Life of the party - London Fashion Week Daily

2 News London fashion week the daily Sunday 20 February 2011
LFW The Daily Credits
Editor
Cat Callender
Deputy Editor & Chief Sub Editor
Marion Jones
Art Director & Designer
Bianca Wendt
Managing Editor
JANE MONEY
Deputy Chief Sub Editor
Fiona Russell
Sub Editors
Michelle Margherita,
kirsty hislop, robin wilks
Designers
catherine nippe, emma williams,
thomas elliotT
Reporters
David Hayes, Julia Robson,
Heath Brown, marion hume,
susanna lau
Beauty Correspondents
annabel meggeson, Jess Hogan
Guest Contributors
Linda Grant, emma lofstrom,
philippa williams
Staff Photographers
Anna Bauer, Marcus Dawes,
Shaniqwa Jarvis
Distribution Manager
Fran Weber-Newth
Production Manager
CAROLYN MOTT
Blog Reporter
EMILY FLEURIOT
Blog Commissioning Editor
yasmin coke
Editorial Assistants
alison potter, brooke rutherford
Runners
amy maloney, giverney edwards
Website Designer
Wolfram Wiedner
BFC Marketing Manager
Clara Mercer
Printed by
The Guardian Print Centre
Published by
JENNY DYSON & CAT CALLENDER
AT JEnny & The Cat Ltd
Thanks to
The British Fashion Council
Somerset House
H&M for the stYLISH support
M&S for the fashionABLE food
Mercedes-Benz for the wit-woo wheels
live catwalk illustration At daks
By Julie Verhoeven
The daily shop
It may be A/W on the catwalks,
but it’s just turned S/S in store.
Here’s our pick of the pack.
Compiled by Victoria Bain,
Junior Style Editor, The Daily Telegraph
sunglasses, £12
Asos (asos.com)
t-shirt, £55
Ann-Sofie Back for Topshop
(topshop.com)
“clipper” holdall, £189
Mulberry (mulberry.com)
bracelet, £12
Red Herring at Debenhams
(debenhams.com)
For advertising enquiries,
email cat@lfwdaily.com
Rock
star
Todd Lynn has one of the most respected
fashion signatures in London. The tailoring
so sharp it could slice through ice; the androgyny
that invites a swagger; the sensibility that is
pure rock’n’roll. He also now has two seasons
of financial support and mentoring, courtesy of
the BFC’s Fashion Forward award.
“The money’s always useful, but there is also
mentoring that will really help,” says Lynn of the
Coutts & Co-sponsored package supported by the
London Development Agency. “It’s such a creative,
amazing journey to do this, but in reality if you don’t
have a business sense it won’t get you so far.”
It is this issue that Fashion Forward seeks
to address, and Canadian Lynn knows well how
such success confounded many of London’s
designers for years. Coutts has a long tradition
of supporting creative entrepreneurs, and 2011
is its second year sponsoring Fashion Forward.
Holding out a hand to Lynn is perfectly timed.
Here is a label with a clear developing vision,
exquisite execution and stealth wearability.
“Women who like fashion don’t feel the need
to conform,” says Lynn. “These are people I know
and work with. My clothes are fierce, but protective,
too.” Cue jackets of butter-soft leather armour,
zipped dresses that reveal the silhouette but not
the skin, wool trousers that declare any wearer
tall and slim, cutting-edge clothes designed
“to look good on all people, not just models”.
And tomorrow, it’s Lynn’s A/W 11 show. It’s all in
the detail. “All the elements are there,” he says. “It’s
what I’m adding: the Enlightenment, a bit
of colour. And it’s winter, it’s leather and fur – fur
that’s been farmed properly. I really care about that.”
And, of course, there’s rock’n’roll. “I can sit
on my own in the studio, listening to music, and
I can escape,” says Lynn. “I can see things.”
Todd Lynn is showing tomorrow at 3pm in WC2
BESPOKE FEATURE
Fashion means business
Report by Julia Robson
British fashion is having a “eureka”
moment, waking up to ways to
harness the endless talent and
creativity it’s famous for. What’s to
stop venture capitalists (remember
them) pitching up in London and
eyeing up a young fashion brand
While creativity is paramount,
emerging designers are realising the
importance of building a business.
“People often say that fashion is one
of our most important creative
industries,” said BFC ambassador
Samantha Cameron (below with
BFC Chairman Harold Tillman),
Four seasons in one day
Report by Heath Brown
Global warming has hit the catwalks
of London, as Spring/Summer
staples creep into collections for
A/W 11. Soft billowing silks, bare
shoulder lines, hot tribal looks
and fresh nautical references – it
looks like designers are predicting
a milder spell.
Sass & Bide ignored the snows
of late and transported us to
sunnier climes. Ikat prints from
Africa, Balinese references and hot
Mediterranean colours are more
than enough to keep us warm.
Daks’ new collection went a little
flying the flag in Mulberry. “They’re
wrong – it’s one of our most
important industries, full stop.”
(True, last year, British fashion
contributed £21 billion to UK PLC.)
Educating designers in business
is the point of initiatives such as the
BFC/Vogue Fashion Fund. Tillman
points out that the fund’s current
recipient, Christopher Kane, won on
his business plan as well as his
designs. “If we want more people to
invest in fashion, we have to instil a
sound business sense in our designers.”
Photography by Marcus Dawes
nautical-but-nice with precise navyand-white
outfits that were more
Cowes Week than Bonfire Night,
and Caroline Charles decided a day
at the races would be far more
inspiring than a cosy Christmas.
Daisy-print red chiffon at Betty
Jackson, halternecks and hot pants
at Aminaka Wilmont, and holidaywhite
palazzo pants with silky prints
at Maria Grachvogel all emphasised
the fact that designers will not be
dictated to by the weather. It’s a case
of designing a wardrobe for all
seasons, and creating investment
buys for any time of the year.
dress, £65
Monsoon Fusion (0844 811 0068)
shorts, £115
Jaeger London (0845 051 0063)
fan, £2.50
V&A (vandashop.com)
maxi skirt, £95
Whistles (whistles.co.uk)
“roberta” wedges, £218
Anthropologie (anthropologie.co.uk)