London Fashion Week AW17: Accessories Round-Up
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From the ice queen at Sophia Webster to a murder mystery at Charlotte Olympia, styles inspired by British aristocracy at Mulberry and a winter rainbow of jewel tones at Hill and Friends, no longer are accessories just styling to a catwalk show, London Fashion Week has shown that accessory designers are making their mark as key players on the schedule, and FashionUnited has rounded up then best moments from the autumn/winter 2017 collections.
Sophia WebsterSophia Webster is known for her elaborate, enchanting presentations, and for autumn/winter 2017 the designer transformed Soho’s Vinyl Factory into a winter wonderland, complete with a giant snow globe, artificial snow, ice sculptures and snow cones.
“As a brand known for colour, for some time I’ve wanted to use a more minimalist backdrop, and a snowy landscape was the perfect scenario,” explains Sophia Webster. “It’s unexpected territory for me to showcase products against white, but visualising this gave me a new perspective when creating the AW17 collection.”
The inspiration was translated into a glacial colour palette of arctic white, pale pink, silver, and ice blue featuring oversize crystals, fur trims, and velvet detailing, and heels with crystal tiaras that made you think of ‘Frozen’s’ Queen Anna.
Her distinctive and iconic speech bubble clutch bags have been reworked with slogans including ‘Melt Me’, ‘Ice Ice Baby’, and ‘Cooler than Cool’, while one of the highlighted slogans ‘Hot like Fire, Cold like Ice’ has been emblazoned on a pair of thigh-high boots embellished in more than 3,000 multicoloured crystals.
Charlotte OlympiaCharlotte Olympia treated her guests to a film noir premiere for her ‘An Accessory to Murder’ presentation at Mayfair's Curzon cinema. The new collection inspired by Lauren Bacall and Rita Hayworth featuring retro-inspired styles with “a modern interpretation of 1940s silhouettes”.
Highlights included newspaper-printed boots and clutches, feathered sandals, beaded tassel heels, designs featuring a broken heart, and retro-shaped round bags and knee-high boots decorated with cut-out graphics from classic movies ‘Gilda’ ‘Double Indemnity’ and ‘To Have And Have Not’.
British accessories labels Sophia Webster, Mulberry and Charlotte Olympia showcase during LFW
Mulberry“It’s about making something traditional feel new,” says Mulberry creative director Johnny Coca. “Taking these archetypal British styles, and making them feel right for today.”
English heritage dominates the Mulberry autumn/winter 2017 collection, with footwear and handbags echoing a vintage feel with styles synonymous with English equestrian and country pursuits. There were knee-high and over-the-knee boots influenced by riding styles in patent and mesh, while some shoes were snub-toed with a narrow sturdy heel, reminiscent of Scottish Ghillies with open lacing over the instep, and there were some dainty heels perfect for an elegant dinner party.
The handbags also echoed the same vintage look, showcasing the expertise of Mulberry’s Somerset-based craftsmen and craftswomen, featuring the collection’s signature quilting and bijoux charms adorn supple styles, along with knotted silk foulards and dressage rosette tags inspired by the collection’s equestrian theme.
Coca has updated the classic Bayswater styles with quilted detailing, while introducing new pieces that reference antique luggage, with their structures reminiscent of hat-boxes and trunks. Key style includes the Amberley, inspired by British countryside pursuits that gets its ring hardware and satchel shape from traditional equestrian styling, while the sturdy top-handle gives it a vintage look.
Hill and FriendsSet in the opulent Pompadour Room at the Cafe Royal Hotel, Hill and Friends contrasted the grandeur of the room with a winter rainbow of jewel tones, while guests were served miniature traditional English homemade pies complete with Hill and Friends lettering and Roald Dahl inspired English cordials.
For autumn/winter 2017, Hill and Friends has been inspired by psychedelic ’70’s nights out on the town and saturated Seventies graphics, with signature colours including electric blue, bottle green, and pale gold. The vibrant and bold collection has been expanded to include the new Happy Mini Tote, the Happy Slouchy Tote and also a whole new range ‘Friendly’, which includes two new silhouettes featuring two-way zip closures with a detachable padlock, inspired by teenage lockable diaries and friends forever charm bracelets.
Anya Hindmarch
Exploring the “romanticised notion of winter and wanderlust and the darker motifs found in Old Norse folklore”, Anya Hindmarch presented her own alpine fantasy with models zig-zagging down the icy slope in a collection featuring Nordic knits and shearling outerwear, accessorised with shearling sliders, double rucksacks trimmed with Fair Isle detailing, and animal character cross-body bags.
Showcasing traditional leather craft techniques, including Scandinavian Kurbits and complex hand-woven leatherwork, Anya Hindmarch’s collection is perhaps less playful than previous seasons, but there is still the fun factor in her character animal bags inspired by a purse she had as a child, the yeti-like furry sliders, and the paperchain-style handbag straps.
Eudon Choi
For autumn/winter 2017, Eudon Choi has joined forces with Korean bag brand Decke, owned by the Hyundai group, to debut his first range of handbags, inspired by ‘Villa Müller’, one of Adolf Loos’ most iconic works.
There are nine different shapes in the debut collection in a variety of colourways in soft leather in hues of green, navy, camel, black and white, and each features distinctive metal rings and monochromatic ball hardware.
Three of the Eudon Choi x Decke bags seen on the catwalk are available now on the designer’s website as part of the label’s ‘see now, buy now’ initiative, with prices starting from 300 pounds.
Other accessory highlights included: Christopher Kane once again teaming up with Crocs, this season the designer has lined the styles with mink fur, while House of Holland showcase cowboy boots and Mary Katrantzou showcased fairy princess heels featuring pointed slippers embellished with ladylike bow details alongside platform brogues with flared heels and diamante buckles.
Images: Danielle Wightman-Stone / courtesy of Mulberry and Eudon Choi