Alex Calder does London Fashion Week

Our resident Style Guru, Alex Calder, guides us through the minefield of London Fashion Week, and prepares us for the hot new trends.

“Armed with a camera and suspending our sense of incredulity, Sam of This Daily Grind and I spent two days among the fashion circus of Somerset House during London Fashion Week. The world of fashion has always moved fast, but the technological evolution that has taken place in the past seven years or so has brought it to another level. 

In many ways I think the proliferation of personal style blogs, Pinterest style boards and street style blogs is a very positive thing: it has democratised our experience of fashion and perhaps given people greater ownership over their concept of personal style. Trends begin on the streets as much as in the ateliers of designers. Milling around outside the major shows in fashion capitals every February and September you’ll find a glorious mashup of the most individual, elegant and eclectic interpretations of a multitude of influences, some of which will filter down into the mainstream, and some that will just remain in our minds as that bizarre moment when a girl walked down The Strand carrying a giant inflatable dinosaur.

Fur is having a serious moment. And the shaggier it is, the better. Recently established label Shrimps has enjoyed incredible success in a short space of time with their collection of colourful fur jackets and influential endorsement from Alexa Chung and Pixie Geldof. Perhaps it’s a practical reaction to a series of particularly cold winters, and the improvement in quality of faux fur means it’s now a stylish alternative. 

The Seventies

So the seventies are back. Again. I seem to remember being really into this style of dressing in the early noughties – flares, sheepskin coats, Fedoras, lots of russet and burnt umber, and it’s really making a comeback for the mid ‘teens. Skinny jeans have been solidly ensconced in our wardrobes for about ten years, and over the past couple of seasons there has been a gradual movement toward a looser leg, with the flare a definite favourite around LFW this year. Double denim is also enjoying a resurgence along with general cowgirl-esque looks.

Pastels

Soft pastels are gorgeous in the sea of winter blacks and greys. This is an easy one to interpret – adding a pop of pastel to an otherwise neutral outfit will give your mood a lift in these glowering March days and remind you that spring is just around the corner.

Monochrome

I’m a huge fan of black and white. It doesn’t date and it’s always going to look sharp. Layering different textures or experimenting with unusual draping can keep an all black outfit interesting.

Elegant Men

There are too many men who mistake being stylish for being somehow un-masculine, spending their lives wearing ill-fitting clothes and filled with hostility toward shopping. Elegantly dressed men are a joy to behold. More three-piece suits I say!