London Fashion Week Summary

On the final day of womenswear at London Fashion Week, the Semple team headed over to the exquisite Somerset House to view the exciting SS12 collections featured during this London Fashion Week. The intimacy of the exhibitions, most notably the ability to touch and examine each piece at close proximity, allows an experience which cannot be gained through attending the shows, and it was hugely intriguing to feel the textures of the fabrics and closely view the structures of the garments. The exhibition features up and coming designers SS12 collections presented at this London Fashion Week, including extremely exciting names such as Mark Fast, Simeon Farrar, Bora Asku and Felder Felder. We highlight some of our most exciting discoveries of the day.

Lucas Nascimento

Brazilian designer Lucas Nascimento caught our eye at London Fashion Week with his simple yet chic tailored knitwear. The SS12 collection intersperses grey, white and black wool knit with crisp crimson reds, canary yellows and turquoise greens, using bands and panels of colour to inject interest. The shoulders are structured and the dresses, skirts and jackets are cut in clean lines to give a boxy silhouette. The result gives the collection a smart, futuristic feel, which we at Semple feel is very wearable and would add interest to any wardrobe.

Sara Ebbett

It would have been difficult not to notice the colourful array of scarves designed by Sara Ebbett during our visit to the London Fashion Week exhibition. An ice-cream coloured assortment of hand rolled silk scarves and stoles puddled onto tables and hung from rails grabbed our attention instantly, while on closer inspection, the hand drawn illustrations which decorate the scarves gave a nostalgic feel with inspiration for the SS12 Collection ‘Folded Paper’ taken from Geisha’s and 1930’s Parisian women. A truly versatile accessory, Sara Ebbett’s scarves are one of a kind.

Izmaylova

A juxtaposition of fabrics and textures commanded our attention at Izmaylova. The use of soft yet structured suede, contrasted with light languid silk and weightless ostrich feathers, all in richly opulent hues of taupe, golden caramel and burnt cinnamon, created a romantically elegant collection. Each piece was perfectly crafted, with even the inside of each garment beautifully presented. Antoninia Izmaylova, of Russian descent, presented her first collection in 2010. Our favourite pieces had to be the elegant evening gowns, which ooze sophistication from their wistful fabrics and beautiful detail.

Ali Roff