London Fashion Week kicked off with a bang this season thanks to On | Off and Land Rover. On the eve of the first catwalk show, London’s elite gathered at the Rook & Raven Gallery to celebrate fashion, film, performance and art. Celebrity guests includedBritish Fashion Designer Zandra Rhodes, Jane Shepherdson (CEO Whistles), Brigette Stepputtis (Head of Couture Vivienne Westwood), George Lamb, Natalie Pinkham and Alexandra Burke with exclusive live performances from Amanda Lepore, Martin Creed, Ryan Styles, Early Morning Rebel and Marques Toliver. And as if that weren’t enough, Natt Weller and Irina Lazareanu both DJed the party looking funky and fabulous while spinning discs.
The atmosphere was absolutely electric. Acts sprung up around the gallery and ranged from performance art to live bands. The whole idea behind the night was marrying fashion with film, and general fabulousness if you’re asking our opinion. The stars of the show were Amanda Lepore featuring Charlie Le Mindu, Martin Creed featuring Matteo Molinari, Natt Weller featuring Lee Lapthorne, Ryan Styles featuring Yang Du, Irina Lazareanu featuring Raphaelle H’Limi, Brendan Courtney featuring Bronwen Marshall alongside Early Morning Rebel and Marques Toliver. It was ceratinly an evening we’ll never forget or stop talking about as the fashion was original and inspiring and the performances left us wanting more.
The event also saw the announcement of the winner of the coveted AW12 On | Off Land Rover Visionary Award. The winners this year were Matthew Cunnington and John Sanderson. The designer duo will receive a £5,000 cash injection for their business and the opportunity to use the catwalk space at On|Off’s venue in Paris, Espace Commines. I had a chance to talk with the duo who were polite in nature and 100% genuine and more than deserving of such a prestigious award. All it takes is one look at their work and you’ll understand that this is a fabulous investment in London’s design talent. You’ll be seeing these two smashing it out of the park in seasons to come, I have no doubt about that. So go ahead and write it down and remember where you heard it first!
