What LFW brings to our in-house Design Team

ith London Fashion Week coming to an end we wanted to share with you, which shows have inspired our design team this Fall 2020. There is always a buzz about LFW, a City that doesn’t necessarily house the most historic fashion brands compared with Paris and Italy, but which oozes creativity and ambition.

London always offers a variety of design proposals, individuality is at the forefront of many of the designer brands including JW Anderson, Simone Rocha and Christopher Kane. In comparison we have brands such as Victoria Beckham and Roksanda who have a distinctive signature.

There was hype this season for the new Burberry show, now being headed up by Riccardo Tisci, he mentioned “the culture of Britishness,” as a reference point especially while developing the iconic Burberry check.

This is a good place to start for where our in-house design team sources inspiration. The team love nothing more but to delve into fabric developments working directly with the mills or textile artisans. Fabrication is the catalyst for any design, as you know. Victoria Beckham’s show was relatable with her use of English tweed Crombie-style overcoats, paired back with tonally matching skirts or culottes. Giving the appearance of a new kind of suit. What our team admires most is not grand concepts but garments that will last, which are chic yet timeless.

From a silhouette point of view, we marvel at Emilia Wickstead’s hyper-old-school femininity, all swooning curves and caressing folds. The team work directly with creative patterncutters so understand the process behind sketch to realisation, the beauty of seeing a 2D sketch come to life in a 3D form. Rejina Pyo’s collection is another one which featured interesting new shapes, with attention paid to necklines, oversized patch pockets and epaulettes, details which resonate with our designers.

One show that we have to mention is Petar Petrov from Vienna, showing for the first time here in London, a City he identifies with. His design approach is mature suiting and fluid dresses – a knack with which he’s quietly built a solid business with an international reach. Again, it’s his attention to dressmaking drape and sartorial techniques that draws us in.

Lastly, J.W Anderson’s show was full of experimental designs, he played around with sleeves a nod to the Edwardian puffed shoulder, generous oversized collars and bubbled hems. There were fabric contrasts from Donegal tweed to camel hair. Fashion and design don’t always have to be serious, that is why it is refreshing to see collections such as these. What Anderson has become known for is bringing new forms and ideas within a recognisable framework.

Studio 104 has big plans for 2020, one being our own in-house range, building on the aesthetic of our design handwriting which we’ve been building for the past ten years. Being based in London helps us stay relevant as well as giving us access to the best fabric mills and resources within our field. London Fashion Week still remains a valuable resource for our team, keeping them on top of their game…so to speak.

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Written by Danielle @ Studio 104