Sun 31st Jan: Guest Post – Furry Interesting: Naomi Attwood at the LCF MA show

Handing you over to the capable hands of contributing editor Naomi Attwood who I asked to cover the LCF MA show for me.........

"Despite a touch of fatigue, and the fact it was about minus twelve outside, I had a spring in my step as I made my way to the V&A for the showcase of the LCF (my old college) MA show. The venue for the catwalk presentation – The Raphael Chapel is an immensely gorgeous setting for a show.  Fred and I both love a bit of talent spotting at student fashion shows AND because I've just completed my MA at LCF (in journalism); it was extra special for me to be able to support my contemporaries in the design department.  

 

Plus there was a champagne reception beforehand which turned out (surprisingly for a student event) to be packed with wall to wall London celebs like Mika, Jodie Harsh, Paloma Faith and Jo Wood; as well as a who’s who of London Fashion – Joan Burstein of Browns, Harold Tilman of the BFC, Hilary Alexander of the Telegraph and of course, Susie Bubble.

 

Well, on with the clothes. Mincing along to a remix of The Simpsons theme were the models in Soo Youn Seo’s collection, which very strangely reminded me of someone. Head to toe monochromatic outfits (complete with corresponding colour party wigs). No, I can’t think who that might be. It’s completely gone.  They were lovely though.

 

 

Another collection that caught the eye was disco-futurist So Ra Kim, with some very structured pieces, like breast-plate like tops and bell-shaped skirts. Even though it was in a neon and metallic colour palette, it succeeded in looking fresh and forward-looking, far from any nu rave neon clichés.

 

 

Near the end of the presentation came along the evening’s controversy, from Merve Tuna, a student who had gone a step further than using skins as a material – and compiled jackets that were almost mobile taxidermy parlours. Some people might say that these garments, with hares' heads and pheasants' wings swinging all over the place were the height of tastelessness, while others might notice that by keeping the materials in their original contexts makes more of a statement than an animal skin (real or fake) dyed and trimmed to resemble something else.  . . . 'tis a tricky one.

 

Congratulations one and all. I felt proud of my designer peers, and I’m looking forward to seeing more of their creations on LFW catwalks of the future!"

 

- Naomi Attwood