BOB | Never too late for the Best Of British fashion

A very late update on the Best Of British fashion showcase for A/W12 which Fal and I had the pleasure of attending quite a few weeks ago. Due to a host of pressing deadlines spot smack in the middle of April, I wasn't quite able to get down to this piece of work, regretfully. Thankfully, the images stayed fresh in my mind; indicative of the impression that these British designers have once again left on me.

Upon walking through those familiar wooden doors, the first rack already caught my eye with the plenitude of prints, symmetrical, animalistic, embellished or embroidered. As usual, the cosy arena was alive with the inspiration and magic brought to life by the foresight and creativity of these British designers. British fashion has often struck a chord within me, as much as the Italian couturiers, for their experimentalism and fearlessness.

Hermione de Paula, who worked with Christian Dior Couture, Alexander Mcqueen, John Galiano and Giles, is not new to the scene for she launched her ready to wear label in 2008. She takes floral prints and with a signature twist, turns them into unique pieces which resonate with playfulness and individuality, femininity and dynamism. Each collection is based on an unconventional female character, and A/W12 is no exception. This season's muse is Hermione's dark Lolita, Maguerite, a twisted English flower who is an unconventional collector of sorts whose dark passion lies in her menagerie. Hence the animalistic twist to the unique florals on each piece and the fascinating collection entitled Marguerite's Menagerie.

Some trivia for menagerie. Originating from 17th century France, the menagerie was what the aristocratic nobility owned to house their common and exotic animals and plants. It was considered the ultimate establishment of luxury and curiousity. One glance at Maguerite's Menagerie will evoke that same sense of decadence and inquisitiveness from the luxe fabrics and the unusual prints, with fish tails as petals and metal or ice as flowers. To add to the surrealism and decadence of the collection brought to life by monkeys, exotic birds, bejewelled bees, and glossy fish, Hermione used hues reminiscent of the Northern lights and precious stones. Vermillion, turquoise, magenta, burnished oranges, creamy peppermints and peach tones show themselves as perfect complements to the printed accents. 

Hermione de Paula's fashion credentials are outstanding, having acted as print consultant to Nicholas Kirkwood as well as collaborating with the same designer on the recent Keith Haring collection which launched the Nicolas Kirkwood flagship store in Mayfair, UK. She has also sown in other parts of Asia, Bangkok, South Korea and Tokyo as well as Saudi Arabia following a showcase at the SS/11 London Fashion Week installation at Liberty in London. We should definitely expect to see more of Hermione de Paula and her fascinating muses in the near future.

T'is the season of decandence for sure. St Erasmus is another designer label that is as decadent as it is artisanal. Hailing from South Africa, designer Pieter Louis Erasmus has culminated the influences from the textures of the African landscape with edgy London, stylish Paris and exotic India to create a cross cultural line of jewellery that reflects the multi-cultural influences that we embody in this multi-cultural globalised world. St Erasmus is unique for its 3D statement style that mixes traditional artisan techniques and skills with contemporary forms and materials.

A/W12 for Erasmus was inspired by Marie Antoinette, the 18th century French Queen who lived in a time of social change, who was independent and stylish yet restrained. Each handcrafted piece is a statement in itself, embellished and encrusted with Swarovski crystals and crochet in St Erasmus's trade mark Zari thread crochet. The collection transcends fads and whims of the trends and seasons and focuses instead on the wearable elegance and beauty of each statement piece for the independent and influential woman.

Fashion has always been about showcasing the woman with her mystique and beauty in clothes that are equally beautiful and intricately made. Amid the decadence and luxury, the woman, as recent fashion shows, also takes form as a modern and independent individual who is not only beautiful but with a mind of her own. Frivolous or not, fashion is a form of soft feminism that should be taken seriously.

♥,
Fir

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 had the pleasure of attending the BOB | Best of British Autumn/ Winter 2012 - 2013 Trunk Show held by Glamour Inc on Wednesday. In case you didn't know, the trunk show has helped to pave the way for emerging as well as established British designers, such as Mary Katrantzou and KTZ, who would like to enter Asian markets.

At the recent trunkshow, we saw a studio full of works by Antoni & Alison, Haizhen Wang, Hermione de Paula, Pazuki, Vivien Sheriff, Pauric Sweeney, Amishi and more. There were also some of the usual favourites that we saw at the last trunk show - Belle Sauvage, Boudicca and KTZ.

The trunk show was a first hand experience of what its really like to be a buyer/ merchandiser picking out labels that have market potential in Singapore. And the entry of new names and labels every year really attests to the growing fashion scene here. Consumers in Singapore are open to shopping and buying beyond the more established fashion houses like Chanel, Gucci and Prada, and this can only be a good thing.

The upcoming season proves to be as refreshing as Spring/Summer is, since we saw racks and racks of clothes with bright pops of colour. Another trend that will continue through Autumn/ Winter is that of prints. As our guide Rice clearly pointed out, London is going crazy over prints, and in my opinion, no one does prints like the British designers.

On a side note, I must say that it is impressive that British designers get so much support back home. I recently read up about the British Fashion Council, an ad hoc group that supports the British fashion industry actively. Their aim is to showcase British designers and develop London’s position as a major player in the international fashion arena. Besides working closely with UK's fashion colleges, the BFC also provides support schemes and resources to budding British designers. A few of their latest initiatives include NEWGEN an emerging designer initiative sponsored by Topshop and the Fashion Forward awards. Another way to get British fashion designers out there is through the help of big wigs such as Victoria Beckham, and newly minted BFC Young Style Ambassador, Alexa Chung.
It is nice to know that in the UK, the fashion industry is getting such tremendous support. This brings me to the question of whether Singapore will ever be ready to be a fashion capital. Perhaps someday, and perhaps, it would be good to follow in the footsteps of this fashion capital.

Stay tuned to the next few posts where Fir and myself will pick out some of our favourites from the trunk show.



♥,
Fal