McQueen is safe in Burton's hands - Paris Fashion Week AW11

So, more than ever, all eyes were looking to see what the latest Alexander McQueen would bring. Since McQueen’s tragic death last February, his close friend Sarah Burton has taken over as creative director, and has brilliantly bridged the gap between celebration and still-shocking disbelief surrounding McQueen’s unexpected death. 

Taking a different direction from her first stand-alone collection for the label, this season saw a collection of exquisite pieces, created by outstanding workmanship and attention to detail. Corsetry was contrasted with amazing pleating, presenting a confident collection that still represented the label perfectly, but also added its own stamp.

The styling will still generate shock and horror (it’s McQueen after all!), with silver metallic skull caps and leather shoulder harnesses, however, there was a real sense of brilliant construction to create beautiful clothes.

A soft, almost monotonal colour palette gave the collection a soft finish, yet the McQueen feeling was maintained with whiteout make-up and spray on leggings. Feathers were a huge theme, along with strong shapes and structure which gave the collection a sense of robotic elegance. The bird theme continued at the sound of a flock of birds taking flight played over the speakers as a mix of tweed and feather suits took to the runway.

It’s safe to say that the house of McQueen is safe in Burton’s hands.

Chanel explodes at Paris Fashion Week AW11

It’s International Women’s Day and Karl Lagerfield’s collection for Chanel literally exploded onto the catwalk! Fire and brimstone, boiler suits, biker boots, a wooden boardwalk over smoking piles of lava and a CC drawbridge appearing out of clouds of dry ice ensured a dramatic post-apocalyptic feel at the most anticipated show of the week.

Models were wrapped up in trouser suits with cropped jackets and pleat front trousers teamed with heavy, flat brogues. Tweeds were thick and dense, with raw edges and finished in black and grey, with bold flashes of red or green, or metallic weave – adding a touch of glamour to an otherwise raw survival theme.

It was a classic juxtaposition of tough vs. feminine, with boiler suits made of fine, embellished lace rolled up in leather at the cuffs and ankles to reveal pointed kitten heel court shoes. Princess style coats and empire line dresses were embellished with feathers and lace, giving a fresh play on the typical texture seen at Chanel. In an uncharacteristically serious show, Lagerfield injected some humour with a quilted, rubberized felt boiler suit.

A strong move forward from Lagerfield’s couture show, which was young, girlish and full of sweet dresses and pumps. This was hard and androgynous.

Family Girl - Stella McCartney at Paris Fashion Week AW11

Stella McCartney’s show provided a much-needed bright start to Paris Fashion Week, after the solemn mood that took hold after all the controversy surrounding Galliano.

Family was a big theme of the show, perfectly personifying the yummy mummy that Stella dresses oh so well - Natalia Vodianova arrived surrounded a brood of gorgeous children and Paul McCartney was in the audience and, as usual, had his voice playing for the finale of the show, which was, again, dedicated to Stella’s family: “to all my babies, husband, family and team” said the show notes. 

The season’s trend of menswear for girls was perfect for Stella’s collection – oversized blazer dresses with exaggerated shoulders in soft, brushed cashmere floated down the catwalk, as well as large cable knits over loose trousers. A real sense of wearability came out of the show – practicality was teamed with new fresh ideas. Don’t get too comfortable though… Stella showcased some serious sexy dresses, featuring chiffon panels slinking around body con styles, bustiers, and bold, gold and black patterned mini dresses.

A combination of soft vs. structured seemed to define the show, with rippling organza tops being tucked into tailored, high-waisted pencil skirts or trousers. A striking colour palette, primarily comprised of white, black and blue was accentuated with circular detailing.

All in all, a refreshing show from McCartney.

Pure Exhibition 2011

There’s a real buzz of excitement in Fiorelli HQ at the moment as our new AW11 range has been finalized! Surrounded by hundreds of samples, the design team has meticulously gone through the collection and has created one of our strongest ranges to date! Focusing on the theme ‘Your Space’ the collection showcases a range of expertly designed bags that focus on the essential qualities needed to allocate organized space into your accessories. The designs show functional beauty teamed with strong identities and bold looks. A colour palette of rich, earthly hues combines the warmth of oxblood and tan with the depth of rich, luxurious navy, whilst colour blocking of neutral shades adds a softer tone to the collection.

Pure Exhibition, which came to a close on Tuesday, is the first of the big UK trade fairs and is always a great indication of how successful our new collections are going to be. Naturally, preparing for Pure is a nerve-wracking time as we make sure that every sample is perfect and that all our new promotional material is sorted so that our trade customers get the best possible introduction to the range. Luckily, we received glowing reviews for the range, and everyone was really excited about the direction our brand is heading in. Have a sneak peak at our new AW11 collection in these photos of our great stand at Pure!