N.O.A

As you can probably tell, I’m a sucker for all things fantastical when it comes to fashion. I like designers to push boundaries and sew in a little humour, and that’s exactly what you get with Sibling. Their spring/summer 2013 collection, was a little lighter and more wearable, than their previous autumn/winter outfit, but they still kept to their usual rebellious nature.

Joe Bates, Sid Bryan and Cozette McCreery, the trio behind the brand, state that they like to have fun with knit, and who wouldn’t be having fun in a pink lace gimp mask?  The colour’s kept to white, black, pinks and fluro yellows, as not to distract from the details. And that’s what makes this brand so exciting, they may give us Minny Mouse pom-pom ears, sequins and sparkling knickers, but the details involved with each piece show a craftsmanship that’s refreshing as well as well-practiced.

Designer Rira Sugawara’s fourth collection was entitled Moving Print Bodies. It was strong, edgy and overtly sexy. Add the words peplum, checkered and body-suit, and you probably have a good idea of what walked down the catwalk.

Jackets were cinched at the waist by large patent black belts that gave off a samurai sensibility. Rightly so, as the designer had used Japanese typical icons Fujin (God of Wind), Raijin (God of Thunder) and Ryujin (God of the Dragon) as inspirations for her collaged prints and then paired them with checker patterns to highlight the relationship between body and print. A little confused? Maybe, but the overall theme that ran through the entire collection was heightened by her use of the python skin print, as it pushed the outfits further into the dark side of fashion.

Rira Sugawara showed great versatility, as there was a huge range of colours and silhouettes presented and she’s obviously still a fan of the peplum. Although I was hoping it be forgotten for spring/summer 2013. The collection may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but it made me want to listen to dark techno and rave around in one of those skinny cat-suits. I might even paint checkers on my face next time I go dancing. Take a look at the collection below.

I especially loved the beauty that I saw. Again dark and edgy, but still holding on to its femininity. Designed by Lan Nguyen, all emphasis was on the eyes, which were coloured with black liner in angular shapes, giving each model its fierce glance. The cheeks were flushed with dagger like motions to contour the face in bronzed hues.

I have to admit that I really do love going to graduate shows and presentations. They are not always the most written about, but graduate collections are more about craft and creativity than practicality and commercialism, which in my eyes makes them a little special. Vauxhall Fashion Scout searched for the best graduates from over 300 collections shown at Graduate Fashion Week in June, and selected from the UK’s leading universities including Central Saint Martins, London College of Fashion, Westminster University, Royal Acadamy of Art and Bath Spa.

There was a fabulous array of talent at the show, with designers from all different fashion disciplines. Shengwei Wang’s knitwear creations were a favourite of mine and it was obvious that Serena Gili’s skirts were causing a stir.

I spoke with Charlotte Helyar, who has just finished her MA from Central Saint Martins. “I specialise in screen printing, and I’m really inspired by animal graphics and traditional processes, so that was the starting point. I looked at 80′s album artwork, early i-D Magazine and Riot Grrrl fanzines.” Although this was her inspiration, the young Scottish designer took her imagery from 17th Century portraits and made them abstract through her means of collaging, making her own fanzine. Her choice of silhouette, reflects the idea of a blank canvas, and the finished garments look minimalistic, unique and thought-provoking. “They became almost clinical, in the end, and I like how that plays with the overly feminine imagery. It offsets it nicely, as there almost boyish in shape.”

I also caught up with Aisling Farrell at the presentation, who had utilised a rather unlikely material. Another Central Saint Martins graduate, Aisling stated that her initial inspiration was static electricity. “I started off using clear PVC, and I realised it reacted with thread, and sometimes it would make fabric do weird things, and so I thought I would harness that. So I started experimenting with different fabrics.” Other fabrics and materials Aisling used were chiffon, feathers and polystyrene balls. Her absence of colour palette was intentional she said. Having manipulated strong fabrics and materials, she had wanted to keep the colours to a minimal; these strong garments would have been oversaturated if colour was used in the wrong way. “When it came down to it, I was so drawn to everything that was white, because I had been avoiding colour for so long, and I think it really enhances the textural sensation of everything.”

Shengwei Wang (Central Saint Martins) & Aisling Farrell (Central Saint Martins)