Let's Talk London

London is all about a certain street attitude that never tries too hard. After leaving those glamorous streets of New York, we're taken into a realm of urban London, where florals reign supreme, transparency is ALWAYS an option, and sneakers are the shoe of choice. London is one of my favourite cities. I wrote a blog post about how much I love it (see here). It's a city of fashion icons like Kate Moss, Cara Delevingne, and Victoria Beckham. It's where rock n' roll was born and the youth quake of the 1960s surfaced. Brits are the epitome of cool, but not in the same way as the Parisians. They're often a little grungier and less put together. Sometimes, they capture a certain sophistication without even trying, and at others, they're a hot mess. During Fashion Week, there was a blend of both with edgier collections by Tom Ford, Topshop Unique, and Osman, and more feminine ones by Erdem, Christopher Kane, and Antonio Berardi. Pick your poison. Here is mine.

BURBERRY PRORSUM

Chrispher Bailey does it again with renewed forms of the classic trench and a selection of looks inspired by "The Birds and the Bees". Imagine a combination of floral prints and feathers and ruched or tiered tulle dresses with cropped denim jackets. It was London to the T. The girls walked down the runway in the new shoe of the moment: the sneaker. Bailey proved that a sneaker is not necessarily for sporty girls alone, but for those with a penchant for flirty dresses as well. A sash at the waist was the signature item in many of the looks and added some flavour to the collection. Perfect for that playful London girl who doesn't believe in rules, but simply wants to feel comfortable and chic simultaneously. It felt like Burberry with a modern flair inspired by top model, Cara Delevingne.

Favourite Look: 44

Jourdan Dunn rocked this look like no other. That cropped purple jacket was a unique accent that only enhanced the sheer pastel pink dress, creating the perfect juxtaposition of sporty and chic.

FELDER FELDER

Felder Felder was a little edgier than Burberry this season with metallic skirts and coloured leather sets. Inspired by a 1960s aesthetic, the collection felt very a propos with the current mindset of today's youth, eager to revive the rock n' roll era. A mix of crop tops and animal printed blouses dominated the runways, giving it a bolder touch. The cowboy boots hinted at the possibility of a new trend emerging, but who knows whether that one will grab. Fringe was another popular look at London Fashion Week. I'm sensing a country girl theme with a bit of a bad girl streak. What do you think?

Favourite Look: 11

This look just oozes cool vibes. From the round sunglasses to the fringe leather jacket to the leopard print high-waisted turquoise pants, I'm dying for this look. It screams "don't mess with me" and that's a message I definitely concur with.

JULIEN MACDONALD

Julien MacDonald was all about the bold prints this season. He may have presented classic work appropriate dresses, but each one had a unique design that gave them that wow factor. Once again, transparency was a dominant theme in all shapes and forms, adding illusion to the various looks. There were geometric shapes to tease the eye and abstract floral prints. A surprising element in the collection was the insertion of frills on some dresses and one-piece swimwear. Between the frills and the lace, the collection was very feminine and sensual as a whole. It all came to a close with an intricate white wedding dress that left us oohing and ahing. It was a lovely way to end the show.

Favourite Look: 18

This baby doll dress was my favourite because of the unique details at the top. I love that strong sense of feminine innocence that it evokes and it makes me think of happy little girls who haven't yet faced the woes of real life.

DAVID KOMA

David Koma is always a favourite of mine during London Fashion Week because he consistently combines everything that I love in one collection. With pretty shorts sets, asymmetrical hems, and leather bits, it was everything I could ever want in a wardrobe and more. A mix of white and blue with a bright yellow hue made me nostalgic for spring and those warmer days in the sun. Koma played with transparency and cutouts throughout the collection, giving it more sex appeal, while maintaining its classy feminine aura.

Favourite Look: 8
As a lover of all things black and white, this was the look I'd most love to wear. Add some asymmetry and a crop and I am sold.

TOM FORD
Tom Ford felt very Hedi Slimane for Saint Laurent with this rock n' roll collection that had us all feeling nostalgic. In this collection, the 60s met the 70s and rocked out together in sexy minis and shiny wide legged pants. Beads were placed in precarious positions on a number of dresses that gave the looks a hint of danger and of course, leather played a large roll as well. Fringe made an appearance and those notorious cutouts, because it wouldn't be rock n' roll without fringe. The hair was very "I woke up like this" a la Joan Jett just getting out of bed. My favourite part? The shoes. Can I have all of them please?

Favourite Look:19
This was a surprise look in the collection and possibly, one of the more tame ones. The cutouts on this LWD gave it that extra edge and the shoes were the perfect finishing touch to make it truly rock n' roll.

All images taken from Style.com.

What do you think of these collections? Which was your favourite from London Fashion Week?

Ponder It,

Bella