Strutting the Catwalk Part Two: London Fashion Week

So I’m not the speediest of fashion bloggers. But what can I say; being a jet setting model/muse to all the glorious designers leaves me little time to bring the latest fashion news updates on my wee little blog. I’ve finally had some time to settle down. Milan fashion week is not quite as hectic for me for some reason; I’m guessing the Italians don’t take much of a liking to octopus faced models like me.

I always look forward to London Fashion Week. It is perhaps my favorite fashion week city because the designs in London are just so darn quirky and odd. I love quirkiness and oddness as if it were my comfortable blankie I can just bundle myself in. Or maybe it’s just the huge disparity between the safe n’ chic looks of New York. As always, what little knowledge of fashion I have will be quite apparent, but what love of fashion I have will triumph my lack of knowing.

Now as I recount my favorite runway shows in alphabetical order. I’m feeling very elementary school these days.

AQUASCUTUM:



When I saw all these coats come down one by one on the runway I was drooling with jealously! I have a major obsession with coats like no other. Half my wardrobe consists of coats so it is not surprising I was tickled with happiness when I saw Aquascutum's coats. I believe my obsession first began with trench coats. I had wanted a trench coat ever since well, ever since I was big enough to fill out a trench coat. I've had this romanticized fantasy involving a beige trenchcoat playing in my head for many years now:

The scene: A rainy/misty night. A jet is nearby getting ready to
take off. I am dressed in my trenchcoat with black heels and my cloche hat. My hair is in curls, perfect and umm..curly. My lips are red and my face is pale from the freezing cold. My clutch is held in my super cracked, dry fingers. A dark and handsome man in a suit with a fedora stands next to me.

Me: Goodbye my love. Until we meet again, I will memorize and recall your
wrinkled face and graying hair every night before I sleep.

Man: No! Must you leave!? Please stay...stay with me...we can be happy
together!

Me: No, I can't. My husband is waiting for me. I must go.

Man: Please. I love you!

Me ignores the man's words and steps onto the jet. Curls blowing beautifully in her face and trench coat flapping like mad. Never has a woman looked as..as...interesting as me. With one last look, me turns and heads into the jet. Jet takes off and flies Dark and handsome man falls to the pavement drenched in tears.

So that is basically my trenchcoat fantasy. As you can see from the scene, the trenchcoat plays a major role. I did manage to find a London Fog trench coat a while back in one of those a whole bag for $5 sales at my local thrift store. Unfortunately I have not gotten the opportunity to wear it. I think with the casualness of California, trenchcoat wearing would be a little awkward. But then again, when have I ever cared about being awkward? Never. Exactly.

But anways, back to the show. I was super happy to see such interesting coats that emanated the same feeling of the classic trench. I was even more happy when I, yes me and my octopus face, got to strut down the catwalk with the coolest coat of all.

Seriously, nothing beats a trench with a printed photo looking print of a city. I'm like a walking silent film. It's that amazing.

The shape was quite different too. I believe my silhouette looked like that of a bowling pin, but in a good way.

All the fashion photographers were taking pictures of my outfit left and right that I nearly tripped due to the blinding flashes. But who can blame them? This was the coolest piece from the whole collection.

Once again, I did all the begging I could to keep this piece but was again denied from the object of my affection. Things never work out the way I want it to. Maybe I should just give up, but remember those words of wisdom: "If at first you don't succeed, pick yourself up and try again."

BORA AKSU:

I have never heard of this designer before until I last week and boy do I feel ashamed that I didn't know. One of the reasons why I love London fashion week is because of all the new talents out there. Not only do I walk the walk for those already established designers, but I like to with emerging designers as well. What can I say, I'm an equal opportunity employee.
I was immediately drawn to all the frills and frou frou when he first showed me his stuff. There was something very romantic about the dresses. I love me some good ole chiffon.

He showed me the dress that I would be wearing and I was so amazed by the print of the dress. It looked like a knitted sweater! I'm still kind of confused if it really is a knit material or just a print. My mind is always in a state of confusion so it's no biggie. But no matter what the dress was just so gorgeous to walk in. I felt like a blossoming flower in the winter snow.

There were also these very interesting vest like contraptions that reminded me of a horse saddle but for a woman's body. It made me want to go ride a horse but I don't believe in riding horses so that was out of the question.

ELEY KISHIMOTO:

Eley Kishimoto's collection can be summed up in two words: child and fun. Lala can be summed up in two words: child and fun. This was a match made in heaven. I was seriously attracted to every bit and piece of their stuff. In the words of Bacne, Like Seriously, I want them all!! From the colors to the prints to the mixing and matching, I loved the whole clown and jester theme going on. I was literally in heaven. This was totally made for me and all my childish dreams.

I got to wear the final piece.

I felt so cool in the final piece.

Like with that giant polka-dotted ribbon mixed with that more grown up looking coat. It was a symbol for my "in-between" stage in life. In the words of Britney, "I'm not a girl, not yet a woman." No. I'm not a man either.

I have never wanted to wear white tights and white gloves together more in my life.

I have never loved my bangs more in my life. I wish I had my bowl cut back. Come back to me bowl cut! Oh how I miss you so.

I look a little tall and gangly and awkward in this photo, but I swear I'm not in real life! If you saw me you would be amazed how short and stumpy I am and be quite flabbergasted by my model status.

I was again rejected by my requests to keep the pieces so I stole them instead. I got caught and landed in the London prison. I made a few friends during my stay but was eventually bailed out. I have connections ya know?

SINHA STANIC:

Another favorite of mine was Sinha Stanic's. The young duo designer's label was another one I had not heard of before. Why do all these crazy people come from London!? I wish I were there but I'll settle with my suburban lifestyle for now.

Being the equal opportunity employee that I am, I said yes to their show and boy was it fantastic.

I loved their interesting shapes and their motorcycle-esque jackets looked like a piece of carved ham folding ever so gently around the contours of the body. Paired with the deformed bubble skirt and the multi-toned turtleneck tops, the outfits were quite refreshing.

I sort of laughed in a I'm-laughing-with-you-not-at-you way when I saw the tan skirt because it reminded me of a fortune cookie. I told the designers this and apparently they did not find it so funny. I guess fortune cookie does not scream high fashion to them. But dude man, high fashion can come from any inspiration. This little conversation unfortunately ruined all my chances at obtaining a piece from the collection. Me and my big mouth.



VIVENNE WESTWOOD: RED LABEL

Last but not least, I loved the Vivienne Westwood collection. It was fun and funky and cool and everything that I want to be thrown onto a runway. There was definitely still an essence of Ms. Westwood's punk roots in all the outfits. Even the more glamourous looks had something dark and edgy going on. Oh Ms Westwood, please help me become dark and edgy!!

I got the pleasure of wearing the iconic plaid piece. I love me some good plaid, but what I loved even more was my hair. Man it was totally fierce. Never in my life have I wanted super super supernova big hair as much as I do now. It felt like I was wearing this frizzy shawl-hood but when I looked around I was like "oh lala it's my hair!"

My eyes looked cross-eyed only because I was trying super hard to focus on looking straight because otherwise I would have turned around to look at the models behind me to see them rock the awesome outfits.

I really wanted to wear the purple dress with the mustache drawn above the mouth because I wanted to have a mustache drawn above my mouth. Ms. Westwood said it wouldn't match my skin complexion. Oh well, at least I got the hair.

So that was my little excursion to London. I'm in Milan right now getting my beauty rest, but posts about Milan will be coming soon! Oh life is so hard being a world fashion octopus-faced fashion model.

Photos courtesy of Coutorture and Style.com