Burberry S/S 2012 Details Screenshot | Source: American Vogue.com

Legendary fashion writer and BoF contributing editor Colin McDowell has been attending and reviewing fashion shows for more than 30 years. Who better to give us the lowdown on one of the best London Fashion Weeks in recent memory?

LONDON, United Kingdom — Each season, despite challenges, London continues to raise the stakes, in terms of both creativity and, dare I say it, commercial potential. Here, I’ve assembled my top choices of London Fashion Week.

BURBERRY
We were all rather shocked at the colours that first came down the runway. “Is it Spring-Summer or Fall-Winter?” my neighbour on the sardine-packed benches asked. But within seconds winter green and maroon seemed not only the most natural colours in the world for Spring, but the only colours. The conviction and strength of what was Burberry creative director Christopher Bailey’s most powerful collection for a few seasons suddenly had the same sort of rightness that Christian Dior’s New Look collection did. Women were so convinced that they came out of the show desperately trying to lower their hemlines. At Burberry there was a version of that overwhelming sense of something not just totally right for now, but also presaging the future. I loved the shapes, textures and scale of just about everything — and people who know me are well aware of how rarely I say that about a collection. No wonder this chap is where he is — he is truly exceptional.

… Continue Reading

The new lace, detail | Source: Textile Talk

New Life for the Historic Art of Lace-Making (WSJ)
“Lace, suddenly, is everywhere. Looking nothing like your grandmother’s doilies, lace is the fabric of whole dresses and suits for summer, as well as next fall. Lace hasn’t been this popular since Queen Victoria sat on the throne.”

Click to Buy That Handbag in Vogue as Magazines Become E-Tailers (Bloomberg)
“Vogue and Elle have long influenced what clothes and handbags image-conscious consumers buy. Now, in a bid to reverse flagging sales and stay relevant, fashion magazines may sell the products they feature in their articles.”

LVMH signals continued pursuit of Hermès (FT)
“Mr Arnault’s presentation to shareholders repeatedly stressed the independence granted to brands acquired by LVMH, a thinly veiled reference to its ongoing bid to buy Hermès, the silk-tie and handbag maker that has so far rebuffed its approaches.”

American Apparel reports loss, sales decline for 2010 (LA Times)
“American Apparel Inc. said sales declined and it lost money in 2010, and it warned that several risk factors this year could force it to seek bankruptcy protection if business doesn’t improve.”

Erdem on His Floral Obsession, Tilda, H&M and Kate (Fashionista)
“There’s no question that fashion and technology are growing ever closer by the day, but Canadian-British-Turkish designer Erdem Moralioglu takes the concept of digital design a step further than most.”

And The ANDAM Winner Is… (Style.com)
“Turkish designer Hakaan Yildirim is the newest winner of ANDAM’s €220,000 prize… It was only last February, before his first London show, that English fashion scribes were wondering in print: ‘Who is Hakaan?’”

Erdem Moralioglu: A man for all seasons (Independent)
“His printing technique involves the designer playing around creatively on his computer for hours, digitally altering prints by blurring them or re-sizing them, painting over them and destroying them. ‘It’s always quite a lengthy, organic process and we never really know what the end result will be.’”

Price of luxury rises despite the recession (Telegraph)
“With the super-rich beginning to spend freely once more the prices of upmarket services and products have rallied for the first time since the financial crisis began.”

Japan Opens Doors to More Chinese Shoppers (WSJ)
“Swarms of Asian tourists disembark from a bus with tinted windows, snapping pictures and staring in awe at Japan’s capital city while a petite tour guide waving a flag shouts instructions—in Mandarin.”

Forever 21 Pursues Big-Store Branding (WSJ)
“Teens continue to swarm Forever 21′s piles of inexpensive, high-fashion-imitating party dresses and tank tops. But moving into cavernous spaces, like the 90,000-square-foot spot near 46th and Broadway, is forcing the chain into new categories… where its hold on consumers is less certain.”

Celebrating Canadians in Fashion at the Canadian High Commission in London

LONDON, United Kingdom — On recent trips home to Canada, much to my dismay, I have struggled to find local fashion stories to share on BoF. Yes, Canada has a history of superstar models, and occasionally there is a retailer like Brian Hill of Aritzia or a young designer like Rad Hourani who captures my attention, but for the most part, getting a good Canadian fashion story has proven to be a challenge.

As it turns out, I was looking in the wrong place the whole time. I missed the quiet Canadian fashion revolution happening in my own backyard, right here in London.

On Wednesday evening, James R. Wright, Canadian High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, and his charming wife Donna Thomson, together with their daughter Natalie, hosted an intimate dinner at their home to celebrate the great success that London-based Canadians are having in the global fashion industry. It was only by bringing all of us together in one room that the full force of London’s Canadian fashion mafia could be truly comprehended.

Let’s take stock, shall we? … Continue Reading

Erdem Autumn/ Winter 2010 | Source: Coutorture

Flower dressing: why Erdem is a winner (Times)
“Meet Erdem, candidate for the title of World’s Most Modest Designer — no, really — and, I can reveal today, winner of the first British Fashion Council andVogue Designer Fund… In the end, we decided that Erdem had it all: creativity, the potential for longevity and a well-thought-out strategy.”

The rise of Chinese luxury brands (CNN)
“Mainland Chinese tourists queue outside Chanel, clear the shelves at Louis Vuitton, and show off their latest purchases at Cartier, Gucci, or Ferragamo. They’re also buying designs of Chinese fashion label Shanghai Tang. Company CEO Raphael le Masne de Chermont told me ever since the Beijing Olympics in 2008, wealthy Chinese have been flocking to his stores.”

Al Fayed closes the door on Gulf advances for Harrods (Mail Online)
“Harrods’ owner Mohamed Al Fayed brought the shutters down on potential suitors after rebuffing the advances of a wealthy Gulf investor, thought to be Qatar Holdings. The iconic Knightsbridge retailer insisted it is ‘not for sale’, but would not confirm or deny that any bid talks had taken place.”

Ungaro boss offers ex-Valentino chief 75 percent stake in fashion house (NY Post)
“Asim Abdullah — a San Francisco-based software developer who bought Ungaro in 2005 despite knowing little about the industry — met with baby-faced fashion mogul Marzotto in recent weeks in a bid to unload a 75-percent stake in the label, according to sources close to the situation.”

British designers cause a stir at Vogue party (Telegraph)
“The pinch-us sensation began last year, when Sarah Brown threw her second reception in a row for London Fashion Week at No 10, … Now that they make beautifully crafted British products that the best stores in the world hang alongside Lanvin, Balmain, Céline and YSL, designer fashion is finally beginning to win respect and political recognition as a serious exporter.”