Wed 13th February
It’s that time again – your Insta feeds are about to be clogged up with all things London Fashion Week. Whilst we prep ourselves for vigorous typing and subtle peacocking over the next five days, here’s some LFW mega moments we just can’t get out of our heads.
1. Alexander McQueen showers the crowds; SS98
McQueen is often regarded as the king of London Fashion Week. And rightly so. But the king of watersports? Well it seemed so for SS98. Aptly named ‘The Golden Shower’, American Express threatened to withdraw advertisement from the show due to the title’s sticky connotations. Although the collection was renamed, the final outcome was laden with fetish. Bondage bikinis in black latex walked alongside mini-skirts slashed at the buttock. And when it rained, you bet it poured. All white looks on Kate Moss and Jamie King became transparent, whilst Gisele Bündchen looked particularly poised whilst mascara ran down her cheek. It was pure sleaze, and we loved every minute of it. Make it rain girl, make it rain.
2. Antonio Berardi’s rockstar extravaganza; SS98
That same season, the fashion pack got the Victoria Line south of the river to the Brixton Academy for Antonio Berardi’s SS98 spectacle. Styled by mother of Ten, Sophia Neophitou, the show was hormonally rampant. Models moseyed through the infamous music venue in muted pink, slinky nighties coupled with suspenders and thigh high socks. Naomi and Kate walked too, the latter in a sequinned cowboy hat, yee-haw indeed.
3. Victoria Beckham is legs eleven at Maria Grachvogel; AW00
Our fave Spice Girl’s first foray into the fashion sphere was back in 2000, walking for Maria Grachvogel. Sporting a very Mel-C circa 1999 pixie cut, Beckham wore a sleeveless roll neck jumper in a mossy hue, coupled with Satan hot pants – before changing into a asymmetric floor length gown, lined in hot pink, slit at the thigh. Here at Ten, we love the sophisticated ladies of the Victoria Beckham universe, albeit we would die for some Kylie-approved VB hot pants for AW19.
4. Chalayan’s table-top spectacle; AW00
At first glance, the set for Hussein Chalayan’s AW00 showcase looks like an Ikea showroom, equipped with four chairs and a coffee table. It was in the show’s finale were the audience’s eyes really began to widen. Four models dressed in matching grey slip on dresses approached the set, removing the chair covers and putting them on as dresses. The magic didn’t stop there, with one final model stepping within the coffee table, lifting it onto her body, converting it into a skirt. This collection was an gateway into Chalayan’s technically ground-breaking career, going on to create dresses which fold into envelopes, and those which melt on the runway – whetting the fashion press’ appetite for all things Hussein. On the dawn of his 25th anniversary show this upcoming Monday, we’re crossing our fingers for more snazzy chair covers, and possibly some matching duvet sets?
5. Grace Jones dances on a limo at Philip Treacy; SS01
There is no-one madder for a mad hatter than Grace Jones. And her go to is Philip Treacy. Long-time friend and fan of the milliner, we wouldn’t be surprised if Jones has a specific Treacy creation for sleeping in. Talk about making an entrance in style, the songstress arrived at Treacy’s SS01 show on top of a limo, dressed in a sequinned black trench, paired with a gold Treacy top hat of course. Let’s just hope she wasn’t parked on a double yellow line.
6. Roland Mouret, cabaret-style; SS01
It was a case of Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret as Marc Almond performed at the Roland Mouret SS01 show. The Tainted Love singer soundtracked Mouret’s ode to the glamour of previous lifetimes, but with a contemporary twist. Sheer gowns are gathered to one side, creating voluminous silhouettes, appliquéd with enormous flowers of the same fabric. The show was sensual, yet sophisticated, a staple in Mouret’s decade spanning career.
7. Prince goes Crazy at Matthew Williamson; SS08
It seemed Prince got tired of raspberry berets back in 2008, and headed to the capital to catch a glimpse of the latest off-kilter trends. Taking a pitstop before his sold out O2 Arena show, the late musical icon asked Matthew Williamson himself if he could perform at his SS08 show, to shoot the video for his single named after his girlfriend Chelsea Rodgers. No rehearsal needed, the star’s impromptu performance down the runway left the fashion clan in complete awe. We imagine Prince had a similar reaction wherever he went, even running going down to Tesco when he was out of milk.
8. Here comes the bride aka Paris Hilton at Julien Macdonald; AW06
Remember that reality show Paris Hilton’s My New BFF? Did we miss a season where she became besties with our favourite Welsh-man Julien Macdonald? Long before the noughties sweetheart sauntered down the Philipp Plein runway in 2013, she closed Macdonald’s AW06 show in a body hugging wedding dress, paired with a netted veil. Could we like to see Paris with a ring on her finger sometime soon? Yes. Would we prefer The Simple Life to be rebooted? Of course.
9. Christopher Kane debuts with highlighter couture; SS07
A mere six months after graduating Central Saint Martins, Christopher Kane staged his first stand-alone show at London Fashion Week. The fashion pack licked their lips, prepared to devour the freshest meat on the roster. And did he deliver. A neon colour palette reminiscent of a pack of Stabilo highlighters, thirty three above-the-knee party dresses came down the runway. Some ribbed – the rest lined with lace, delicately applicated with beautiful thrills and ruffles. Almost all synched at the waist with silver-buckle belts; think the Alyx utility belt, but before Alyx ever existed. It was the shift in gears the fashions of 2006 needed, a radical beginning to Kane’s now intangible reign of London Fashion Week.
10. Richard Quinn gets a royal visit; AW18
From one queen to another, who could forget this time last year when Lizzy crashed the front row at Richard Quinn? Her majesty looked rather impressed by Quinn’s floral gimp suits, plonked front row next to fashion’s high priestess, Anna Wintour. There to present the Central Saint Martins graduate with the inaugural Queen Elizabeth II Award for British Design, it was the Queen’s first ever visit to London Fashion Week, I hope someone Sky plussed Coronation Street for her that evening. Is a royal appearance in a floor length Quinn puffer coat on the cards? Probably not. But we can definetly see the Queen in one those floral headscarf’s at her next trip to Ascot.
London Fashion Week takes place February 15th-19th, keep your eyes on Ten for your full fashion week fix
