Now the dust has well and truly settled on Brewer Street car park and London Fashion Week, it's time to take stock. J.W. Anderson was the critic's choice, Ashley Williams' BFFs ruled the catwalk and Ashish's rainbow afro show won Instagram. But who are the new young fashion buds worth watching?
We decided to get our favourite pink-bobbed London stylist Soki Mak to do the hard work for us. Soki has, quite frankly, the most covetable wardrobe in London – an artillery of incredible one-off vintage pieces and hot new designs that she collects as she hops from her bases in LA and London. You might recognise her pop-art signature styling from her recent cover with Paris Hilton, her work with Nick Knight and Brooke Candy, or her most recent campaign for Missguided starring Pammy Anderson lounging atop an XL lipstick bullet, wearing pink ostrich feather, a wide brimmed hat and NSFW heels.
Soki has hand-picked Roberta Einer, the Estonian designer who received training at Balmain and counts I.T. and Hong Kong as stockists; Helen Lawrence, the CSM graduate and BFF to Craig Green whose complex mohair knits are on the rails at Dover Street Market; and shoe designer Camilla Elphick, a favourite of The Man Repeller 's Leandra Medine, whose heels promise to turn every Sophia Webster fan girl's head with their kitsch-as-hell finish.
Time to meet Soki's class of 2016...
Roberta Einer
Soki on Roberta: "She's my favourite designer out there right now. She really surprised me with her ideas and the sources of her inspiration. The clothes were so gorgeously made in the flesh and she has so much energy. I look forward to what she has coming next."
Photographed by Elliott Morgan
Soki: Tell me about what inspired this collection, Roberta?
Night-time drives in Vegas, fluorescent lights and dark shadows of the nightlife, vintage Nudie Cohen, rhinestone cowboys, Anna Nicole Smith, exploring the boundaries between good and bad taste and making people (hopefully) question the definition of luxury.
Soki: How is it an evolution of the Roberta Einer girl?
Emerging from the fluffy pastel dreams and teenage movie world, the Roberta Einer girl has grown up – she is independent, proud and bold. There is still that hint of playfulness and sense of humour, but it's all coming from more grown up and established roots.
Photographed by Elliott Morgan
Soki: Who would you love to wear it?
This season: Rihanna, Jessie Andrews, all the bad girls.
Photographed by Elliott Morgan
Soki: What one thing do you always have with you during LFW?
My iPhone on 2% and never a charger.
Photographed by Elliott Morgan
Soki: What time did you go to bed before show day?
Bed, what is that?! I sleep after the fashion week!
Soki: Who did your shoes this season?
I have been working on shoes with Kat Maconie for three seasons now, but this is the first full scale collaboration with them for AW16.
Photographed by Elliott Morgan
Helen Lawrence
Soki on Helen: "I asked Helen to be involved in this piece as I'm a big fan of her work. Knitwear is really hard to wear unless you're a size nothing but these clothes where constructed so beautifully that they had a transformative power on. We spoke about having strippers for her fashion film and discover that we had very similar ideas on style. Helen is everything I think a designer should be: she's meticulous, passionate and detailed with everything from sales and press, to the craft and finish of all her pieces which she makes in her studio in Stoke Newington."
Photographed by Elliott Morgan
Soki: Why do you love knitwear, Helen?
It's amazing to be able to create the whole fabric from nearly nothing. Something that has your handwriting – a signature of the brand.
Photographed by Elliott Morgan
Soki: Tell me about your inspirations for AW16?
This season is really about human form. All fabrics hug, split, and sit within the different curves of the body. We were really into a book called Dressing for Pleasure – a collection of images from '70s fetish magazine, Atomage. We wanted to replicate something sexy, yet quite awkward. We used this as inspiration both for the garments and our film – by Chris Read.
Photographed by Elliott Morgan
Soki: What mood do you hope this collection embodies?
A sexy awkwardness.
Soki: Who would you like to see in Lawrence?
Everyone who loves a chunky, snuggly – yet kind of sexy jumper!
Photographed by Elliott Morgan
Camilla Elphick
Soki on Camilla: "Camilla understands the importance of a gorgeous heel that HAS to be comfortable. I wear heels most days and find that my most attractive heels are 'beauty is pain' but not Camilla's. They are cute, fun but sexy at the same time and I love that the team was all women!"
Photographed by Elliott Morgan
Soki: What were the inspirations for your AW16 collection?
For Autumn/Winter 16, we were inspired by the iconic Isabella Blow and Steven Meisel shoot. Mainly, babes in London like Stella Tennant. The collection is quintessentially British; the styles are tartan-rich and feature appliquéd blooms, laser-cut floral detailing and cute countryside creatures.
Photographed by Elliott Morgan
Soki: Why did you do the Pez heels?
I did the Pez heels for my graduate collection at Cordwainers, London College of Fashion. They received such a positive response that I knew they had to be put into production– why wouldn't you want to wear candy on your feet?! We now have a range of collectable Pez "classics" and have just launched the "fashion capitals." Each season we introduce a special Pez character and for spring/summer, we have the "Fox" and the "Hound" Pez heels.
Photographed by Elliott Morgan
Soki: Who would you love to wear Camilla Elphick?
I would love cultured, playful, sophisticated women to wear CE. We are so passionate about our shoes, which are all handmade in Italy by local artisans using only sustainably sourced materials so I would love for the wearer to also share in our passions.
Photographed by Elliott Morgan
Soki: Who's your style icon and why?
My style icon is Leandra Medine of Man Repeller. She is a witty writer, has a great sense of humour and has a style that seems to hold no boundaries. (And she looks so damn good in CEs!)
Photographed by Elliott MorganLike what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here?
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