Somerset House becomes a Fashion Villa

The British Fashion Council (BFC) in London is celebrating the heritage of fashion at Somerset House and 180 The strand. The annual event will run through 18th to 23rd of September. Boris Johnson officially inaugurated the London Fashion Week (LFW) at the Somerset House on the 18th. With about 350 designers and more than 150 simultaneous exhibitions the place was a hub of fashion very well organised.

BFC New Generation sponsored by TOPSHOP that supports new talent, introduced 17 designers at Somerset this season. Mark Fast, Danielle Scutt brought in new concepts at the Catwalk with Craig Lawrence, Sykes bringing in pręt a porter at the exhibition to name a few.

Creating a woman of substance

This season saw a range of collections by renowned names like Burberry Prorsum, Unique, Ashish Gupta, Osman to name a few.

Osmans’s woman of substance was showcased in razor sharp tailoring, A line dresses, cropped jackets in wool and boiled cashmere. High waited trousers were inspired by the “Salwar.” Short cocktail dresses in crepe jersey, column gowns in midnight blue, teal ice blue and dove grey formed the crust of his collection. Caterina Zangrando popularly known for “Caterina for Manish Arora” line of jewellery showcased her jewellery collection with gemstones and Swarovskis to go with that perfect outfit designed for the Caterina woman.

Fashion meets Creativity

Colour palettes included green, grey, navy and khaki combined with mustard, teal and black. One shoulder tops with shorts, comfortable blanket coats, short dresses enhancing the beauty of a woman hourglass figure were seen at the Spanish designer Emilio De La Morena’s collection. Swarovski was a key element.

Turkish Designer Bora Aksu’s collection creatively combined white, beige, golden and black. Girlish designs, floral prints, stylish jackets, long gowns, cashmere knit leggings with sequin embellishments, lace trousers formed the crust of his originality. The collection was very wearable. Posh fabrics like silk organza, duchess satins were used.

Fashion is Evolving

Since 16 century to now fashion has evolved. With Buckingham Palace being opened for visiting in the same month a remarkable comparison between the historical past to the dynamic present could be drawn. The Queen's dresses in crepe, silk, satin, chiffon with embroidery of pearls, beads and sequins mark the sensousness and sensitivity of a women. The use of similar fabrics, colors and gemstones are ideally opulent in modern day attire and fashion.

Overall Impressions

The shows were overall very well organised and promoting future business. Lighting at the catwalk was just appropriate making it comfortable for guests. VIP and Press lounges were easily accessible. Tony and Guy, The Daily, Mac and Chambord provided non stop services to guests at the lounges. The venue was easy to locate with hotel accommodation easily available in the vicinity. Café and Bars inside were easily approachable. A five star hotel venue however in the near future would add a silver lining to the already acclaimed event.