Being made to wait until menswear day can be torture for me. Day after day at London Fashion Week, wonderful creative pieces flow past me, all brilliant and all out of my reach unless I decide on a major shift in lifestyle. So any glimpse of something, anything I could potentially add to my over stuffed wardrobe is welcomed with open arms.
Prophetik early, (ok ok 10.30) Sunday morning was one such delight. Now before I start can I just say I am an avid supporter of conservation, raising awareness of animals plight, and indeed collaboration between fashion and anything charitable. In light of this I learnt that the plural of rhino is rhino, and that the rate at which rhino are being poached has escalated to truly horrific levels due to ridiculous beliefs in the medicinal powers of rhino horn. This must stop now, or in less than fifteen years wild rhino will be extinct. I also learnt I never want to see a mutilated rhino carcass before breakfast again. So thank you Prophetik for bringing the issue to my attention, I guess I'll just have to man up regarding the second part.
Courtly Love was the title of the collection and we were transported to a time post revolution when the French aristocracy were clinging onto what they knew, for a joint menswear and womenswear collection. Dilapidated grandeur is a swift way to my heart. Miss Havisham tattered damask silks, some grubby knees and evocations of bygone glories are a quick way to inspire me. Maybe it's the thought of love lost, who knows? Whether a dip-dyed empire line gown the colour of encroaching mold or stunning threadbare dress that evoked images of a dramatic night time escape from the family chateau, this collection contained beautifully twisted elements of this. Unfortunately, whether it was through fabric selection, fabrication or construction as a whole the collection sailed too close to costume for me.
Still brimful of literal historical references the menswear by and large avoided a similar fate. There may be more longevity in such pieces of menswear than womens who knows? Maybe I was giddy with the thought of some clothes I could actually wear. Kilts almost risqué in their shortness, a chunky yet light knit over black militaristic jodhpurs, and cropped Westwood like jackets, all made their way down the catwalk and could quite easily find their way on to my wishlist. In particular the black and white check coat and waistcoat, working brilliantly over the high waisted trousers. This is before we even mention the magnificent embellished charcoal great. Which garnered knowing looks amongst the front row attendees. This was something covetable, and could quite easily be fought over once the collection hits the stores. I would happily have lifted it off the models shoulders right there and then, if I thought I could have gotten away with it.
Prophetik needs time and space to continue to grow, London Fashion Week and Vauxhall Fashion Scout are great incubators of talent so next season should be stronger. Bizarrely the menswear succeeded in it's rebirth of past times, where this caused the womenswear to flounder slightly. It's hard to win a battle on more than one front, but that doesn't mean it can't be done.
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