Ashish AW11

Let’s face it, no LFW season is complete until someone brings out the tartan and safety pins in a nod to our glorious nations most instantly recognisable contribution to music and indeed, fashion. Yep, were talking about good ol’ punk, and this AW it was down to Ashish to bring the British sense of rebellion to the runway. 

Set to a soundtrack by MIA, the collection featured typically punk pieces like skinny tartan trousers with zips on the knees and ankles, shredded denim jeans and jackets torn apart and held together with safety pins, Ashish updated the clichéd punk looks by adding his signature sequins to create more of a glam-grunge feel, fitting to the ‘poor little rich girl’ theme. Collaborating with Underground shoes, Ashish showcased his own take on the classic footwear of Britain’s non-conformist youth – Brothel Creepers, which came with tip-ex, allowing the wearer to customise their own in true DIY punk style.

Our favourite pieces from Ashish’s AW11 collection included the cobwebbed-knee tights (inspired by punky elbow tattoos) and the insanely cool moth-eaten holy jumpers, emblazoned with slogans like ‘Teen Idle’ and ‘Holy Crap’ (Ashish, if you’re reading, if you send those over to Tantrum HQ we’ll love you FOR.EVER.)

Ashish has a habit of epitomising cool London style and he definitely did that with this tongue-in-cheek collection. An inspiration for this collection was said to have been ‘girls wearing their boyfriends clothes’ and well, whether they’re our boyfriends clothes or not, we’d LOVE to be wearing Ashish this AW season!

words: Navneet Gill

photos: Nedim Nazerali

Falguni & Shane Peacock AW11

Falguni & Shane Peacock's AW catwalk show was held at On/Off's new venue in Covent Garden's Mercer St Studios and though the dreary London rain was putting a downer on our mood, we had no doubt that Falguni and Shane's collection would live up to their exotic last name.

Featuring their signature use of embellishments and animal prints, the Peacock's toughened up their act with panelled bodysuits which gave a nod to AW's impending sci-fi trend. Of course, there was the usual selection of beautifully designed dresses, featuring heavy embroidery and feathers, but by adding accessories like dangerously cool spiked leather gloves to the mix, Falguni & Shane ensured that whilst still in touch with their habit of making exquisite evening-wear, they still know how to shake things up a little.

words: Navneet Gill

photos: Nedim Nazerali

Meadham Kirchhoff AW11

So, it may well have been the fastest fashion show in the history of, well, EVER, but Meadham Kirchhoff's AW collection, entitled 'A Cosmology of Women' was also, without a doubt, one of the best we'd seen all AW11 season.

All 24 of Edward Meadham and Benjamin Kirchhoff's looks lined up at the catwalk exit before marching in an orderly boarding-school fashion down the runway, round the creepy car-crash-style shrine placed in the middle of the catwalk and right back up to the exit again so quickly that the it was near impossible for the fashion writers and photographers to capture on the furiously fast-paced collection. 

Set to an eerie soundtrack (because what macabre situation is complete without the Psycho's 'shower scene' noise...) the collection featured the prominent use of a typically haunting colour palette - black, white and red and the contradictory use of soft, sheer chiffons paired with heavier fabrics and chunky cable-knit socks. Embroidered with tiny childhood relics like lipsticks and dogs, the collection was brought alive by pinafores, buttoned-up shirts and innocently girly bows and blonde curls (given that edge by the ominous black roots). The 'Cosmology of Women' (which also featured menswear) just sceamed 'psychotic schoolchildren chic', and brought a welcome change from all the sci-fi inspired looks we'd seen at almost every other LFW show.

Yeah, we know, witchcraft is a popular and often cliched theme for the Autumn/Winter season but Meadham Kirchhoff gave it a refreshing new edge with their hauntingly nostalgic take on all those horror stories set in spooky old English boarding schools that your big brother used to tell you when you were little. For all those missing the quirky sense of British eccentricity that Luella brought to the fashion week stage, fear not: Meadham Kirchhoff have arrived and they're making sure that trend-rejecting offbeat fashion is alive and well. We couldn't be happier, well, unless one of those cutely creepy witchy hats decides to fly its way over to us this upcoming season!


words: Navneet Gill
photos: style.com

James Small's Marching Band.

Us Tantrum girls were lucky enough to be invited along to James Small's AW11 collection at Sketch this LFW. Although we hadn't really seen any of the young British menswear designers work before, we went a bit crazy for James' AW collection, entitled 'Marching Band', which was inspired by the American Civil War. 

Featuring classicly tailored garments which were reinvented with a contemporary, casual edge, the collection mixed together an unorthadox array of fabrics and colours, ranging from faded florals to military blues and greys. ''Marching Band' is definately a collection we'd love the boys in our life to be wearing, AND, we even spotted a few pieces (note: those floral print trousers!) that we'd be totally psyched  to find in our own wardrobes!

After the show, we managed to catch up with James and get the answers to some questions his show left us dying to know...

Was the fashion industry one that you always wanted to get into?
"Not initially. I did graphic design at art college and wanted to go into fine art and textiles but couldn't really see how I'd make any money there, so I went into menswear fashion."

