Vauxhall Fashion Scout: Ones To Watch SS12 x Malene Oddershede Bach

Digital animal prints in acid yellows, vivacious turquoise and bright pinks - Malene Oddershede Bach certainly bought the runway to life. Her collection drew inspiration from the sensation of loss and the feeling of unfulfillment, mixed with the psychedelic films of Gaspar Noe and David Cronenberg. I do find it hard to see where Malene Oddershede Bach translates loss and unfulfillment here, other than the faux sleeves, cut-out details and asymmetrical bodices - I believe this was a wholly position and bold collection! All one colour twin-sets were definitely a highlight, with black as the stark contrast to the rest of the collection. Intricate embellishment on skater dresses emphasises femininity but also showcases the designers extreme talent.

all photographs © Natalie Green / So Totally

Vauxhall Fashion Scout: Ones To Watch SS12 x Alice Lee

With apparently no inspiration, Alice Lee mixed soft knits with leather stitching, creating strong silhouettes with bold statement additions. Ridged hems, large sculptural cowl necks and alien-like head gear, Lee's collection was a stark point of difference paired with the other Vauxhall Fashion Scout One's to Watch. Where the others had fluidity and an obvious femininity, Lee focused on rigid shapes and clean cuts, with the body-con key. The palette was mainly monochrome, once again, with red as the bold colour addition. Overall, a weird and wonderful collection that pushes the boundaries of knitwear fashion innovation.

all photographs © Natalie Green / So Totally

Vauxhall Fashion Scouts Ones To Watch SS12 x Phoebe English

Phoebe English was another Central Saint Martins graduate named as a One to Watch for SS12. Her collection focused on heavily pleated shift dresses with black leather slips, raw edges and long fringing. Wholly a monochrome palette and boxy silhouettes, it's organic quality draws the line, making it a simple but unique and extremely wearable collection. 

all photographs © Natalie Green / So Totally

Vauxhall Fashion Scout: Ones To Watch SS12 x Shao Yen

During LFW AW11, I went to the Charlie Le Mindu Off-Schedule show and was shocked to see models walk down the runway starkers, only wearing overly eccentric Gaga accessories. Now, a little bit of flesh isn't such a controversy, but it makes me wonder how on earth would the average woman wear such a collection! Sometimes, fashion has to be looked at like an art form or expression and not simply as garments we clothe ourselves in - Central Saint Martins graduate, Shao Yen, fits into this category for me. 

When I first saw this collection, it evoked images of Asian fishermen. The triangular black weaved net hats, sheer satins and brushed mesh dresses inspired me to imagine a life at sea - sobre and somewhat macabre, perhaps even a shipwreck but somehow with elements of Asian culture and ancient tradition. However, when reading about Yen's actual inspiration, I couldn't have been further off the mark! It's all a matter of interpretation and to have a collection translated through another's eyes, especial through those who created it, can be fascinating. Yen's inspiration came from  images of 80s-90s street wear, punk, bondage and tribal women, but in particular, an image of some prostitutes! 

I was interesting to see how the body could be shown or exposed in a different way and the different meanings of that. For example, if it's tribal it might be for decorative reasons but the prostitute has to show their body to earn a living. So I am trying to bring those elements together and they all have the same kind of raw and rough finish. - Shao Yen

Waist high splits, chest cut-outs and mesh bodices were certainly one way to experiment how the body was put on show. Sheer fabrics and body clinging silhouettes didn't leave much to the imagination either. Leather straps across the body clearly evoked a bondage and darker side to the collection while a seasonal mustard was a refreshing splash of colour.

Vauxhall Fashion Scout: Merit Winner x Leutton Postle

Leutton Postle is a luxury knitwear label that experiments with riotous colours and surface textures, creating unusual statement patterned pieces for the daring and bold woman. Created by Saint Martin graduates Sam Leutton and Jenny Postle, the duo were the named recipients of the Vauxhall Fashion Scout SS12 Merit Winner award and I was lucky enough to attend the show. To see my coverage of backstage and pre-show going ons, click here.

Jumbo fringing, chunky crochet knit patchwork skirts, one legged trouser slips and an array of sewn geometric designs with plaited detailing - this collection is unique and pushes every boundary of fashion design. Asymmetrical shoulders and neckline cuts, intricate detailing and with loose fitting poncho silhouettes, this collection evoked images of African femininity. 

To see the full show, click here. I conveniently placed myself at the end of the runway so I was the first to see the models as they walked out, and had a good view when they headed back. At 4:27 you can actually see me on the right, telling the other photographer to get out my way! Click here to see a short video I took of the final credits. I'm fairly new to the video capacities of my camera but expect to see plenty more clips in future posts as I get the hang of it all.

Behind the Scenes: Vauxhall Fashion Scout: Merit Winner x Leutton Postle

In this industry, it not always about what you know, but more of who you know that gets you places. As I've mentioned in previous posts, my chance meeting with talented blogger Farrukh, from The Implausible Blog, completed my SS12 London Fashion Week. One stroke of luck saw me behind the scenes of Vauxhall Fashion Scouts One to Watch & Merit Winner Shows. 

This was a totally new experience for me, watching the rush before the show, even though I'm no stranger to the talents the showcase in VFS. In 2010 I did a summer internship at the leading commercial online fashion forecasting company, MPDClick/Mudpie. While dabbling in fashion forecasts for the upcoming seasons, I was also given the chance to contribute to their online monthly publication. My first effort was focused on the Merit Winner of Vauxhall Fashion Scouts at the time, Eudon Choi. To see my article click here, but I will be adding it in a later post to archive it here too.   

So before I publish my report on the actual show, I thought I'd share my backstage experience. The below pictures were all for the SS12 Merit Winner, Leutton Postle, even though I was wondering between rooms and weaving my way through models for the Ones to Watch show too. Reports for all shows will follow shortly: 

Leutton Postle is a luxury knitwear label that experiments with riotous colours and surface textures, creating unusual statement patterned pieces for the daring and bold woman. The lip make-up for this show mimicked the colours in the actual collection, with haphazard application, often uneven and spreading onto the face. 

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All the models clothes were ordered, packed and labelled at the back of the room ready for when make-up and hair was complete.

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If the models weren't getting their hair done, they were sat at the mercy of the make-up artists who had inspirational pictures of the desired look they had to create. With little room to maneuver, artists and models alike were working in very close proximity - I tell you, there wasn't much glamour in that! Especially when it came to the models getting changed into their designated outfit for the show...

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Last minute adjustments and mends were being made all over the place!

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Backstage I could get a little bit more up close and personal with the collection - just look at these shoes! So utterly random, and dare I say, not very durable, these shoes were another mimic of the whole collection with a mass of different surface textures and a mash of colour. Every pair had the be repaired before the models headed out onto the runway as the yarn kept unravelling. We also had one model face-plant in the practice walks backstage! Luckily, the final show ran perfectly.

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Before the show, all the models were posing for the media. One guy asked these two models to blow a kiss - I don't know where he was from or where the picture/video of this is - but as he was taking it I swooped in and took my own sneaky pic. 

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When getting in order just behind the scenes of the runway, ready for the trial walks before the audience was let in, the team was literally on their hands and knees making very last minute alterations - those shoes did not want to stay intact!

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Still in their own gear, the models are waiting for the trial walk down the runway. All are wearing the shoes belonging to the collection as to get used to walking in them for the actual show. 

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The venue is more or less empty as the models do their practice run. All the make-up and hair team are out front to watch, with most of the photographers already set up and waiting at the end of the runway.