Fashion East

Fashion East came west this season, and the collections seemed to echo this; less East End impact, more about the design chops and we’re not complaining.

This is Louise Gray’s third showing at Fashion East and by now we know she’s a deft hand at embellishment. Her s/s 09 offering sees her explore more with shape; tailored suits and pencil skirts thrown in amongst her usual shift dresses. Vivid colour is still high on her agenda: citrus shades and tomato reds dominated proceedings, though some graphic monochrome prints were a new foray for the designer. But what of the appliqué that she’s become synonymous with? This time it was less playful, more sexy – sparse chain mail tunics over a simple sheath dress and white, wing-like details adorning the back of another. This was understated glamour that was less textile graduate and more serious London designer.

From serious, sexy design to a fun film that put a smile on everyone’s face. David David (aka David Saunders) hasn’t earned the moniker ‘prints charming’ for nothing; his s/s09 film presentation charmed the pants off us. Forgoing the usual catwalk we watched scribble print shirts, block print unitards and kaleidoscopes of pattern on a big screen. Models made little heart signs and held hands in his signature geometric prints that are so darn summery we’re holding out hope for some September sunshine.

Effortlessly cool and probably our favourite of the three was LFW debutante Natascha Stolle, an American anglophile. Stolle’s previous incarnations have been English literature student, assistant to Peter Jensen and most recently Central Saint Martin’s MA graduate. Now she’s a designer in her own right. The collection is made for ‘women who wish they’d been a slut in high school’ but, despite our hesitant expectations, there was no T+A on show. It’s more about a young girl’s personal journey in developing her style, which, according to Stolle, includes circus stripes, a trompe l’oeil ruffle print, ‘scaly’ sweatshirts and seriously side-parted hair. Honestly, anyone who’d worn the ruffle print, ruffled hem column dress in school would have been so far ahead of the crowd, no-one could see them.

Fashion East has, once again, proved their unique role in London fashion – debuting hot talent whilst nurturing their previous ‘finds’; fashion’s Fairy Godmother.

Words: Selene Pearson

Photos: Chris Moore.

www.daviddavid.co.uk

www.fashioneast.co.uk