Aside from a whole host of fantastic hairstyles, our London Fashion Week experience was of course filled with a plethora of fabulous clothing. It was a day of contrasts: from more cosy casual stylings to sharper formal-esque wear. Creativity and outstanding expertise were on show for all to see: with presentations from some established names and quirky newcomers. Each of our hair looks drew inspiration from the concept each designer had created, and we would love to share these stories with you. With this in mind, here is a little insight into the workings of each outstanding designer we worked with at London Fashion Week.
Judy Wu
Who?
Raised in Shanghai, Judy has always had a creative mind and eye. Her passion for painting soon led her to find fashion, and make the move to London to expand her skills. Armed with a degree from the prestigious Central Saint Martins, she was welcomed with open arms by the likes of House of Holland, Jasmine Dem Milo and NETIGER. But in 2013, Judy stepped away from famous fashion houses to craft her own brand: the perfect balance of striking artistry and sensuous wearability.
The Concept
Taking heed from uncharted social and political events, Wu channelled her fear that life no longer evolves in a linear narrative into creating her AW17 Prism collection.
Resembling light refracting through a prism, Wu created structured pieces with vibrant colour panelling, folds and pleats — a disruptive aesthetic. Pairing contrasting colours such as amber and teal blue, with a multitude of different material finishes, Judy created a statement look evocative of dystopia.
The Hair
The Trevor Sorbie team paired a wet look and slick styling with KS Style Glossing Texture Creme, to further highlight the tamed sense of distortion.
Minki
Who?
Hailing from Hong Kong, Minki is also a Central Saint Martins school of fashion graduate. Making the move to London at the tender age of 17, Minki has built his iconic brand from the ground up, every season evolving his signature style and honing his outstanding skill. He creates clothes are designed for women of the city who are edgy and progressive but still enjoy the wonders of beauty and refinement. Minki looks to create wardrobes which “allow women to travel through different spaces while staying true to their aesthetic”.
The Concept
Inspired by the coming of age journey, Minki has a created a collection which looks to represent the feeling of accomplishment and power women feel when reaching their end goal: a balance of femininity, strength and sense of humour.
This season, the collection is evocative of a place and activity which allows for soul searching quite unlike any other. Taking textures, colours and patterns of the seaside and translating onto sleek silks and bold shirtings Minki looked to resemble the binary distinctions between the beauties of nature versus the brutality of city life.
The Hair
Working on wigs and using fake fringes using our Style Root Lift Spray Gel, Trevor Sorbie’s art team created a choppy short fringe style to frame bleached eyebrows.
Steven Tai
Steven Tai is a man in demand. Vancouver-born, Tai came over to the UK to study fashion design also at London’s Central St Martins. After finishing his BA, Steven worked within top design houses including Viktor & Rolf and Stella McCartney. Founding his own label in 2013, Tai gained attention from icon Yohji Yamamoto who granted him the infamous Chloe award. His following has since grown exponentially, becoming renowned for his uniquely awkward yet traditional stylings: the elegant tomboy.
The Concept
The humble sloth provides the muse for Steven’s AW17 collection. With the stand out print being created by 8 year Elifreda, who depicted sloths slumbering in a watercolour forest, the collection presents the ultimate clothing for lounging and languor.
With generously spacious pillow-like cuts, duvet derivative fabrics, and mattress style detailing each appended with comforting instructions: stay horizontal, snooze, procrastinate. They are manifestations of the collection’s mantra: sleep now, work later.
The Hair
The ultimate bed head. The Trevor Sorbie team adapted this carefree style to suit a range of hair types, including a lopsided ‘slept on’ afro Caribbean look, finished with Ultimate Oil.
Ekaterina
A woman exposed to a great many cultures, Ukraine-born Ekaterina Kukhareva grew up moving between her home country Denmark, Ukraine and later England, as a student.
Following studying in Canterbury, Ekaterina completed her BA in Textile Design at Central Saint Martin. Coming from a place known for its fashion talents, she soon got snapped up by Temperley London where she developed her passion for patterns and prints.
Each of her collections is based an one set of bespoke patterns and adapted to suit each client uniquely. Her made-to-measure service and outstanding knowledge has gained her collaborative opportunities with the likes of Anthropologie USA and also sparked many collaborations with many fantastic charities: a true pioneer of ethical fashion.
The Concept
Evocative of the Edwardian era, Eketerenia presents us with a vision of traditional femininity with a whimsical edge. Combining delicate floral patterning with understatedly bold colour palettes, the collection creates the feeling of sensual style in the most innocent way possible.
The flushed English rose reigns, harking back to times past with soft silhouettes and translucent layering. She shows us how beauty transcends age and life stage: highlighting the natural wonder that surrounds us, but that which we often overlook.
The Hair
Finely woven braids intertwine with naturally voluminous locks, given a light hold with our Moisture Mist. Trevor Sorbie’s team created a heritage look epitomising the true English rose.
Charli Cohen
Truly practising what she preaches, Charli Cohen balances her life as a prolific designer with her successful personal training business. Completing a degree in fashion at Kingston University, Charli combined her two passions at the age of 17 to create her own line of cutting-edge sports and casual wear.
With her finger forever on the pulse, Charli looks towards the ever growing fitness and wellness industry as well as our current societal structure for inspiration — highly self-aware and flawlessly functional.
The Concept
The ‘CC2S’ collection, is broadly inspired by the eponymous ‘millennial’: a label associated with confusion and contradiction and one which she understands herself. The journey begins with early-onset nostalgia, the disjointed memories of an analogue childhood, with the tech boom changing the world during our teens.
Putting a mirror to the digitalised, influencer-driven, internet culture models are aware of eyes being on them and react accordingly.
Designs reference back to playful 90’s silhouettes, where baggy jumpers, cargo pants, and graphic tees ruled. Using denim-esque colour palettes of nudes, greys and powder blue, Charli punctuates this haze of hue with stark black and white graphics and over-the-top gold embellishments. The collection perfectly illustrates our need for adolescent comfort but also the desire to stand out from the crowd: styles to be recognised by but still play to our primal pre-digitised needs.
The Hair
Using KeraStraight Titanium irons, the Trevor Sorbie team created relaxed waves with a soft casual finish.
It certainly was a fantastic day of style inspiration. To get an insider’s of LFW, take a look at our other posts here.