LFW A/W 2013 DAY 1 What people wore...

Blessed with the most fantastic blue skies and all round perfect weather to launch London Fashion Week A/W 2013 Fashiontent's roving photographer Michael Harvey put on his 'Sartorialist' hat and went Cool hunting at Somerset House. I was amazed at the volume and breadth of style at the buzzing premier fashion venue. It is true that good weather brings out the best in people - this was in evidence in the friendly atmosphere as fashionista's turned up expectantly for the exciting array of new season's London collections.

70's hat meets 60's detailing on jacket

Clean lines and beat nik style hat - 

Urban cool - 

Black is back - love the sun glasses with writing around the rim - hot new trend 

classy style - love her hair - very cool

feminine 50's dress, warm and stylish - note her bag

like the green with red combo - really works well

More brights

Sports meets graphic pattern works well here...

Check out the photographer's style - like his coat...

Singer Kate Nash in 50s vintage style

pastel colours work well here, note her jacket worn with print skirt 

Love this photographer's suit - a great shot with his companion looking round...

Gets my vote for most stylish couple there on DAY 1 

Lazer cut pattern in gold leather skirt works well here with over knee boots

Green sequinned shorts and thick wooly tights and Belstaff style leather jacket 

feminine and groomed a stylish look - though I am sure she was wearing flats the next day !!!

Love the glasses this quirky photographer was wearing

Like this photo, the sunglasses work well with this Patty Boyd look..

Interesting ! note the intricate detail on the front of his sweat shirt!

Very hot under there!

Miss Plastic is at every seasons LFW !

Note his shirt....

red and blue a pretty combo

Fabulous Poncho!

                                                             

For more of Michael's fashiontent style sleuthing - check out LESDOIT soon..

Photography Michael Harvey

Copy Schelay McCarter

Copy right fashiontent Ltd please credit

LFW DAY 2 Jasper Conran, Sexy, savvy balance leads the way

I am a huge fan of Jasper Conran. His shows never disappoint.......
There was a real buzz in the BFC show tent before the show - I was next to a Debenams Lingerie buyer and a fashion PR executive....
The models sashayed up the run way to toe tapping up beat remixes. The style lines were simple and classic in jersey and sheers with spangled sequins for a flash of evening wear glamour. The high scouped neck lines were balanced with flirty above the knee skirt lengths. The style thus demure and sexy. I loved the bright confident colours of orange and neon pink balanced with a savvy homage to the power of black in a woman's staple wardrobe colour palette. 
Rock on Jasper, an optimistic show - we wanted it all...

Copy schelay McCarter 2013

London Fashion Week A/W 2013 the place to be for Fashion Talent

I am really looking forward to working with Lesley Salazar of 'Les Do it' ( based in Madrid ) and photographer Michael Harvey this season for London Fashion Week Autumn/ Winter 2013. London is always a wonderful place to see new talent emerge showcasing fashion innovation as well as the established fashion Royalty such as Jasper Conran and Paul Smith. Watch this space....we start Friday...

Schelay McCarter copyright pls credit..

Chic Freak a new Concept Boutique in Notting Hill on fashionable Portobello Road

357 Portobello Road

music and fashion - a great mix!

and the band played on....

Josefin Orving in a Coco Fennell dress....

Tamarisk explaining her vision for 'Chic Freak' in London's fashionable Portobello Road....

Chic Freak Boutique - 357 Portobello Road

As Samuel Johnson once said  “ when one is tired of London, one is tired of life: for there is in London all that life can afford”

For this reason when I was invited to the launch of a new Boutique called Chic Freak, 357 The Portobello road in one of the most interesting and fashionable parts of London I made sure it was in my diary…

For those of you who have never been to Notting Hill it is an eclectic place with it’s own tube station on the Central, Circle and District line and resident to a rich cultural mix of nationalities, where the fashionable and posh live comfortably side by side with the ethnic, edgy and avant-garde.

Chic Freak is a Concept Collective Boutique and represents this demographic perfectly. Portobello Road is the artery that runs through Notting hill’s heart.

The launch party was in full swing when we arrived fashionably late…

Sitting in the Chic Freak shop window a Jazz band was playing quirky catchy melodies whilst the guests chatted and sipped Champagne. Senior Manager Josefin Orving and the Chic Freak girls modelled their favourite pieces from the extensive collection, whilst guests viewed the tantalising collection of carefully selected pieces of fashion draped or hung around the edge of the glamorous shop interior.

Owner Tamarisk East has collected a dream team of talented fashion stylists. A self confessed and reformed party animal make up artist Tamarisk told me her vision was to have a living and breathing fashion business that not only sells the latest in fashion innovation and show cases new London design talent but also offers a ‘make up’ service that compliments and adds that vital finishing touch for a glamorous night out. Front of shop is the fashion arena, back of shop is a makeup and photography sessions studio perfect for a creative team to use in the Notting Hill area for preparing for a photo shoot. Like New York, London is a treasure trove of wonderful locations perfect for fashion film or editorial promotional shoots.  

