Burberry Prorsum AW14 - A Painterly Journey - London Collections Men

There is absolutely no doubt that Burberry is the number one fashion luxury brand when it comes to boosting the brand's value through digital innovation. This has become more and more obvious over the years. But it was only until this season that I have experienced it for myself and seen how it works! 

I was invited to go to their Regent Street flagship store and watch the live stream of the latest AW14 menswear collection, alongside an impressive number of private clients and members of the press. Not your normal live stream however, as the entire collection was made to order and available to purchase immediately after the show, with options to personalise and mix various fabrics, colours according to one's unique, exquisite taste.

The highlights of the collection include the St. Ives bag in hand-painted leather, suede and British woven blankets and authentic rugs and the first-time introduced knitwear pieces and silk scarves. Named as the "Painterly Journey", the inspiration behind the collection came from the works of artists such as Ben Nicholson, Christopher Wood, Lucian Freud and Duncan Grant. Bailey's painting is an array of lightweight silks, cashmeres and wools in beautiful dark plum, tangerine, ink blue, bottle green and bitter chocolate colours to name a few.

Courtesy of Burberry 

Courtesy of Burberry 

Courtesy of Burberry 

Through Runway Made to Order, customers can also create bespoke versions of the St. Ives bag that feature in the collection, with six iconic global city skylines available to combine with a selection of leather backgrounds. In additions, one-off hand-painted St. Ives bags are also available to order, alongside versions crafted from individual rugs and blankets, making each piece unique.

Courtesy of Burberry 

Courtesy of Burberry 

Courtesy of Burberry 

Courtesy of Burberry 

Courtesy of Burberry 

Courtesy of Burberry 

Baartmans and Siegel AW14 - London Collections: Men

Baartmans and Siegel's winter collection is portraying a strong, confident and adventurous man taking on the outdoors in style. The inspiration for the brand's latest AW14 collection came from the isolated and challenging arctic landscapes that have been reinterpreted by the design duo through the use of a cold palette of colours, shades of blue and grey.

There is an obvious emphasis on durability and comfort in the looks presented, but the elegant twist to it all is not to be ignored. The utilitarian and functional side of clothing is reinforced and infused in classic tailored pieces. But for this collection in particular, the details make all the difference: hidden seams, pockets and zippers, fur trims and linings outline the quality and luxurious aesthetic of the brand.

Coming up … fashion's own version of "Into the Wild" 

YMC's Understated Luxury - London Collections Men AW14

The best thing about London Collections: Men is that most of the collections presented during the schedule are the result of a successful collaboration between designers and other brands with the aim of improving the functionality, tailoring, quality and wearability of the end products, without compromising on the innovative design.

So this is how YMC London brought yet another exciting collection on the catwalk, a combination of smart tailoring and sporty casual pieces. In a colour palette of navy, jade, black and burnt red and an array of light-hearted prints including stars, stripes, florals and spiral prints, the collection offers an entire wardrobe for the YMC man (p.r.).

Christopher Shannon SS14 - London Collections Men

"Summer in Berlin flows from one fragmented moment to the next. Parties go for days - not nights. On a cyclical loop, kids time travel and teleport through the city and from one moment to the next, from Thursday till Monday, taking short breaks in between. They link up online and come together for fleeting moments and carnal connections only to dive back into the anonymity of their hedonistic caves.

It's quite frowned upon and often forbidden to take photos inside the clubs in Berlin, most weekend party pics that surface are of the pre-party or the come down."

Source: http://www.dazeddigital.com/fashion/article/16816/1/matt-lambert-vs-christopher-shannon

I've left Christopher Shannon's SS14 collection to be the one to close down my LCM chapter. I don't quite know why I've done this, but it just seemed right. It wasn't a coincidence that Shannon presented his latest collection on the last day of LCM, all the big names usually do (following the over-used motto of 'saving the best for last'), that is because, to put it in Dazed's words : "Shannon had already stolen the show" from underneath Burberry's nose and return to London.

Yes people, the glimpses that you can already spot are real; we had an avalanche of glittery hairdues, shiny and opaque PVC shorts, micro flower prints in shapes of shirts and underpants (something that reminded me of Laura Ashley's prints, but later on read that they were made out of Liberty art fabrics)  and some pretty cool looking over-the-boot sandals, is what I guess I can call them. All to be topped off with super electric colours and heavy zebra-print outfits. We were trippin'... in a good way.

Here you have it, a collection inspired by the club scene of Liverpool and Manchester, later on, to be taken out and explored in Berlin...