LFW starts in less than a week! Two days, to be precise. I'm really excited for this season as I'm still inspired from London Collections: Men last month, so I'm planning on trying to fit as much into the weekend as possible (and wear the craziest things I own). I made some collages for the sort of styles and trends I've noticed and really love at the moment...I'm not the type to believe in 'following' trends or all that jazz but when there's certain themes or styles that run through the designs of a certain season, I quite like to pick up on them and try them out for myself. The outfit above was from Valentine's day, which I spent with friends watching movies in bed (as all Valentine's days should be spent). The jacket is from a charity shop: my friend's mum saw it and told him to tell me about it - I get so excited when people recognise things that I would like / are my style and of course was round to the shop in question to buy it within the hour (£7 for the jacket and matching skirt suit?!) The jeans are Topshop, the shoes from Monki and beret and top from Depop.




The first theme I've been noticing more and more is bold, clashing colours making up geometric prints and structured cuts, reminding me of the work of artists such as Kazimir Malevich and Piet Mondrian. There is a bold edge to streetwear at the moment and it's really beginning to take hold of the high fashion world too. Stripes and cubist patterns remain the most popular style. (catwalk imagery from Vogue.com, including designs by Ellen Pedersen, Henrik Vibskov and KTZ).




The second is one of my favourites...a sort of anarchic punk revival, making itself known in the shape of clashing tartans, pinstripes, embellished jackets with logos, drawings, pins, and the odd spot of leopard print. The defining feature of this new punk-esque look is a very smart one; cigarette pants with clumpy platforms, ripped denim with military style berets, tailcoats embroidered with slogans. A good example for me is Shinee's Key, and specifically Shinee's outfits for their recent show in Fukuoka, where he sported a beret, leopard print jacket, ripped jeans and an inventive half-kilt which I intend to try making for myself at some point. There aren't many photos but you can watch a video  here and here. (Catwalk imagery Vogue.com, featuring mostly Vivienne Westwood and Acne Studios).



Monochrome is always a favourite, and is simultaneously easy and impossible to pull off. Being so simple, it's easy to look plain or boring - this year, the style is all about pinstripes, a-symmetrical cuts, and zebra print (seriously, it's starting to spread everywhere). As for silhouette, it's all about cropped, wide-led pants, long coats and oversized bomber jackets. (Catwalk imagery from Vogue.com)


Denim! It never gets old, but this year it really has come back with a vengeance. High-waist, cropped, fraying ankle-grazers are the jeans of the season, with structured clashing denim and wide-leg culottes becoming more frequently seen.



Last but not least, the silhouettes I've noticed...coats are either long and loose, giving that sort of effortlessly stylish in a way that screams confidence, or oversized bomber jackets. The Sukajan, or Japanese souvenir jacket, is incredibly popular at the moment (R Shemiste combines it with both denim and tartan trends, see their SS16 collection here).

I hope these are helpful if you feel like trying out something new this season, or like me are struggling to put together looks for LFW this weekend. Also, if you're in London don't forget to pop down to Beyond Retro's Dalston store this weekend for their huge garage sale - everything is so cheap! I will be there on Sunday probably!