London Fashion Week, Somerset House

London Fashion Week comes around twice a year: February/March for the Autumn/ Winter collections and September/ October for Spring/ Summer. The incongruity with the current weather conditions makes this a little bizarre. On Saturday as the elite few watched the models showcasing the new summer clothes on the catwalk, the majority of us were getting drenched by the chilly September rain - summer and all the flouncy outfits it brings felt very distant.

As one of LFW’s bloggers, I was invited to attend Somerset House to explore the exhibition and take part in the fashion mayhem. I was immediately struck by how incredibly inventively everyone was dressed: velvet drapes, crazy shoes, beautiful bags, patterns and materials, accessories and garments of every kind - fancy dress that actually works and looks good. Photographers were out in force lining the cobbled square of Somerset House snapping away at everything and anything that moved!

We spent a good few hours walking round the exhibition, which showcases the work of some fabulous designers, old and new. My friend and I were in seventh heaven, frolicking in what felt like a giant dressing up box of goodies. Thank God the items weren’t for sale – I would have spent a fortune.

The accessory designs were the highlight for me, some so incredible that they’d complete even the plainest of clothes. Cleo B had an outrageous collection of funky shoes and footwear accessories - pom pom and diamond clip brooches to jazz up tired ballet shoes, as you can see from my photo. Colour was everywhere, and like a magpie I was drawn in by the glowing neon. Sarah Angold’s futuristic bracelets were lust-worthy as well as the beautiful bright hair accessories from Fred Butler.

In fact, there were numerous jewellery stalls: Tatty Devine with a particularly juicy array of head dresses and necklaces, and Zoe & Morgan showing off their beautiful gothic range. Clothes varied enormously in price and design; luxury handmade cloaks, retro inspired swimwear from Paolita and gorgeous silk shirts caught my eye.

I wore my favourite patriotic outfit, a vintage union jack dress, and after a trip to the paperself stall for some free paper eyelashes, I felt a little more fashion week appropriate. Hopefully my photos illustrate the qualities of LFW: fresh, innovative and exciting... fashion at its very best.

Visit the London Fashion Week website here.

Ice-Skating at Somerset House

The decorations are down and with the increase of tax, Christmas is a distant memory. However to get a last festive sparkle, visit the magical Somerset House where the ice-skating is staying open until 23 January. Sponsored by jewellery designer Tiffany&Co this ice rink is surely the most glamourous in town.

The huge popularity of this venue has meant most sociable hours over the Christmas period were booked up far in advance, but now that kids are back at school the tickets are less scarce. I went at the start of the New Year at 10 am, the first session of the day. It was bank holiday Monday and the kids were out in force. I chose a morning session, because a) it’s cheaper and b) it is likely to be less cold and dark.

The rink is beautiful, a daring slab of perfect ice. Glittering lights are scattered all around and a giant Tiffany themed tree stands tall at the entrance. After waiting in a rather annoyingly long queue we were given our tickets and were ready for action. The sessions are each an hour long, plenty of time I realised after ten minutes skating. It is amazing to see how everyone’s confidence grows on the ice, initially clinging to the sides and then very gradually moving out and skating, there is no other sport like it. There were several ice attendees who swooshed past at the speed of light, reminding me of the Quidditch players on broomsticks in Harry Potter. I couldn’t help thinking they were showing off: twisting and twirling on the ice. Amongst my 10-11 am group were a handful of keen skaters too (you can tell who they are from their pretty skates), varying in age immensely – two young girls of about eight were particularly impressive, giggling together as they glided expertly across the rink. From my experience it is a bad idea to watch other skaters too much, envy turns to competition and usually results in accidents.

After thirty minutes I began to feel comfortable on the ice and was pleased to find I could go quite fast. Speeding round was quite a challenge though as children, some very tiny, were everywhere, and I was constantly terrified of crashing into one, or worse still skating over a finger, ouch.

It was a wonderful morning activity, I felt healthy and proud after my hour, but I was definitely ready to leave when the time was up.

Book for your last chance to skate here.

Dior Illustrated and Matthew Williamson exhibitions at Somerset House

Dior Illustrated is the latest offering on show at Somerset House, in a space previously used for the Margiela show which I enjoyed there a few months back. This is not a fashion show, or a show of clothes, although there are a few on display. Instead this exhibition celebrates the work of Rene Gruau, specifically his brilliant illustrations for Dior. Here we can see examples of how a book cover can alter the way we perceive things, especially in a business as fickle as fashion.

John Galliano importantly said of the artist:

‘To be inspired by Dior is to be inspired by Rene Gruau. His sketches capture the silhouette and spirit of Dior and a new era of fashion and femininity. His illustrations are timeless, ever youthful, ever faithful to the moment he saw; they capture the energy, the sophistication and daring of Dior, and equally are tokens of an enduring friendship.’

