Fashion Week is a rollercoaster, you duck and dive between the shows, between the real world and fashion, between show spaces, grabbing and chatting to everyone and anyone. Some of these folk you see but twice a year, perpetually promising to do more in the doldrums between fashion weeks. It was with one (well two) of these people I began my day with before Fam Irvoll. I barely knew these people other than for fashion week gossip and chats, having but fleeting visits since last season. Yet suddenly and from no where we found ourselves have a rather somber deep and meaningful chat en route to Fam Irvoll. Heartfelt, genuine and lovely but not where I'd envisaged my quite gossipy brain heading that morning. By the time we took our seats we all needed a wee bit of cheer, it was then the opening bars of Ghostbusters filled the room.
Fam Irvoll, is such a delightful, playful and cleverly witty brand that we were instantly swept back to a brighter place. I mean, it was after all the Ghostbusters soundtrack, failure to be uplifted by that is basically sign of poor moral fibre and a weak sense of humour in my mind (much like disliking penguins but that's a whole other story). The theme of ghosts and monsters played heavily within the show. From prints to applique skirts, bobbly eyed dress to personality laden backpacks the collection had it all.
I genuinely couldn't care about the practicalities and wearability of the pieces. I am not Fam Irvoll's market, I kind of wish I was but I'm not. I really do not care about if the pieces have limited wearability. We need people like them in the industry to make us smile, to lighten the load.
Not only that but we need to see people like Fam Irvoll deliver great product like that of the childrenswear we were treated to. A hooded puffa jacket with a jaunty bow, a princess coat in elephant grey complete with cute elephant head closure, worn by innocent and cheeky girls. We all lament that children grow up to fast, and this collection is certainly trying to prevent this from happening. In fact given the post show banter the opposite may well be about to happen, with so called grown ups clamouring for a piece just like them. Vauxhall Fashion Scout trawls the UK talent pool for people that will deliver great and beautiful ideas. Fam Irvoll clearly manage this, and successfully got not just the front row but all audience members smiling with their creations.
