‘Porcelain’ by Dan The Scout. Inspired by Raf Simons and Maximo Park. A random thought on Wednesday 29th of September at 9:47pm.

This hasty image does not do justice to the ethereal quality of the heavy carved sculptures created by German artist Philip Wiegard for the Spring Summer defilé of Meadham Kirchhoff, held at the University of Westminster for London Fashion Week on Monday morning.

London designers Benjamin Kirchhoff and Edward Meadham presented one of the strongest collections this season – their unique deconstructed aesthetic offering up a modern and feminine mix of utilitarian structure with wistfully draped shirting, silks and jerseys in inky navy, black and soft citrus pastels.

Proportions and silhouette were examined with a deft and artful touch, with light fabrics bunching and clinging to the shoulder, waist or bust for easy volume and without the forced drama that harbours behind the work of many designers today. Trousers came with a demi-skirt, dissected at the knee, or with an athletic, subtle jodhpur effect in panelled cottons or soft linen.

Stiff boxy tee shirts in metallic glitter pink, bronze and black were an injection of armour, and sheer dresses in spidery lace, polka dotted gauze, and bedecked in velvet bows offered lightness and movement.

The whole presentation was underwritten by an immediately striking flat shoe – a patent brogue with velvet laces. Mediocre non? Quite the opposite in fact, when heeled with the spiky, ornate electroplated resin clusters created by Sydney jewellery designer Jordan Askill, based on a repetition of his swooping swallow necklace.

To seal the circle on this holistic, collaborative approach to fashion that I truly appreciate, I found the invitation to the show to be an enticing and beautiful artwork in itself, and a complement to the feminine yet razor sharp collection. Embossed on the cover was french artist Louise Bourgeois’ quote:

“My knives are like a tongue. I love you. I hate you.”

Sinfully poetic.

It is not often that I am faced with a creative event or show that draws the audience in and saturates them with a feeling, a vibe, or an all-encompassing aesthetic like I was on Tuesday for Nasir Mazhar’s underground presentation at Somerset House for London Fashion Week.

Descending the stairs into the sandstone basement, the first hint of action was a thumping soundtrack of heavy R&B tunes with an empty corridor of flaring spotlights. Walking through we were greeted with oiled, bronzed bodies in the skimpiest of swimwear, all the better to showcase Nasir’s eclectic millinery – a playful selection including a shiny chrome ‘nut’, a claw-like helmet with blonde plait attached, a giant doll head and a pink checked bow.

There was not a wealth of different styles, merely a careful selection of unique pieces that all lent their own twist to this sexually-charged display of human flesh and glossy kitsch. Expect to see these beauties grace the pages of Nicola Formichetti’s editorials in the coming months, and put to good use by his lovely assistant Anna Trevelyan, who styled the presentation.

Millinery just got pimped.

All photos by Dan The Scout

I was privileged to be a part of the stunning presentation of Katie Eary’s Spring Summer 2010 collection at the MAN show on the final day of London Fashion Week. After months of hard work and weeks of late nights before, Katie’s collection went down with rapturous applause and a ‘whooping’ audience, as she opened the MAN show with her twelve strong menswear looks.

The collection was inspired by the novel ‘Naked Lunch’ by William Burroughs, a dark tale of human decay and addiction, and this played out in a parade that stripped the boys bare and laid their organs out for the flies. Rich gold knitwear, striped furs, denim jodhpurs and patent shorts were just a few of the embellished yet masculine styles that Katie playfully explored.

It is a collection that I feel so personally involved with that I would never attempt to review it, but safe to say it is one that I love very much and will always treasure. It was really a wonderful experience working with Katie’s crew – Sergio, William, Dean, Gemma, James, Robbie, Li, Pablo, Julia, Mairi, Veronica, Chloe, Steve, Kim, Gina, and all others I may have forgotten.

Keeping it real in an unreal world.

On display at the Portico Rooms of Somerset House, these neo-gothic industrial-strength cage heels of Rodarte by Nicholas Kirkwood speak for themselves with dark and aggressive undertones. Subtly hard. Hardly subtle.

© Photo by Dan The Scout