Gruau and Dior were great friends and this connection can be seen through the work shown, produced through bouncing off each others creativity, but with a central shared vision. There are certain themes that recur throughout the exhibition: flowers, attitude, line and silhouette. I found this show quite discreet and quietly relaxing to look round. The dainty pictures are hung in one large hall so it is easy to wander calmly without the pressure of a crowd behind you.

The work on display is simple and beautiful, though a little repetitive. Most of the pictures are drawn for the advertising of Dior’s perfumes, seductive and passionate, luring you into buying the scent. There are also some comical drawings for the men’s range, poking fun with risque nudity and suggestive poses.

The final part shows the work of other contemporary artists taking on Gruau’s main motifs. For me this rather ruined the exhibition, the pictures are verging on tacky, completely different in mood to the elegant Dior drawings and don’t fit with the show at all. Why curators feel they must modernise exhibitions baffles me.

As a bonus, afterwards I spent twenty minutes looking at the free Matthew Williamson show. A bijou exhibition celebrating the English Fashion designer's significant influence on the fashion world. It is nicely arranged and consists mostly of bright photographs taken from his first catwalk show or from magazine shoots. Definitely worth a peek.

Dior Illustrated continued until 9 January, Matthew Williamson is on until 30 January.

Winter Wonderland in Hyde Park

I’d never heard about the Winter Wonderland in Hyde Park before, but now I work so close by it’s difficult to miss. The colourful Christmas fair takes up a massive area of the park, with an ice rink, flashing fairground rides, food and drink tents, gift stalls and even a Zippo’s Circus. I must admit that I was deceived into thinking that its gigantic Ferris wheel was in fact the London Eye.

Desperate for some winter ice-skating I tried to book tickets for Somerset House’s idyllic rink, unfortunately they were fully booked, and so Winter Wonderland seemed like the next best option. Hyde Park has never been busier, the hoards of tourists all eager to be part of the action. It costs nothing to enter, but anything bought inside costs a small fortune.

I was hoping the whole place would be more romantic, like the real German markets. We walked round, stopped and listened to the German singing reindeer, and smelled the various pungent pretzel, churros and hot chocolate stands, and walked past many tempting Mulled wine stands. Unfortunately the snow had rather dampened the mood, and walking through muddy sludge made me too cold to concentrate properly. We eventually reached the ice rink, which was much further than I had expected. I pathetically decided I was actually too cold to skate and so we just watched for a while instead.

There are hundreds of stalls, each begging for your custom. I was almost persuaded by a few of the jewellery stands before realising their goods were a bit tacky. The poor stall holders looked fed up and bored, and they must be freezing outside all day in these conditions. After a while I began to feel a little disillusioned by all the lights and noises and decided it was time to go home. Winter Wonderland is a great idea, and must be fun for kids, but it made me realise how much better markets work in summer when it is light enough and warm enough to actually enjoy the occasion.

Maison Martin Margiela at Somerset House

Exhibitions like this make me realise why I am doing a blog about London. There is so much to do, hidden in places you may not ever consider looking.

A Thursday night is a great time to do things in London because often galleries and shops stay open late, so it is easy to hop on the tube after work and see something exciting. This Thursday I went to the Maison Martin Margiela show at Somerset House with a good friend I managed to drag along for the ride. We sat in the Courtyard outside for half an hour beforehand in the glorious sunshine. After finishing our Nero coffees and muffins we went into the house to explore the coveted work of Margiela.

This fashion company was born in 1988, the same year as me. The Belgian stylist from which the name derives is known predominantly for his stark white garments and the transgressive themes that can be seen throughout his clothing lines, both ready-to-wear and couture. Maison Martin Margiela celebrates 20 years of the label.

A white caravan sits at the exhibition’s entrance then, walking through white arches, you are in a white, sparkling wonderland. The show is made up of films, clothes, documents and cleverly constructed installations. Everything seems carefully thought out, and the pieces are shown in such innovative ways that it makes you reconsider the purpose of the work entirely. There is a pervasive uncertainty that Margiela most probably intended, challenging all the time the conventions and traditions of clothing and fashion.

The space is otherworldly and magical, and garments hang as pieces of valuable artwork. The video clips are mesmerising – models stride the catwalk with their faces always covered - very disturbing. Secrecy remains central to the designer’s success, his clothes are isolated on the models (they are very much blank canvases) and Margiela kept an entirely private personal life too.

This exhibition is a rare opportunity to see Margiela’s vision in its full glory.

Open until September 5, 2010.

www.somersethouse.org.uk/margiela