The Return of McQueen

Alexander McQueen was a major fixture in the British fashion scene up until his tragic death two years ago. Now Sarah Burton has taken the fashion crown from HRH McQueen and never before has the brand been so alive.

It is common knowledge that the McQueen brand hasn't held any form of show in London for about ten years and their diffusion line, McQ, which was founded in 2006, has never been shown at all. That is until now. Sarah Burton is driving the McQueen brand kicking and screaming into a new era, having hosted for the first time ever a London Fashion Week show, presenting the AW12, McQ collection.

 The collection itself was miles away from anything offered previously from the diffusion line. Dresses that looked as if they had been made from the purest gossamer threads, embroidered with thick, botanical prints were paraded down the catwalk along with monochrome woollen dresses and 'Vamp-ish' red lace dresses. It was definitely a stellar McQ show that harked back to the McQueen heritage whilst still appealing to a wider, more conventional audience.

Of course this is a major fashion achievement and something which has caused a flurry of excitement to sweep through the fashion crowd, but what really caught my attention was the intricate hairstyles designed by Guido Palau. McQueen has been a constant source of inspiration for hairdressers worldwide and the McQ show did not disappoint. Compared with the fashion shows Guido and I worked on during NYFW where effortlessly chic glamour was on the agenda, the McQ show presented a strong, structural look that was styled with precision.

The main look of the show and no doubt the most talked about look of the show (pictured above) was inspired by a 1940's hair roll with Guido exaggerating this technique to create an Avant Garde, high fashion appearance. The model's own hair is swept upwards and then rolled around a giant hair doughnut to create the rounded, disc appearance. It is a long and slightly painful process (for the model anyway) but it is one that is used time and time again in the world of hairdressing.

What are your thoughts on this collection? Did you like the presentation and highly stylised hair or are you just happy to see McQueen return to Britain after so long?

John Galliano the Fashion Icon

Galliano's full name is Juan Carlos Antonio Galliano-Guillén. He was born in Gibraltar to a Spanish mother, Anita and has two sisters. Galliano's father was a plumber. His family moved to England in pursuit of work when Galliano was six and settled in Streatham, South London, before moving to Dulwich and later to Brockley. He was raised in a strict Roman Catholic family which made him shy and different from others making it a struggle to fit in. Recalling his early days, he once admitted: "I don’t think people here understood where I was coming from." His mother, a Flamenco  teacher, would dress him in his "smartest" outfit even for a trip to the local shops.

Thirties-inflected chiffon cut on the bias are among Galliano's signatures, as have been imaginative hats made in collaboration with Stephen Jones. From Yemeni tribes to a camp California Valley of the Dolls, no reference was too far-flung for a Galliano interpretation. This cultural omnivorousness makes an ironic counterpoint to reports of his recent behavior. 

 John Galliano shows and John Galliano characters—including, might as well add, John Galliano himself—tend to be drawn a bit larger than life. Bill Gaytten, now stewarding the house, must be intimately familiar with this. And for his new thirties-inspired show, he looked to the work of J.C. Leyendecker and Norman Rockwell, illustrators for the famous Saturday Evening Post covers of the era. Their men were supermen, too. Call it a tip of the hat from one fabulist to his fellows.

Fashion Icon Mary Quant MiniSkirt

Mini Skirt of Mary Quant (Born 11February 1934) is a Welsh fashion designer and British fashion Icon,who was one of the designers who took credit for inventing the miniskirt and hot pants in 1960s. She brought fun and fantasy to fashion and showed  a generations how to dress to please themselves . 

Miniskirts had been getting shorter since about 1958. Mary Quant considered to be practical  and liberating ,allowing women the ability to run for a bus. The mini skirt which she is arguably most famous for,became one of the defining fashions of the 1960s. The Miniskirt was developed separately by Andre Courreges the french designer, and there's disagreement as  to who  came up with the idea first like most fashions.    

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 Quant was not afraid of novelty and experimentation . Some of her most popular designs were sweater dresses with plastic collars , balloon -style dresses, and knickerbockers and stretch stockings in all colours and pattems. Other typical designs included knee-length white plastic lace -up boots and tight sweaters in bold stripes. 

These clothes become part of the London look.

PSIONICS Hair Show

See the exclusive footage of  my Cafe de Paris show, PSIONICS, featuring the work of Andrew Corbett and myself. It was a night full of excitement, creativity and glamour all brought together through Avant Garde hair pieces and fashion. 

PSIONICS Show

 On Saturday 5th November, I held my latest hair show at the famous London nightclub, Cafe de Paris and it proved to be a truly spectacular evening. The show was based around the theme of PSIONICS, meaning creating an other worldly phenomena with ones own mind and was split into three halves showcasing an array of looks ranging from editorial and Avant Garde. 

Dramatic styles and colours took pride of place, with hats made from twisted strands of hair, horns made from plaited hair and a brightly coloured feathered head dress making their way down the runway. The show featured twenty models who all modelled unique hair designs in addition to the Avant Garde garments designed by Gemma Goldstone, VictoriaClare, Kate Williams and Ara Jo (who has designed for Lady Gaga). 

The show rivalled any firework display happening in the capital that night and allowed the press and the public the opportunity to preview the next big looks in Avant Garde hairdressing.