London Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2014: See You Next Season!

Electric blue eyes and a silken black sheath on the catwalk at Liz Black's show for London Fashion Week SS14. Photograph by Limor Helfgott

London Fashion Week has a reputation for edgy and avant-garde design and Spring Summer 2014 was no exception. Limor Helfgott looks back at five exciting days of high catwalk drama at Somerset House in the British capital

MORE than Milan or Paris fashion weeks, London welcomes a broad range of experimental designers from around the world and is known to be one of the best cities to train for a career in the fashion industry.

The stand-outs this season were the flying bags at the Anya Hindmarch show, J.WAnderson's twisted jumpers for a tomboy look and Peter Pilotto’s explosive digital prints with a finale of a halter dress covered in mirror work and knitted materials.

The strong presence of Asian designers this season encouraged an oriental theme: J.WAnderson's clever origami-like fold dresses and Holly Fulton's florals with a dash of the East. Designer L'Wren Scott clashed modern designs with feminine and chic kimono dresses as a homage to traditional Japanese style.

The highly structured, powerful collection of David Koma was free of pastel colors or floral motifs ~ there were no delicate feminine creatures. The Koma woman is indeed a warrior, bound in armour of leather and neoprene.

Russian designer David Koma's new collection for Spring Summer 2014 was inspired by the Japanese martial art of archery Kyudo. “The key features are graphics, color-blocking and asymmetry,” said Koma after the show.

The designer's pieces evoke a strong and powerful woman ~ a modern day warrior. Clear references to Kyudo were made with the holes punctured into every garment. The highly structured, collection was free of pastel colours or floral motifs ~ there were no delicate feminine creatures. The David Koma woman is indeed a warrior, bound in armour of leather and neoprene.

The colour ranges were from black, white and powder blue to bold blocks of cobalt. Shapes were strong: origami-folded jackets with sharp blue and black collisions, A-line skirts with asymmetrical hems, graphic elements, prints, stripes and zigzags across the body. Dresses were spliced at the waists. Leather was the dominant fabric of the collection and every piece gave us a glimpse of skin in an innovative way.

Inspired by the London Aquarium the colour palette at Jackie Lee was adventurous with cyclamen teamed with eye-popping pink pouts on the models. 

Korean Jackie Lee's collection was brighter and lighter than previous collections by the designer. Inspired by a journey through the London Aquarium, the colour palette was adventurous with cyclamen teamed with eye-popping pink pouts on the models. Other colours were baby-blue, navy and white.

Simplicity was the designer's key theme but there were layers of meaning. The designer's inspiration was jellyfish and she used shiny fabrics with the occasional gleam of PVC and scale-like textures to help achieve an under the sea vibe.

Shapes include cropped boxy jumpers, sharp tailoring with high necklines, dropped waistlines and oversize blazers. In this era of minimalism this collection gives you what it promises – wearable, clever, graceful and clean-lined clothes.

The inspired collection by Tata Naka had powerful contrasts of textures and colours with a luxurious finish that suggested the beauty and lyricism of the work of the Ballet Russes.

Showcased on the final day of London Fashion Week on a set in a blacked-out basement studio in Somerset house, the Tata Naka presentation was inspired by the work of Sergei Diaghilev and his famed Ballet Russes. Diaghilev turned classical ballet on its head with bold choreography and graphic sets and was the first to collaborate with contemporary fine artists like Picasso, Matisse and Chagall.

Designers Tamara and Natasha Surguladze from Georgia used their trademark shapes and prints in a combination of vibrant colours and pastel tones. Classic silhouettes with modern patterns, geometric cut-outs and zigzagged edges made up the look this season. The inspired collection had striking contrasts of textures and colours with a luxurious finish that suggested the beauty and lyricism of the work of the Ballet Russes.

While Sergei Diaghilev was a starting point for the silhouette of the Tata Naka collection it had a modern twist. Voluminous sleeves and skirts created new shapes in a palette of ice cream pink, pistachio, peach and lemon, contrasted with primary splashes of red, blue and yellow.  

This season Michael van der Ham's collection was all about the dress with bare shoulders or feminine spaghetti straps, sheer detailing and patchwork or a peplum details below the waist.

Showing his collection at the Café Royal on Regent Street, Dutch designer Michael van der Ham's clothes were chic and elegant. Models walked on to the catwalk with minimal makeup and hair pulled back presenting his signature textures and famous patchwork.

