Roving Reporter: Stephen Jones Loves Hats

As I was wandering through a very vintage, very extensive, very gorgeous collection of Stephen Jones hats at the V&A, I nearly bumped into someone. (Late night, too much sherry.) "Oh, sorry," I mumbled. Fortunately, Stephen (who was doing a video interview with a French reporter) did not mind.

Hats: An Anthology to Stephen Jones is well worth the time it would take you to give a dedicated look to each of the hundreds of pieces on display. Divided into sections for each type of millinery style (feathers, flowers, plastic, felt, etc) and with special sections for hats worn by celebrities and in high-end runway shows, the exhibition really pushes the boundaries for what most people think hats can look like. As cheesy as that sounds.

John Galliano's set designer, Michael Howells, set up the exhibition, which will run until 31 May at the museum. If you go, be sure to watch your step and look out for famous milliners in berets.

Runway Roundup: Connie Ho

Hey, men – show me some leg! And to do that, you might want to slip into something by LCF master’s student Connie Ho.Connie started modest at the V&A, with Thom Browne-length ankle-bearing trousers, and worked her way up. Way up. 

One pair of shorts was so short and so tight that it could do to the model’s rear what many women hope their bras will do: lift and separate.

For shirts, Connie seems to like sheer and paint-spackled. A strip of neon-yellow down the front here, a dip-dyed rectangle of teal there. Throw those with some fuchsia trousers and no one can ignore you.The boys out there who step into these looks had better tone up – besides the pec-baring sheer shirts and bum-displaying hot pants, Connie is a fan of high-waisted shorts for males. I don’t do menswear as much as Rivkie here, but I can say one thing: This is the first collection in awhile that brings men’s bodies up for scrutiny as much as women’s often are.

Runway Roundup: Marina Nicolaidou

I loved the autumn/winter 2008 YSL collection. Lots of black, very grimy feeling, coats that hide you from the world. Any runway show that can make it seem that drop-crotch pants are natural, and even flattering, has serious brainpower.In Marina Nicolaidou’s master’s collection for the London College of Fashion show, I found the same train of thought take a new direction (and for menswear). Marina had it all – the leave-me-alone jackets, the jodhpurs with their crotches at knee-level – but with her looks all in white, she achieved a vibe that was so off-puttingly surgical that I loved it.Marina played around with Mao collars, bow-in-back jackets and coats that feel more like robes than outerwear. But one of her most interesting pieces was subtle. Was that a high-riding cummerbund she put under one of her coats, or is she suggesting than men should belt their waists? Her experiment with length, as seen in the knee-length jacket that hit almost the same point of leg as her shorts, was pulled off well.
I’m not sure how many men we can expect to see wearing gauzy white shorts, and was that a male playsuit I saw? But overall, Marina gave me just what I was looking for – clean, well cut looks with flavours of the incomparable Yves.

Runway Roundup: Yun Ju Ko Kate (Take 2)

Rivkie - I loved her! It's the sequins I wasn't sure about, but that's another story.
One of my favourite Oscar dresses of all time has to be Hilary Swank’s long-sleeved, navy blue number. You know the one I mean. That Guy Laroche dress was simple, almost to the point of being boring from the front. Then Hilary turned around and BAM – no back. Guy Laroche set up the most interesting point of his dress to be seen when walking away, and I think LCF’s Yun Ju Ko Kate had a similar philosophy.At her runway presentation last night, Yun played around with some of the trends we knew should be coming: sheer, lots of chiffon, asymmetry – you get the idea. But her added touches, like a floaty top that became a cape from the back, or a dress that had a cowl back instead of the typical cowl neck, made her something special.
That’s not to say Yun’s looks don’t wow from head-on. In palates of mocha, buttercream and gunmetal grey, she offered the most flattering empire waists and the sweetest baby-doll dresses. And I would love to take home a pair of her high-waisted capri pants for the days when I try to feel like a Hepburn.
To stand out at LCF’s master’s show – which featured 19 talented students – takes real potential. Rivkie and I agreed Yun has that, and we hope that a rack at the Laden Showroom or a guest collection at Topshop is in her future.

Runway Roundup: Emilia Bariamova

Emilia Bariamova, have you been sneaking off with Giles Deacon?

The bigger-means-better approach to knitwear he took a few seasons ago was fully present at the LCF student’s runway show.

Start with a sweater dress that cowls to mid-belly, with sleeve holes that gape nearly as low, and move on to a dress all in white with a turtleneck piled to lip level. These knits are not for the weak.

One of Emilia’s most interesting risks was a white, mega-cable knit sweater dress with dangling adornments that could perhaps be described as…yarn sausages or woolly tails. Two layers of the add-ons circled the chest and hips, and although editorially interesting, there were pieces that showed her talent better.

That’s not to say the Fash Pack team didn’t love it. We did, and more importantly, an extra-special member of the front row was pleased. Emilia, you now can count Nicola Roberts as one of your fans.

Runway Roundup: Hsiang Ju Kung

Remember the soap Dallas? Ever been in a hospital? Put the two together, and you get Hsiang Ju Kung’s master’s collection for LCF ’09.

Strong shoulders and lots of clinical white (white jackets, white skinny-leg trousers, white skirts, white tights, white shoes) formed the basis of Hsiang’s women’s wear looks. Sound boring? Not so much, when you factor in the student’s obsession with plastic-y feathers, spilling down sleeves and swinging from jackets and ruffling across dress hems.

Just when you think she’s gone soft with all those “feathers”, the designer brings in a tough-edge surprise. It’s funny how well a white blazer, padded to look as though it has an exoskeleton, fits in with something a little frou-frou.

Hsiang should get ready to pack up those boleros and halter dresses: The directions a stylist at an indie fashion mag could take with her are endless.

Runway Roundup: Dimitri Stavrou

I never thought the ‘80s hair bands would make a comeback on some pairs of Doc Martens, but I also never thought I’d see someone at a fashion show wearing a red sequined hoodie. Both of those expectations were thrown away tonight at the V&A.Dimitri Stavrou’s MA collection for the London College of Fashion runway show would make David Bowie and Dazed & Confused fans proud. Using fringe reminiscent of loosely crimped horsehair, Dimitri added movement and attitude to his menswear.
Want your fringe down the side of your blazer? Just pick your colour – metallic gold, silver or black. Want it along the hem of your vest? No problem. Dimitri even added his signature embellishment to the back of calf-high Docs for a bit of a Rapunzel-meets-moonboot effect. (Strangely, I mean that in a good way.)
Could Dimitri Stavrou be London’s next rebel boy? Gareth Pugh’s gone off to Paris, so someone has to take the role.


For those who didn’t make the show, check out Dimitri’s smokin’ video. (Literally. There’s smoke.)