Get Collared: s/s 2011 Trends

Lets face it, collars have a bad rep. Long-time signifier of uptight, highly-strung corporate slavedom or bugbear reminder of (and I really do hate to bring this up) school.

Meadham Kirchhoff s/s 2011

Well, this season it’s time for a rethink. Collars are cool. [Breathe and repeat]. And they are – literally – everywhere, from the traditional crisp, starched phantom of your past as seen at Viktor & Rolf, to candy-goth meets Victoriana-kitsch detachables at Meadham Kirchhoff.

Viktor & Rolf s/s 2011

And yes, I was banging on about this last season but thankfully the high-street has caught on, so for the not-so-skilled DIY-er’s and those whose budgets don’t quite stretch to Bulgari proportions (i.e. me and, er, me) the time is now!

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GFW 2010! Bunmi Olaye

Alas! Much to my ever-present shame, I am unable to attend one of my favourite fashion events of the season! (Drat, drat and double drat!) It’s been a case of work stops play with a good solid roundhouse kick to the face and the perpetually waggling finger of authority…

So, for those who didn’t know already, GFW 2010 kicked off yesterday with the Graduate catwalk collections from the University of East London, and with over 1000 students all vying for sartorial acclaim, glory and the River Island £20,000 Gold Award, the competition is (as always) fierce, or maybe – FIERCE. But, as in all things there are frontrunners, and UEL’s frontrunner has got to be – in fact, I’m going to go out on a limb here, IS – Bunmi Olaye.

With work experience under the late Alexander McQueen, her own label – Bunmi Koko – and a celebrity clientèle list longer than your arm, including Mischa Barton, current muse Mel B and Alesha Dixon, the future is already looking blinding for Nigerian designer Bunmi, and with just a quick glance at her collections it’s easy to see why…

Matriarchy, Bunmi’s GFW collection, draws inspiration from a patriarchal Nigerian cult practised by members of the Efik tribe and fuses that with the seemingly antithetical aesthetic principles of Victorian womenswear with its focus on cinched waists, voluminous sleeves and high collars.

Matriarchy, in Bunmi’s own words, is about “[…]power, royalty, status and ultimate femininity […] a collection that is luxurious and feminine, with a wild and untamable spirit influenced by the masquerade.”

Matriarchy is also set for exhibition at the upcoming Africa Fashion Week in Johannesburg from 30th June-3rd July.

Geisha’s Reform, the latest RTW collection from Bunmi Koko with its sumptuously crafted homage to shape and structure in traditional Japanese clothing and Western Art Deco architecture, is quite simply awe-inspiring…

Head over to xolqrcexo for more on this absolutely astounding up-and-coming designer…or check out the Bunmi Koko website &/or the Bunmi Koko Facebook Page.

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Look du Jour: Lace me Up Cherub

Friday night? What Friday night? There’s always call for looking sweet and innocent on a Saturday and you don’t get much more unimpeachable than high collar white lace, a pure peachy chiffon knee-skimmer and little leather booties (very Victoriana). The – enviably on-trend – leather waist cincher stops this look from veering into nauseating Little House on the Prairie wholesomeness – no one needs to look that vestal!

Photo by Fashionshesays