Review: A La Mode Fashion Show (Sep 09)
The ‘A la mode’ International catwalk show, hosted by La Geneve North Events provided a platform for independent designers to showcase their collections; and coincided with the prestigious London Fashion Week. Held at the charming Charing Cross Hotel, on Friday 18th September, press, supporters, fashionistas and the public congregated for a less bourgeoisie affair to that of London’s affluent London Fashion week shows. On arrival we were given a leopard print goodie bag. , filled with business cards of designers, discount leaflets and a fashionista’s must have of a nifty contraption called a ‘zip holder’.
We then proceeded to be greeted with a glass of rose champagne and took a seat in the front row.
While waiting for the show to begin I began speaking to a loudly dressed and highly fashioned blogger, Leila Latif (newgateknocker.blogspot.com) and ‘BOLSHIE’ brand designer Rhiannon Jones who were weighed down by an array of bags filled with luxurious tasseled cushions and impressive goody bags galore! They informed me of their London Fashion Week adventure, which included the Caroline Charles show and Ioannis Dimitrousis’ show at the Royal Festival Hall. The atmosphere was chaotic for those involved, such as the organizers, designers and models, but everyone else seemed calm and curious about the show, and spoke among themselves until the show began at 8:30pm. Scottish designer Fiona De Wson opened the show with a collection of sparkly special occasion couture, HMH couture’s collection was a break away from the bright and heavily embellished trends presented by the designers. English designer Hanna Marie Hutchison’s rich and elegant evening gowns were a perfect choice for memorable occasions, with a more demure colour scheme of cream, greys and blues.
Designer Maureen Hutchinson of label MYR found inspiration from the 250th anniversary of Kew Gardens for her collection, this concept was transpired through the effervescent colour and use of ruffles. MYR presented a very wearable and vibrant collection that included luminous yellow skinny jeans and a purple and luminous bubble dress with pearl detailing.
The models were a nice mix of healthy women of different ages and race; one thing that was absent from this show was size zero. Maybe there was something in the air, as knitwear designer Mark Fast made an unconventional move at his show and casted three size 14 models, which caused three of his team to walk. This was refreshing to see, and I for one hope that beauty will be seen over bones within the fashion industry and encourages models to be healthy.
I addressed Maureen Hutchinson in regards to how she found industry as a black female designer, “my clothes speak before I do, and a lot of people are not aware of my colour. I’ve found that the fashion industry is hard in general, not just for black people. I make my clothes for everyone and I hope that come across in my collection”. The debate on the lack of black models used within fashion shows has been strongly confronted this year by PPQ’s London Fashion Week show, where they used all black models, which was done by Sophie Theallet in New York last year. The question in my mind is whether this was a one hit wonder, or a progressive event for the fashion industry.
The designer on everyone’s lips was Veronique B’s collection of stunning ethnic prints which were bang on trend, in bright colours, tulip and bubble shape skirts which were highly wearable. Veronique B’s collection was influenced by her ethnic background and African culture from the Democratic Republic of Congo, which is beautifully portrayed in her pieces. The key trends evident from this fashion show were bright colours, ethnic prints, embellishment of all kinds, asymmetric lines and ruffles, all elements that can be incorporated in any outfit, day or night!
