10 Things We Learnt At An Incredible, And Often Surprising, London Fashion Week

It was an exceptional few days in the capital. Our Fashion Features Director, Victoria Moss, looks back over the lessons we can learn from London Fashion Week.

We learnt that:

1. Supermodels look amazing in the morning.

We spied Karolina Kurkova fresh-faced the morning after she walked for Christopher Kane strolling through the Connaught hotel in a short, grey skirt, white polo neck and tanned legs in a pair of monochrome Nikes. Those legs! Our legs do not look like that in a trainer. And our skin does not glow in that super-glossy sunshine-in-your-face kinda way. But that’s probably why we were sat watching Christopher Kane and not walking down the catwalk, wearing Christopher Kane. Duh.

2. We’d like to write Tom Ford a thank you letter:

Dear Mr Ford,

We hope this finds you ever so well, and we don’t doubt, dashingly handsome. We would like to offer our sincerest thanks for reading our minds and not only proffering us up a crisp, cool glass of champagne and a lush milky coffee-coloured suede sofa to recline on as we knocked back said sharpener. But for totally wowing the cropped-leg pants off us at your astounding display (if we may take the liberty of going into point form…) of:

I.The most super of supers. Joan Smalls, Georgia May Jagger, Karen Elson, Liberty Ross and Stella Tenant, who collectively gave us the most frissons of all frissons of girl crushes – we also appreciate your ‘all ages’ approach to casting. We shall take small steps every day to try and emulate their damn-straight, fierce, amazing Amazonian-ness.

II.The fact that you made a football jersey into a orange sequin mini dress. Can we have one?

III.That you sat James Cordon next to Anna Wintour. Minds blown.

IV.That you sat us with a very good vantage point for Bradley Cooper’s cheekbones (we were miles away at Burberry!).

V.Your skinny heeled black subtly cowgirled-up boots. Again – size 39.5 over here please, if you would.

This frankly set a bar for our Monday nights which we’re not sure will ever quite be reached again. Well, until next season.

Yours sincerely, Team MC

3. People REALLY, REALLY love Kendall Jenner.

Look, this might come as a surprise to some of you, but, er, some of us literally had no clue who Kendall Jenner was before Marc Jacobs had her walk in his show at last week’s NYFW. Sure, you’re right, we really should spend some more work time on the mail online… it’s an oversight, we can admit that. But goodness gracious hold the front pages – the terrifying pap scrum which swarmed around her as she exited the Turbine Hall at the Tate Modern (where the Topshop Unique show was held) swallowed up journalists, bloggers and security figures (one of whom shouted at his compadre – ‘It’s all over Twitter, mate’ – that sir, it really was) in the insane melee. So well done Kendall Jenner. You totally stole the thunder and trounced all over the fact that there were THREE Mosses in the building. Yes, three! Kate, her sister Lottie, and um, Marie Claire’s fashion features director, Victoria. She was livid!

4. Fashion people are sometimes morons.

We actually overheard a man say this, very sincerely, of a show: ‘It was very refugee.’ Ermmmmm…

5. Live fashion show music can very easily span the musical spectrum.

One minute we’re in a giant tent in Kensington listening to Paloma Faith belting out how she doesn’t want her love to end at Burberry, the next, we’re in a warehouse off Brick Lane watching a man naked except for some patent over the knee stiletto boots and a pair of maxi-tasselled leather pants play his guitar at Giles’s show. Sure.

6. Irony knows no bounds.

Cara Delevingne excellently self-referenced her, er, self by proceeding to take selfies and film her and model chums Jourdan Dunn and Cara Corre (extra fun fact: Vivienne Westwood’s granddaughter also walked in her show the day before) all the way along Giles’s catwalk. An insightful statement on the current public eye hysteria over Ms D and her pals, or just a way of recording for posterity a man wearing leather pants? Nip over to her Instagram to take a look and decide for yourselves.

7. Darth Vadar is having a fashion moment.

Next winter – there is a bit of a sci-fi extravaganza going on – think future fabrics fused with graphics from a BBC computer circa 1988 – as well as more blatant references – Rodarte’s emblazoning of Luke Skywalker, C3PO and Yoda (not kidding) on their ball gowns for one. But, over in London, it was all about the bad guy – with Preen’s genius take on frankly, our favourite Star Wars character, that old devil DV (anyone else have a bit of a crush? No? That throaty voice gets us every time). They’d jauntily emblazoned his visage on the coolest of orange and white geometric patterned silk draped dresses. Not only that, but when we exited the show, there were actual storm troopers waiting to usher us out. This is the only time in life, that boyfriends, husbands and sons have expressed any sort of interest whatsoever in fashion week. Except for that time when we said we stood next to Kate Moss. (‘Did she look fit?’ ‘Yes. She looked like Kate Moss.’)

8. Orange is a thing.

You heard it. Orange. It’s fabulous! Preen did sexy fresh head-to-toe looks, Giles did super lust-worthy classy silk shift tops with elegant hummingbirds embroidered over and Peter Pilotto paired it with grey (CHIC). Mull it over, but we’re into it.

9. Grey and brown are also things.

One of our life mottos is ‘when in doubt, buy a grey knit’ and frankly it’s one that has got us out of many a retail bind. So can you but imagine our glee as we’ve carefully noted down the luscious head-to-toe marl-ness that has been going down. But, another cheeky hue which we don’t think we’ve considered in trouser or indeed any form since around about the late 90s, is brown, although, we might say, brun, as it makes it sound a little more chi-chi and less 70s bedroom curtain. But we digress… And where, oh where, does one think you could find the two hot new base colours together? Hiya, Christopher Kane and your sexy hot little ruffled front cosy jumper and brown vinyl ruched edged mini combination.

10. Jonathan Saunders knows he’s onto a good thing.

There is only one thing that has trumped the lust we feel for Mr Saunders’ SS14 bomber jacket offering: his winter leather version. We are weeping with want.