From a 72-Year-Old Model Stealing the Spotlight to Dresses Sparkling Like Disney Princesses, Here's a Recap of Vivz World at London Fashion Week

by Mohsina Alam 

On a breezy Autumn night during London Fashion Week 2024, a packed audience gathered in St. John’s Church, Hyde Park, to watch the Vivz World catwalk show.

From the runway collections to the makeup and styling to the beautiful venue filled with entrancing musical performers, every aspect of Vivz World Fashion Week was shining, shimmering, splendid.

The show comes from Vivz Fashion School, a fashion institution based in India that offers mentorship in all areas of design and fashion marketing. This year, they helped four designers present their collections to the public and each collection was vastly different, ranging from bridal gowns to athleisure to business chic.

Manuel Tiscareno

The first designer to present their looks was Manuel Tiscareno. Known for his dedication to fine craftsmanship and all things luxury, Tiscareno’s looks embodied this ethos, and was further emphasised by the opera singer performing whilst the models walked.

   

A number of the floor-length dresses presented were simple and sleek in silhouette, embellished with silver and gold sequins that caught the light in every direction. Tiscareno also carefully infused bold colours into the looks, such as Kelly green, fuschia, and violet. His delicate balancing of colour with materials such as velvet and satin maintained the opulence of the collection.

A standout in the collection was a pink-purple gradient one-shoulder gown, with a corseted top, tulle skirt, styled with matching purple gloves. The look was vibrant yet elegant, and would be perfect for the red carpet this upcoming award season.

Panzai

Next up was Panzai, a New York-based brand centred on ‘custom tailoring masterpieces’. The collection featured both menswear and womenswear - in fact many looks featured both a male and female ‘version’, demonstrating that exquisite tailoring belongs to all.

Panzai utilised bold prints in their men’s suits, with matching ties, waistcoats, and in one instance, a tudor-esque ruffled collar. Hopefully this collection pioneers a much needed change in the men’s fashion world, from generic black suits to ones that possess more flare and personality.

As for the womenswear, although not quite as impressive as the mens, it was still exciting and very office siren. The looks were a take on ‘business formal’, with knee length pencil skirts, peplum cut tops and playful jackets of differing lengths, perfect for the modern professional woman.

Bonifique

The show then moved onto athletic fashion brand, Bonifique. The pret-a-porter collection consisted of tracksuits, muslin and linen t-shirts and shorts, and cotton tote bags, designed to ensure comfort and airflow for wearers whilst still looking premium and high quality. We also glimpsed a pale blue velour puffa jacket which will surely become a staple piece this Winter.

In the last two years, Bonifique has aspired to become a major player in the world of tennis dressing. They proclaim that they have ‘turned the world around in tennis fashion’; a bold but perhaps not untrue statement. There were a number of tennis runway looks, both in classic white and bold orange. 

As part of their ‘Wimbledon’ collection, they also showcased matching velour tracksuits/ shorts sets in purple and green, the official Wimbledon colours. These designs combined relaxation, athleticism and adventure, as all good sports clothing should do.

Jorge Contreras Nupcias

Last, but certainly not least, was haute couture bridal designer, Jorge Contreras Nupcias. His collection of sixteen bridal gowns was a shimmering display of beauty and romance, intertwined with religion and rich history.

   

Many of the dresses included religious imagery, such as Jesus Christ on the crucifix and soaring amongst the clouds. Additionally, the models wore gold crucifix earrings, lengthy embroidered veils, and gold headpieces which could be described as halo’s. In Contreras Nupcias’ vision, the bride is comparable to an angel, hence the emphasis on religious iconography. This vision was brought to life further through the church venue, which was the perfect backdrop to the designs.

The dresses were full-length and often included trains, creating a romantic, classic feel. The designer stated that he has ‘always loved the female silhouette’, which he was able to showcase through sweetheart necklines which emphasised the model’s decolletage, corset bustier with vertical embroidery, and full hooped skirts to create a beautiful, flowing silhouette whilst highlighting the waist.

Each were embroidered with silver beading, white pearls, diamontes, and silver fringing which expertly caught the light, making the models literally glow and sparkle. The elaborate embroidery pays homage to the designer’s Mexican heritage and love for ornate Mexican wedding dresses.

The Vivz World show was a resounding success, if audience cheers are anything to go by. The organisers assembled a fantastic group of designers whose collections were dynamic and a pleasure to behold. The future of the Vivz World shows are bright, and will surely be something to not miss next year.

Edited by Emily Duff