THREE IS A TREND: ALL ABOUT NANNA

Posted by Melanie Rickey, Fashion Editor at Large

Crunching through the substance and hot air of London Fashion Week post-event is a task almost equal to attempting to do the thing itself. Despite spending half of my time in a car (thanks Mercedes, I worship at your altar) crawling in traffic between Somerset House, Tate Modern and grand avenues behind Pall Mall I did manage see a lot before getting home to put baby Horatio to bed. And then I was able to watch live streams. Ahhh. Loved them. My favourite kitchen table shows were J.W Anderson and Simone Rocha who I will be seeing in person with their clothes this weekend in Paris, and I can't wait. With an uninspiring Milan Fashion Week just wrapped, I am still discovering layers of London Fashion Week that gave me goosebumps.

One recurring theme was that of young designers looking to their grandmothers way of dressing for inspiration.  Henry Holland named his AW13 House of Holland range 'Nana Rave' inspired by a fictional teenager from 1989 who herself gets inspired by her grandmother's wardrobe of funny patterned skirt suits, clunky shoes and tunic dresses; a sort of 60s fashion hangover viewed through the eyes of a bored teen from the 80s. How a guy born in 1983 can channel this fashion vibe in 2013 gives it (intentional) ncomedy value; his is just an idea of a perceived memory and that pretty much sums up modern fashion ideas, even the best ones.

Brazilian NewGen designer Lucas Nascimento (whom Bethan recently interviewed)  is obsessed with old women in general. "I love watching them walk down the street," he told her when she previewed his AW13 show, "what fascinates me is the proportions of the clothes, the way their skirts hit below the knee, how they colour block peculiar colours and generally the way they put their outfits together."

Simone Rocha said this of her collection for Autumn/Winter 2013. "The collection is inspired by my grandmothers: my Irish granny Margaret Gleeson and my Chinese grandmother Cecelia Rocha, my relationship with them and my relationship with clothes. It is a story of respect that is rendered in the fabrication, the consideration and understanding of cut and detail."

Her words made me think of my own Irish nanna, Janie Clynch of Lathaleere, Baltinglass, County Wicklow, a mother of seven and independent woman whose catchphrase was "Don't vex me child" said with a loving smile and a discreet whisht motion with her hands. "Out of my way. Go and play." She was never a fashion plate, but she loved a periwinkle blue cardigan and a sensible skirt, always worn with her St Christopher medal, a discreet crucifix and very often a jazzy hat and well tailored coat.  I can't help seing shades of Simone Rocha's show when I look at Nanna in this photo with my cousin Marita. Miss you Nanna.

Janie Clynch circa 1971

Simone Rocha AW13

Simone Rocha AW13

Lucas Nascimento AW13

Lucas Nascimento AW13

House of Holland  'Nana Rave'

LFW AW13: BRAVO LUCAS NASCIMENTO

Posted by Bethan Holt. Junior Fashion Editor at Large

A few weeks ago, I visited NEWGEN designer Lucas Nascimento to preview his AW13 collection, which was shown at Tate Modern this morning. It was a beautiful, chic and clever collection which had  several editors and buyers I was sitting near to actually cooing out loud. Quite a feat on the last day of the week. Obviously not the actual week, the fashion week you understand. Today is London Fashion Friday. Here's the preview, which also appeared in today's The Daily interspersed with some pictures from today's show....

As with most East London designer’s studios, it’s easy to get lost en route to Lucas Nascimento’s Hackney Wick abode. Indeed, at first glance it’s a lighting and furniture factory. But venture further round and you come to the right place. It’s not rails of samples and acres of fabric which greet visitors, as one might expect. It’s an enormous, industrial sized Stoll knitting machine.

Brazil-born Nascimento has confounded those of us who thought we knew what knitting looked like by producing light as air, fine as feathers modern wardrobe staples. In his debut season of NEWGEN sponsorship, A/W ’12, there were bafflingly novel carpet-like knits, for S/S 13 the look was light, fine and sheer. Knitwear like you’ve never seen it before.

The wild-haired 32 year-old has been engrossed in the M1 Plus software which he calls ‘the Photoshop of knitwear’. It allows him to experiment with new techniques which he then tailors into the simple yet voluminous shapes, like shell tops and sculpted shift dresses, which are fast becoming his signature. The night before we met he produced a fabulous double-sided, flock effect pattern which he likens to ‘oil on water’. It is constructed with a combination of shimmering gauze thread and luxurious chenille. It could be jacquard but it has sheen and stretch. Then there’s bouclé yarn knitted with cellophane thread in a way which Nascimento compares to quilting. This squishy, waffled creation will be crafted into a pencil skirt. Prepare to be astounded too by fur tightly knitted into yarn. It’s all about balancing wintry richness with a lightness of touch. 