I spied three things to add to my ‘aspire to have’ list – one was a pair of cleverly structured unique shoes designed by Julian Hakes that would look amazing with jeans or a skin tight dress, the second was a fabulous wafting black floral Coco Fennell Ossie Clarke inspired dress, perfect for work or dressed up for a party with 1970s inspired make up by Tamarisk and her team and the third a ‘statement to make’ Claudine Abu Sawan hand bag. 

An Aladdin's cave of London style creations....

James Hake and Terry De Havilland shoes

For more information about Chic Freak check out www.chicfreak.com

Address – 357 Portobello Road W10 5SA

Tel – 0208 045 4192

Best tube station - Notting Hill for a must do walk down Portobello Road

Film to see -  Notting Hill – staring Hugh Grant and Julia Roberts

Check out award winning Spanish website/magazine based in Madrid ''Les Do It' 
http://www.lesdoit.net/chic-freak-london.html for the article in Spanish. I am looking forward to working with Lesley the Managing Editor at London Fashion Week soon....
She interviewed Denzel Washington last week lucky thing!!!

Copy Schelay McCarter, pls credit

Prada Mens versus Paul Smith Mens A/W 13 Collection

Paul Smith A/W 13

Prada A/W 13

I know which outfit I would like to see my significant others wear, partner or sons....I like both collections, and there is no disputing that Paul Smith is a genius, but then so is Italian talent Miuccia Prada. For me her 'Macho Dandy' meets 'Teddy Boy' Menswear collection has the edge. There is a very clever mix of gender bias styling here - Us girls love wearing men's styled oversize jackets - Prada has taken soft fold feminine detailing here on the front of the shirt and made it work in reverse for the guys making it look very cool. There is nothing effeminate about this outfit - he looks all man!!! Old Etonian and all round acting talent Damian Lewis would look brilliant in this Prada look and carry it off effortlessly....

Take a look at both collections on Vogue.com and see what you think ?

James Long London Fashion Week MEN A/W 2013 - a leader

Last night's James Long show demonstrated just why London is leading the rest of the world in menswear. Held at the London Collections: Men show space at the Old Sorting Office, the calm and casual pre-show atmosphere not only set the tone for the collection, but also meant the show actually started on time. The collection itself, watched by the likes of Henry Holland, was unmistakably Autumnal with shades of black, brown and slub yellow forming the core of the collection. Far from a predictable Autumn/Winter collection, inspiration was found in the form of John Waters and the characters from his films, as well as marquetry techniques. The unusual inspiration resulted in graphic patterns and innovative use of fabrics such as rubberised plaid and a specially woven chenille. 

Shape and silhouette played a key part in this collection and the ideas were executed beautifully and intelligently. The pieces not only work together, but individually hold their own, and will be easy to incorporate into existing wardrobes. There were a number of bomber jackets, a favourite was the quilted one that looked like a light leather jacket – a new twist on a wardrobe staple. The focus on easy-to-wear, smart/casual, pieces was encapsulated in the new trouser shape – tailored at the top with bagging at the bottom like a track pant. My stand out piece was the rubberised plaid mac; it’s a unique and distinctive piece will make the wearer stand out from the crowd for all the right reasons.

The AW 2013 collection also saw the launch of a new collaboration between James Long and Kurt Geiger. Three styles will be available, the Jimmy, John and Jack, and all are far cry from the stereotypical men’s shoe with fabrics such as flexible plastic and horse hair. Of the collaboration, James Long said “It was great to have the creative freedom and quality working with Kurt Geiger London. It has been a very organic collaboration and I am extremely pleased with the outcome. Having the shoes work with the collections really finishes the look.”

Copy and photos by Sophie Hollins Fashiontent's Girl about town

A La Disposition Menswear Collection A/W 13 - style brilliance for the future,

My favorite piece from their Menswear collection is this fabulous jacket. Daring to be different this jacket is cool and has just the right twist of tailoring flair expected from 
A la Disposition....

A La Disposition - Think Rock band Muse playing a piece in an urban inner city Dr Who set in the year 2025!

If you want to see where Mens tailoring should be going for the future then look no further than A la Disposition. I really like this collection. Far from boring it pushes the boundaries, thinks outside the box in a commercial way. A perfect and classic muse for this great brand is the Doctor Who character played by Matt Smith who would become a dapper style icon dressed by A la Disposition.

Innovative tailoring is the name of the game for the talented Big Apple defectors husband and wife team called A la Disposition. I first became aware of this dynamic duo's talent last season at London Fashion Week for Womenswear where I was lucky enough to be invited to their presentation in the Royal Opera house.

Copy Schelay McCarter - pls credit