BOB | Best of British Favourites

There were so many designers at the BOB | Best of British Trunk Show but the clear favourite for me was Antoni & Alison. From the minute I set eyes on this three piece suit dress, I was enraptured by the sheer genius of their collection. Using the dress as a blank canvas, each dress has been sketched, drawn on and collaged into complex artwork sizes. The collection captures what we love to do best during our primary school art class - collaging. Using a mixed medium of felt tipped pens, cardboard, cellophane,  bin- bags, plastic and various shaped stickers, glued glitter, felt twigs, biscuits and a brown paper bag juxtaposed with stapled tweed and draped taffetas, brocades enhanced with sequins and feathers on spots of paper, these dresses require little or no fashion accompaniments.

The collection, which is aptly titled 'Models Walking Up and Down in Dresses', captures a raw idea in it's simplest and smallest form; and just like that a dress has been transformed into a work of art. What I like best is Antoni Burakowski and Alison Roberts' ability to capture the movement of a certain 'medium'. The superimposed shadow and life-like texture of the medium really do give the otherwise simple flat dress a sort of 3D like quality.

Coming in a close second is BOUDICCA, helmed by London based design duo Zowie Braach and Brian Kirkby. Since BOUDICCA's inception was in 1997, the brand come a long way, becoming the first Independent British fashion house to be officially invited to become a guest member of Haute Couture in Paris. This is truly an incredible recognition for BOUDICCA's work as its designers develop and hone their skills as true tailors and designers on a couture level. It comes as no surprise to me that BOUDICCA was extended such a great invitation. The tailoring in BOUDICCA's latest collection is truly immaculate. I guess these orange and black pieces speak for themselves. I'm also loving this white dress - the choice of fabric is gorgeous with tiny daisy-like flowers dotting the entire dress.

I'm a sucker for clutches and I find myself using them 90% of the time, so Amishi's collection totally won me over. Amishi means 'pure' in the ancient language of Sanskrit, and the pieces truly embody the pure beauty.

These hard-covered clutch come in brightly coloured and bold fabrics. They also come with a large precious stone clasp which is absolutely desirable and luxurious.

Bracher Emden is another label that carries drool-worthy bags. The British accessories label which embraces all things opulent and glamorous, celebrates its tenth anniversary this season. These unique and eye-catching bags come in exciting shapes and intricate designs such as this angular black clutch, and are certainly fashion statements in themselves.

Photos by thefword. Photos of Glamour Inc by Richard Chen.

♥,
Fal

BOB | Best of British Trunk Show

Fir and I visited the BOB | Best of British Trunk Show on Saturday. Held by Glamour Inc., the Trunk Show gave buyers and the press a chance to view brands that were fresh from the runways of London Fashion Week. This event which is in the form of a trunk show/ exhibition gives British designers which have made their mark in the UK a chance to showcase their work to the South East Asian region.



Rice, our guide around the exhibition was kind enough to give us an introduction to the brands featured this year, which included: Belle Sauvage, Hermione De Paula, Boudicca, Lee Klabin, KTZ Kokon ToZai, Lee Lapthorn, Pazuki, Tim Soar, Vassilisa, Micquella, Atelier, George Angelopoulous, Alexia, Jenny Parkham and more.

According to Rice, brands are selected according to the strongest and most influential emerging trends. This year, British designers with two opposing aesthetic directions were chosen - one remaining true to Britain's roots of tailoring and structure, and the other being experimental.

Fir was especially enamoured by Tim Soar's collection which was inspired by menswear, while I fell in love with Bell Sauvage's dresses with digital prints which were very contemporary.






The accessories at the Trunk Show were gorgeous too. One of the highlights was George Angelopolous' bags and jewelry.





The scarves from Alexia gave the illusion of layering as they were made from several different fabrics. In addition, these scarves had a unique touch to them, as they were embellished with sequins, tassels and chains.


Another brand that was featured was Jenny Parkham, which carried jewelry that was apparently a favorite with the Duchess of Cambridge.








Fir and I also liked Cor Sine Labe Doli, which gave a new life to accessories by adding a touch of ceramic to it.

 As it is probably impossible to feature all of our favorite brands from the Trunk Show in one post (trust me, it would be as long as a thesis), we will be bringing to you the designers and brands that we fell in love with at the Trunk Show over the course of this week.

Remember to come back and check this space!





♥,
Fal