Nascimento studied knitwear at London College of Fashion, having learnt from his Mother when he was growing up. ‘I love hand knitting and I’m really good at it’ he emphasises, remembering the ‘brilliant’ internship he did with Sid Bryan and the gang from Sibling during his second year. It was post- graduation factory visits while working for the likes of Neon and Basso and Brooke that piqued a curiosity about what technology could do for knitting. 

‘We go through the yarns for the season, but it’s always a surprise because they will do something you didn’t think they would’ says Nascimento of the starting point for every collection. He has a beautiful mood board, which includes a 60s photograph of Jean Shrimpton, Nefertiti-like in James Galanos, and a tufty haired rabbit. But those images play out in specific details, like the way he wants his knitted fur to look. It is the pocket of The Shrimp’s dress which informs the pouches you will see on dresses in today’s collection. 

He has his fashion aesthetic down to a tee. Those sleek, modern pieces such as a column skirt or neat bomber jacket. For A/W ’13, dresses take on a cocoon shape while jackets are cropped, or cut out at the shoulder. Old ladies are a constant obsession, ‘you must put them in!’ he exclaims in his lyrical Brazilian accent. He goes on, ‘their proportions and how they put together their outfits fascinates me’. While we don’t think geriatric when we see a Lucas look, those demure lengths and inspired colour combinations make sense in this context. Navy is Nascimento’s favourite colour and is guaranteed to appear in every collection. This time it is teamed with ochre, grey and blush pink.

 

At a time when Céline is selling mink sandals, and Margiela offers leather joggers, it is savvy of Nascimento to experiment with imbuing his simple shapes with high-end luxury. One look comprises a fur sleeved sweatshirt and matching rabbit panelled pencil skirt. Perhaps it’s something to do with hailing from a BRIC country? ”I really want women to look at something of mine and say ‘Oh my god, I need that. I want to rock that’” Nascimento enthuses. Cue, a whole new wish list for Autumn.

SS13: MY LFW TUMBLE

Posted by Bethan Holt, Fashion Junior at Large

As well as keeping up with what's going on in Milan and catching up on everything which piled up at the office while I was out at shows, one of the big things I have been doing is trying to plough through the hundreds (if not thousands) of pictures I took over the five days. Some you'll see in more substantial posts another time but others are just snippets, and so I thought I would share a tumble of pictures with you today to show u a few of the thingsI got up to during LFW....

FRIDAY

Backstage at Zoe Jordan, the looks and the models...

I have a soft spot for Emilia Wickstead who has a slightly unfair rep as a designer who just makes pretty dresses for society ladies. This was one of my favourite looks from her salon presentation, though  it is really only suitable for tall model types. I could totally get on board with an Emilia prom skirt though.

SATURDAY

Lara Mullen backstage after Daks

Ryan Lo's glitz spectacular to the tune of Azealia Banks at Fashion East

Latex dungaress by  Claire Barrow at Fashion East.

Gorgeous lilac tulle on denim at Marques' Almeida

 Jourdan Dunn outside Rag and Bone

Models in Barbie-esque boxes at Sophia Webster

SUNDAY

Finale at the lush Lucas Nascimento

Vivienne Westwood erects her climate protest flag, with a little help from Alice Dellal, in the middle of the Foreign and Commonwealth office. Love Viv.

The ACNE man plies us with drinks

Anna dello Russo arrives at the Phillip Treacy show

MONDAY

Really sweet make-up at Michael van der Ham

 Working the Alexander McQueen visor at Christopher Kane

 A sliver of Andy Murray's jumper and his girlfriend's side profile heading into Burberry to cosy up to Anna Wintour.

 Saskia de Brauw at Giles. Love her and want her hair.

Ballgown backview at Giles

 J.W Anderson talks to Tim Blanks after his show

TUESDAY

Poolside drinks at Tata Naka

 The set at Simone Rocha's super show

 And outside her show, there were perspex brogues galore on loyal fans- a definite signature

  Pretty, happy model backstage at Meadham Kirchhoff

 A box of Meadham Kirchhoff hats

 And part of the catwalk set-up at MK, think mussed up chateau with cake