London Fashion Week Diary SS19

Hey squaddies, in the last month fashionistas from around the world, including yours truly, flocked to London for yes, you guessed it, London Fashion Week! The weather was kind to us as we caught the last few glimpses of the English summer. The streets of London were clad with edgy, inspiring and creative looks whilst the paparazzi looked on. Hoping to catch glimpses of 'street-style' fashion as it happened.

This season, I attended two days of shows and presentations during London's most exciting fashion event of the year. I teamed up with Ohlala magazine and Per Lei Couture during this trip so look out for my upcoming article in the October issue, coming soon!  

For Spring / Summer 2019 Palmer Harding, known as ‘The shirt boys’ do what they do best, tailoring and shirting to the next level! As someone who has worn Palmer and attended previous shows, my opinion is pretty well rounded when it comes to their concept - a mixture of masculine and feminine elements with architectural sleeves, cold shoulder details and rich colour palettes. To my visual delight there were pyjama stripes, shirting stripes and checks that contained ‘glitches’ appearing disrupted or fractured. Their ‘shades of the forest’ colour tones were rich and contrasted with chartreuse yellows, dusty blues, pops of red and greens, alongside their signature navy and crisp white. I was really happy to see some sharp florals in  the collection as this is the first time the designers have delved into prints, which they carried off really well!

Amanda Wakeley’s Ready-to-Wear Summer 19 collection presentation transports us into the African desert whilst exploring the hugely popular modest wear aesthetic. Described as ‘gorgeously eclectic desert dressing’, Amanda took influences from her North African heritage and her family’s connections to Tunisia as inspiration behind the season’s prints and detailing. There are references of sports luxe, whilst also a mix of pyjama shapes, luxurious kaftan dresses and cover ups. The intricate silk and graphic prints are inspired by mosaics in the city’s mosques and handcrafted tapestries from the local markets. This is apparent in the colour palette of rich exotic tones or lapiz, saffron, cardamom, and deep cocoa. I have never seen such deep and rich cardamom colours in clothing before, it is really striking in my opinion! The collection exuberated luxury with the use of textural jacquard, draped satin, printed silks, some suede and one of my personal favorites, laid back linen. 

It was an absolute pleasure to visit the delightful Forever Rose London in Knightsbridge, the most fashionable part of the city! Having visited Forever Rose in Qatar just last week I was so proud to support our local talent in their international venture! Expertly grown in the rich volcanic soils of Ecuador, their ‘long-lasting’ roses are naturally treated to retain their striking poise and beauty forever, without the need for water or sunlight! I walked around the florist in amazement as the passionate founder, Ebraheem Al Samadi walked me through the array of long-lasting roses, fresh floral arrangements, single stem roses, and bespoke products including fragrances, whilst I was tasting the delicious handmade Belgian chocolates! 

Lou by Hebatullah is an emerging designer from the Middle East, set to take on the world of fashion showcasing her collection for the first time in London during fashion week. Offering contemporary womenswear with a modern edge, this brand certainly is 'one to watch'. 

HANG ON, watch this space for the upcoming LFW VLOG and my LFW Wishlist feature coming out in this month's Ohlala Magazine! 

Special thanks to Per Lei Couture.