by Miette Dsouza
Fashion Scout hosted three upcoming fashion designers at London Fashion Week (LFW) AW24, each with very different aesthetics and concepts.
As the models stepped onto the white runway which stood in stark contrast to the colourful graffiti-laden walls outside in Shoreditch, Alex S. Yu, JASIVE and The Tis brought the runway alive with their visionary designs.
Alex S. Yu
Alex S. Yu’s collection brought reinvigorated the runway with colour as models clothed in vibrantly dyed tule, fun prints and ruffles galore. It is rare to see such bright pinks, reds and purples in AW collections, as designers usually adhere to a darker colour palette but Alex did a fantastic job of creating a certain harmony with the vivid colour scheme and not playing it safe.
Alex’s capsule 006, Alex Through the Look Glass collection almost reminds me of the Alice Through the Looking Glass movie, as far as the bright palette and dynamic prints go. This resonates with Alex’s ethos which is to intricately navigate the delicate boundary between reality and fantasy whilst creating womenswear clothing.
There is an almost playful element to the designs and the tule ruffle silhouettes on top of skin-fit outfits adorned with unconventional shapes, mirror exactly that. This is an aesthetic that could potentially be more geared to a younger audience that isn’t afraid to experiment with fashion.
Besides creating couture outfits, Alex also places paramount importance on comfort and functionality. This could be easily seen through the almost athleisure look the figure-hugging pieces under the tule, had to them.
Being from Taiwan and Vancouver as well as a London College of Fashion graduate he says the Alex S. Yu woman is characterized by her adventurous spirit, embracing novelty with enthusiasm.
JASIVE
Jasive Fernández’s Perfume collection was the epitome of elegance whilst being stepped in Mexican culture. The Mexican designer’s aim was to not only showcase her culture on the runway through her designs but also spotlight other Mexican designers like Cuadra and Malandra who designed the shoes and accessories for the collection, respectively. The models too were Mexican, and it really was beautiful to see couture which sported cultural heritage on an international stage.
Right from dramatic sleeves and ruffled skirts to layered pearl necklaces and exaggerated flowers, everything radiated timeless feminity and Mexican beauty. The perfume collection lived up to its name as it utilised silk-crafted flowers and floral prints as well as sheer fabric that perfectly embodied the essence of a scent that lingers in the viewers’ memory. The colour palette included black, white, burgundy, blue and silver which coupled with the silhouette of the outfits exuded romance and class.
This timeless style and inculcating of culture right down to the boots and women designers uplifting other women designers is exactly what I'd like to see at Fashion Week and I got exactly that during Jasive’s showcase.
The Tis
The Tis’ Upper Class collection reflects its roots of elegant Korean fashion with soft silhouettes, minimalism to the max and flared skirts. The Tis has a subtle luxury look to it as it couples heavier fabrics in darker colours with sheer fabric in white tones. It rejects the intense glamour we would associate with new money and retains a more old-money aesthetic. It doesn’t buy into the usual rich aesthetic of logomania to scream wealthy to onlookers but rather quietly makes a statement which is in line with the brand slogan of "Everyone knows without saying it." This collection exudes a joyful yet strict ‘nobility’ culture and very much seems in line with what celebrities like Jisoo from Blackpink or Irene from Red Velvet would sport on a red carpet.
However, one of my favourite outfits was a knitted oversized brown sweater paired with short eggshell-coloured shorts and knee-high in the same colour. This is definitely an outfit I can see people wearing in London during Autumn when the temperature is just right.
The Tis also included prominent white ribbons and floral details adorning dresses for its LFW showcase which was so coquette and successfully captured a strong yet delicate romanticism.
Edited by Emily Duff