Last Friday at London Fashion week, DAKS showed its SS16 collection and it was as
beautifully put together as always. Founded in 1894, it keeps its
British heritage well with its house check and colour palette, yet adds
modernism with digital prints.

With the window-check and marble prints making an appearance in this
collection, it gave the structured look to DAKS that we know and love
but the flow of the fabric it was printed on, added elegance and
softness to the collection.

The main colours used were purple, black, white and brown. During the
catwalk to set the scene they played a lovely track that made you feel
like you were sitting in Paris, with a glass of whatever you fancy, in a
venue that had a glass ceiling so all the daylight flooded in, making
the summer feeling even more realistic.

The collection had a
mix of jumpsuits, beautifully tailored suits and dresses, that had a
mixture of soft, flowing, silks that were then paired with suede skirts,
dresses and panels of tan and black. This added a shape to the model
yet the suede was quite thin so it wouldn’t actually be that hot to wear
in the summer.The only full suede look was a “little black dress” which
even though was quite short, the suede keeps it from flowing up, also
keeping the structure of silhouette.

Photography by James Moffatt

The young, award-winning Portuguese Designer made a great statement for SS16!

With the theme of fraying being used as a trending theme this season,
Daniela Barros has added this interestingly with deconstructed trousers
and jackets, revealing parts of the body like shoulders as the model
walks.

Known for her tailoring, Barros also reinvents the way we look at the
classic denim jacket, and turns the timeless trench coat into something
far more complex with layers and panels, adding masculinity to the
female silhouette.

With the white of the fabric being so crisp and the depth of the
blacks in this collections, it feels like the clothing is working
together but almost conflicting. The collection is all about “actions
and moral values” and it shows well in the use of colours and fabrics,
as well as the tailoring and unstructured silhouettes.

In addition to the collection, the catwalk at the On/Off space at The
Vinyl Factory in Soho fit very well. The bright strip lighting in the
ceiling and plain white and grey surroundings, made the boldness of
these creations stands out even more as the models walked down the room
in flats that have attached fabric to them, fraying off the front of
their feet.

Photography by James Moffatt

New on the block designer, Min Wu had her “official London Fashion Week debut” this season. She was also one of the ten finalists in the London College of Fashion MA showcase only February last year.

This clean collection with gradient prints and structured
silhouettes, combined with elasticity in the clothing, expresses how
Wu aimed to create a collection that shows how human muscles are rigid
but able to adjust and stretch. Then adding in the use of functional
materials and technology, brings the collection into the epitome of
modernity in today’s fashion industry.

Colours like pinks, and blues on the fabrics combined with white make
this collection feel clinical, which reflects well with the fashion
film that went along with the collection called “Adjusting/Healing”
directed by David Richardson, all about “self discovery and recovery“.
The colours also added femininity to the strong shapes, plastic
accessories and backpacks. But with denim also making a comeback, Min
Wu has also been quite forward thinking as her first four looks are made
pretty much only out of this trending fabric.

Photography by James Moffatt