The designer won last year's Fashion Forward sponsorship. This season his collection was all about the dress with bare shoulders or feminine spaghetti straps, sheer detailing and peplum details below the waist.

The colour palette was mostly monochrome, with neon yellow paint splatters of peach, grey and green to add a bit of colour. Lace and silk were layered with a brilliant mixture of fabrics and prints covered in mesh covered holes, Swarovski crystal embroidery and jewel embellishments.

 Almost entirely monochrome, the collection by Erdem was enlivened by splashes of yellow and lavender, giving a Parisian feel to the show.

I just loved everything about the new Erdem collection, said to be a favourite of the Duchess of Cambridge. Stunning feminine gowns were presented while a grand piano and cello accompanied the models on the runway creating a stylish ambiance. Almost entirely monochrome, the collection was enlivened by dashes of yellow and lavender, giving a Parisian feel to the collection. 

Designer Erdem Moralioglu from Canada used shimmering white satin silk, feathers, floral quilting and appliqué lace on boucle skirts and crisp white shirts which were teamed with sheer black organza, buttoned-up collars and embroidered bomber jackets. It was a tone down from last season's edgier collection for the designer. The mix of textures - sheer contrasted with heavier tweed ~ made this collection perfect with it's monochromatic palette.

Urban chic was the key motif at Eudon Choi with oversized coats, A-line skirts, beautifully draped asymmetric dresses in stripe and block colors along with Japanese-style kimonos and silk trousers.

Although Eudon Choi is known for precision tailoring and is a menswear graduate – it was all about the girls this season and there were very few masculine elements in the collection. It was all delicate and intensely feminine, inspired by the tragic story of Princess Deokhye who was forced into marrying a Japanese prince.

Urban chic was a motif with over sized coats, A-line skirts, beautifully draped asymmetric dresses in stripe and block colours along with Japanese-style kimonos, silk trousers and robe combinations tied with a cord but with low necklines to give it a modern touch. One of the outstanding pieces was a white strapless gown that was reminiscent of a chima or traditional Korean skirt.

The colour palette was delicate and included bright floral prints teamed with stripes in coral, white, magenta, navy and pink.

The innovative design duo of Latvian Fyodor Podgorny and Israeli Golan Frydman presented a chic, ultra feminine collection where colour was brilliant ~ from the sunniest yellow to pink and contrasting soft pastel hues of mint, baby blue and nude.

The Fyodor Golan SS14 collection Electric Children was inspired by bikers and joggers crossing Waterloo Bridge alongside the river. The innovative design duo of Latvian Fyodor Podgorny and Golan Frydman from Israel presented a chic, ultra feminine collection where colour was brilliant ~ from the sunniest yellow to pink and contrasting soft pastel hues of mint, baby blue and nude.

The looks were completed with Tresor Paris beads in a range of muted tones both embellishing and structuring the shapes of the collection. The luxurious beads were sewn to the tops and dresses also adding texture along with feathers, snakeskin and sheer flowing fabrics.

For me, the standout was a bandeau top made of rings of yellow smiley faces, which added a funky edge to the show together with the soundtrack of Heroes playing by David Bowie.

Beading, feminine shift and tube dresses at Mary Katrantzou featured large inverted pleated layers, skater silhouettes covered in ruffles and feathers and mini cocktail dresses shaped like cupcakes.

Turning sports clothes into feminine and flirty fashion, this season Greece's Mary Katrantzou created bold colourful digital prints also on to shoes including brogues, trainers and slippers.

The collection was full of blown-up details from the collaboration between the designer and French embroidery house Maison Lesage. Beading, feminine shift and tube dresses featured large inverted pleated layers, skater silhouettes covered in ruffles and feathers and mini cocktail dresses shaped like cupcakes.

Models walked to the sounds of She's a Rainbow by the Rolling Stones. Katrantzou's prints in neon purple, fluorescent green, electric blue and acid yellow and pink ruled the catwalk and each  looked unique.

 Fashionistas pause in London on the way to see shows for LFW SS14

Bold colour combinations make this father and son combo stand out at the entrance to LFW at Somerset House.

Striking a pose for the waiting cameras outside London Fashion Week's headquarters at Somerset House

Taking the Shalwar Kameez into a new urban realm with opaque black spectacles and felt hat outside LFW 

Perspex heels and an umbrella lined with lace were the accessories for this fashionista battling London's bleak fashion week weather