My Fashion Week diary by Mark Heyes
BY MARK HEYES, CELEBRITY STYLIST ON 23 FEB 2011 14:47 CELEBRITY & GOSSIPCOMMENTS
Friday…
So London fashion week began on Friday with my Curvy Super Model final, at the Look Magazine catwalk show. It was amazing to see our 3 girls (all size 12- 14) looking so fabulous next to the professional models.
At the end of the show I had to announce who the winner was (a tad scary to say the least, I didn’t want an Australia’s Next Top Model debacle). Thankfully it all went without a hitch and our winner was announced as the gorgeous Lyndsey O’Hagan so all the best to her and her new career.
After an emotional afternoon it was a quick taxi ride over to Bond Street to pick up my date for the evening, well fashion date anyway! Glamour Magazine’s editor, Jo Elvin, and I were off to 10 Downing Street for a Fashion Week reception hosted by Samantha Cameron. I have to say they put on a good spread in there, lovely nibbles and ice cold Champagne, it was a great way to start a very glamorous week.
Saturday…
First on Saturday was the divine Betty Jackson and this turned out to be a really bold season for Betty. Bright red was the order of the day, and when I say red I mean red. Be it coats, trousers, accessories or dresses, the eye-catching hue made a real impact on the catwalk. Her tailoring tended to be oversized, but still retained that classic Jackson aesthetic and elegance.
In stark contrast to Betty, John Rocha went beautifully gothic and practically all black. John used his incredible skill with texture to its full advantage. Fabulous cocoon shapes were made from woollen dreadlocks and he encapsulated gothic glamour with his mixtures of lace and fur.
After that it was time for another front row seat with my mate Henry Holland. The Celebs were out in force; Jaime Winstone, Alexa Chung and Pixie Geldof to name just a few. His collection was amazing and took granny chic to a whole new level. It started with coloured tweed dresses that had lace and silk underlays featuring a bingo ball print. Pearls were everywhere and were nestled alongside bright crochet knits and prints. It was bold brave and brilliant! After all that it would have been rude not to celebrate Henrys design triumphs, so without a second thought I hopped off to his after show party in Soho.
Sunday…
Sunday came and I got to Somerset house slightly bleary eyed with a camera crew in tow to go backstage at Jasper Conran. Jasper (the brave wee soldier) had actually had an accident and his arm was in a sling – hardly ideal when you’re about to do a show. Thankfully his designs didn’t suffer and the understated elegance that’s synonymous with Jasper prevailed. Chic shift dresses graced the catwalk in beautiful autumnal hues, minimal detailing and the AW11 accessory must have, the soft cloche hat.
After a bite to eat, it was a taxi ride away to Mathew Williamson where he mixed biker style leather trousers with bohemian prints and knits. Strong orange, coral and pink worked brilliantly together and are sure to add a blast of colour this winter.
Monday…
On to Monday and after a quick sit down on the Lorraine sofa it was time for the Christopher Kane show, where the granny blanket theme continued. Crochet and crochet print featured throughout but he also showed some amazing liquid filled panels on LBDs.
Then it was Burberry. It was high-octane glamour all the way and they had an amazing structure specially built in Kensington gardens. The catwalk was mammoth and the clothes didn’t disappoint either. Sixties shapes ruled the way for Christopher Bailey at Burberry with Jean Shrimpton photos being his main inspiration. Colour filled the catwalk with strong oranges reds and blues – very cheerful for winter. The ending was amazing; as the models did their final walk it actually started snowing along the whole runway, true fashion magic!
Monday finished with the ever-glamorous Julien Macdonald. His show was in an old church in Mayfair and was the perfect setting for his gothic glamour-fest. We arrived to hundreds of scented candles illuminating the first room and Chocolate martinis being handed out with abundance. Once seated, the show began, and what a show it was. It was rock glamour meets gothic siren. Incredible gowns swished down the aisles and took everyone’s breath away. I saw Julien after the show and he seemed over the moon with how it all went, most importantly though the fashion pack loved it as well. And let me tell you we’re a very fussy bunch!
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Tags: AW11, diary, fashion, london fashion week, Mark Heyes, party, Trends
