Daydream Nation Accessories

A few years ago I was invited to a show by Daydream Nation which is a brand created by Jing and Kay Wong which uses story telling to create and present clothes. The show was quite 'unusual 'and left me wondering a little what was going on, but it definitely made a difference to a run of the mill fashion show and I was not surprised to recently receive a press release saying that Daydream Nation have won quite a few awards including Vogue Italia's Vogue talent 2010.

The collection that went to see was based on a story about woodland animals, which this year seems to have become a big theme in fashion so it looks like they were a bit ahead of the pack (or perhaps just out there on their own). Apparently Chanel selected items from their AW09 collection as inspiration for Karl Lagerfeld. The have also collaborated with Urban Outfitters and Peter Jensen.

The AW10 collection is again inspired by stories about forests with names including 'the forest is cold at night', 'the boy on a tree' and 'its written in the wind'. Boiled wool cardigans, printed silk dresses and trench coats all feature in the latest collection in a woodland colour range and look perfectly suited to a relaxed layered outfit with some interesting detail. But what I really love about Daydream Nation is the accessories which include pieces called 'King' and 'Queen of the Forest' and 'Where the wild things are'. and feature a mixture of chains and crochet and for the latest collection fur and horns! Who said fashion shouldn't be fun?

Daydream Nation is stocked at the Moon and Mars, Selfridges, B Store and or direct.

I will leave you with the Daydream Nation intro, which might get you thinking or daydreaming a little:

'We believe that daydreamers are the lost children in society.

Daydream Nation is a place where people see boats in buckets and hear sea waves in radio glitches.

It is a way of life, a vow to dream and dare to act upon it

Come dream with us.'

LFW Estethica - Henrietta Ludgate

Another of the designers that caught my eye at Estethica at London Fashion Week was Henrietta Ludgate. I love the sculpted shapes created by the fabrics made from English woven cashmere with mink, pure Scottish wool and super fine Yorkshire wool jersey. I couldn't make up my mind whether I liked the neutral greys and camels or the shocking pink the best. But I think the grey dress with a super low scooped back was definitely my favourite piece in terms of shape. The collection was inspired by enchanted forests and legendary tales including the Grimm's Fairy tales. These clothes look so cosy but in an elegant and sophisticated way. It is almost as if they have been moulded into a cocoon shape.

Based in the Highlands and Islands of Scotland, Henrietta Ludgate uses fabrics produced by UK mills and produces her collections locally. I can't think of any better way to support the UK farming, textiles and fashion industry. She only uses natural and organic fibres in her clothing. She was recently awarded the Ethical Fashion Forum's 'Fashion Innovation Award' for LFW Spring Summer 2010.

Lako Bukia AW10

When it comes to black and white, there are so many different ways that I love to wear this classic combination. I am always on the lookout for new interesting ideas. That is why I sat up and took notice when I saw the AW10 collection from Lako Bukia, London based Georgian designer and graduate of A. Kutateladze Tbilisi State Academy of Art. Lako gained recognition for her first collection 'mushroom' which was a soft and sensual collection in velvets, silks and handmade fabrics. The collections was shown at the Ukranian Fashion week and exhibited at Central St Martins She was also selected to take part in Kiev Fashion Week of Young Designers in May this year.

Lako is now studying for her second BA this time at London College of Fashion and has produced a collection for AW10. This collection is a stark contrast to her first collection with much stronger lines and angular shapes and of course the bold and striking combination of black and white. The use of zips to open pieces of clothing into something new and create different effects was both innovative but wearable. The collection is called Emotions and explores the divide between good and bad. It uses a range fabrics and textures to create the different features of each piece, including wools for the sharper forms and accents of silks to soften the shapes.