While there were definitely some super amazing NYFW shows, no one can deny the tone was SO serious. Even when it felt lighter, the clothes still screamed “Take me seriously or I’ll bludgeon you with my stiletto.”

You know that if High Priestess, Our Lady of Seriousness Anna Wintour says to lighten up, it’s time to LIGHTEN UP. That’s the best part about London Fashion Week- the playful buoyancy each designer brings to each frock. Let me tell you my top three favorites of the past week.

1. Erdem

Hands down, Erdem was for me one of the most beautiful shows I’ve seen of London in several seasons. I’m usually more into complicated artistry when it comes to fashion; I love draping, anything architectural and slightly strange. I usually overlook dainty tea dresses. However, the fabrics at Erdem were SO lovely I could hardly contain my excitement. The muted florals just looked so fresh in a sea of English liberty prints. These were my favorite looks:

 

2. Sass & Bide

I wonder if there will always be just one show that A and I agree on? There were a few standout pieces from Sass & Bide’s show that I just couldn’t get out of my mind all week. The prints were borderline tribal, but very fun. The draping was flawless. Each model looked so fresh and modern. The designers didn’t take themselves too seriously, but you could tell that they really thought about the practicality of each garment.  I also loved the shoes and the jewelry. Each of these looks would look so amazing paired with basics like jeans and trousers.  Who said practical had to be boring?

3. Christopher Kane

Let me clarify something: I did not love this show. Some of the garments were ugly. The garments were crocheted and had strange cut outs in unusual places. So why is it on my favorites, you ask? Well, there is something to be said for a raw artistic talent like Kane’s. For this seasons wears he was inspired by lava lamps and a pencil case he had back in school. To me, this is what the art of fashion is all about. It’s easy to be inspired by flowers or textures, or even emotions. The real talent comes from the every day things that inspire you to create. Making things with your hands is a lost art these days. We have machines and computers to do just about everything for us. We don’t even have to make our food anymore, we can just heat it up. I’m not trying to be on any soapbox of sort, but fashion isn’t always about making things that are pretty or even wearable. Its about a designer’s ability to reach deep inside himself or herself for inspiration and just make something. We should give more credit to designers and artists of all sorts that work so hard to give us tactile experiences. Based on his work ethic, I think we’ll be seeing big things from Kane in the future. He’s just gotta get his sea legs, first.