, and I think it’s a great place for new designers to exhibit.’
COOPERATIVE DESIGNS
The inspiration for the SS10 Cooperative Designs collection was the 90th birthday of Bauhaus. The muse of the collection is Gunta Stolz who was the only woman ever to become a Master in the prestigious Bauhaus School during the art movement. It is a very feminine orientated collection celebrating the heroine.
A key part of the collection are the beautiful fabrications and this season wild silks, paper cotton and linen yarns were knitted and woven to produce unique fabrics more intricate and luxurious than previous collections.
The presentation saw clothing and jewellery displayed on mannequins and blocks on a Bauhaus chessboard floor. The colour palette mixes neutrals and monochromes with slightly muted and deeper colour tones together on more lightweight structured pieces. Bold stripes, layered garments, widely cut draped tops over fitted dresses showed for Cooperative Design that whilst ‘A/W is easier we have proved we can do a lot more.’
Guest designer Corrine Williamson used a mixture of manmade and natural materials to create the jewellery, often contrasting shapes and angles. Her favourite pieces were the necklaces where she collected materials and worked with new technologies to create sustainable pieces.
LOUISE AMSTRUP
Danish-born Louise Amstrup, who previously worked with the likes of Alexander McQueen and Jonathan Saunders, showed her S/S 10 collection as part of Vauxhall Fashion Scout, inspired by the simplicity of the reflections shown in broken mirrors and the idea of double-exposure. Louise explains that: ‘We used reflective fabrics to emphasise the concept. I am also very happy about the prints, it really captures the idea.’
She decided to show her collection in a presentation instead of a catwalk show this year. ‘The schedule is so tight this season with so many great designers back in London. So I decided to do a presentation for more flexibility, but also because it allows a different perspective, we used mirrors this time, and people can come to see the garments and experience the quality. I am very focused on the quality of my clothes. And I think it was the right time for me to do this and present my collection face to face.’
With thanks to Alizé Morand