Your AW collection draws inspiration from the American Civil War. What it is about this that inspired you and how did you incorporate it into your garments?
"I find the American Civil War really interesting. I was really interested in how the confederates made their own uniforms. They took civilian clothes apart and dyed them to create their uniforms. It was a sort of ragamuffin look. A few pieces in my collection directly link to that theme but mainly I linked it through the fabrics and colours used."

Menswear can quite often be overlooked in the fashion industry. Do you feel like there are any disadvantages of working in menswear?
"I don't think there are any real disadvantages. If you create a good product, then you're looked after."


What are your future aspirations for the James Small brand? Are there any other areas of the creative industries that you want to branch out into?
"I'm a designer, so I like to do anything design-wise. I can apply that to anything, and I'm always up for any collaborations!"


Here's the last question, it's a tough one! What's your guilty pleasure?
"A pint & a cigarette."

Boasting celebrity fans such as Kate Moss, Jamie Hince & Alison Mosshart of The Kills, Sadie Frost, Jamie Winstone, Noel Fielding of the Mighty Boosh and T4's Nick Grimshaw (all of whom were in attendance at his exclusive catwalk show) we really did wonder why we hadn't heard of this british menswear designer before! 
One thing's for sure, James Small won't be staying unheard of for much longer...


words: Navneet Gill
photos: Alex Lambrechts
thanks to Nicole Levy @ Dust PR.

Les Chiffoniers AW11

Les Chiffoniers exhibited their A/W 11 collection in the form of a flawless presentation at Somerset House's famed Portico Rooms. The clothes where presented on silver constructed poles accompanied by a life-size image of the garment in its full glory. 

Leather was the main culprit in this collection (no complaints from us on this one!) and panelling was also highly used as we've seen in many of the A/W 11 collections. A particular Tantrum favourite consisted of a dress made up of hundreds of teeny tiny panels, in varied shades of brown which created amazing patterns and shape. The collection seemed to have an autumnal influence which was brought through in the colour palette, which also featured subtle hints of pastels and little outbursts of metallic hues. 

In our opinion, this was a beautiful and well-presented collection from Les Chiffoniers, we just can't wait to see what they bring us in S/S 2012! 

words and photos: Amy Edgar

Felder Felder AW11

You know it’s gonna be a good show when 15 minutes before it’s due to start, there’s a still a huge queue of down the road and a huddle of fashion-hungry people by the door, fighting to get in. Braving the London cold is no mean feat and we may well have given up were it not for the fact that this was one of the most hotly anticipated shows of the first day of London Fashion Week.

Famed for their rock-chick aesthetic, Felder Felder stayed true to their habits of catering for the hip, alt-fashion girl, who’s more into Iggy Pop than well, just pop. Injecting some colour to their usually monochrome palette in the form of a dark electric blue, Dani and Annette Felder’s AW collection offered looks ranging from chic tailored dresses in silks and leather  to silky, lightly embellished white blouses teamed with space-age silver skirts, all toughened up with cropped biker jackets and AW’s must have accessory: blue-dyed goats hair cuffs. 

This collection had us thanking our lucky stars we didn’t give in to the cold and go home and certainly proved the point that we kind of knew all along:  When it comes to fashion, the Felder girls know best.

words: Navneet Gill
photos: style.com

Christopher Beales AW11

The white-washed walls of The Rag Factory, just off Brick Lane staged 'When the Crystal Crack'd' - the first AW collection from tailor extraordinaire, Christopher Beales. 
With experience as a pattern cutter for every level of fashion, from Alexander McQueen to Primark (yes, Primark!) Beales has finally launched his very own collection, and boy, are we pleased! His collection was really a breath of fresh air, and although it was presented on mannequins rather than real-life models, it was miles ahead of the below-parr presentation seen at Ada Zandition earlier in the day.

Delivering a range of pieces, from printed silk blouses to fuchsia dresses adorned with deadly silver spikes and chains, topped off by an ominous looking lock and key, Beales' expertise clearly shone through in the perfectly cut tailored black jackets.

With a glass of champagne in hand, admiring Beales' 16-piece collection was nothing less than a real treat and a wonderful end to day 1 of London Fashion Week.

words and photos: Amy Edgar

Eudon Choi AW11

The saddle on the invite gave us a slight clue as to what we were to expect at Choi's 2011 fall/winter show. The equestrian inspired collection was interesting to say the least. Yes, one or two outfits may have be a bit questionable but all in all the combination of paneling, fur, block colours and every now and again the random harness added on for good measure all came together to create the edgily androdgynous feel. 

The somewhat bulky oversized coats didn't quite do it for us at Tantrum but we were definately into the leather and fur fusion - can't wait to incorporate that into our winter wardrobe!

words: Selina Lalli
photos: Christopher Dadey

Jasper Garvida AW11

The Jasper Garvida AW 2011 show had to be one of the most colorful collections to hit the catwalk on day 1 of London Fashion Week. The jewel tones and rich fabric made us feel as though we had been transported to a couture show in Paris and made us completely forget about the dreary London weather that awaited us outside.

The collection itself was reminiscent of an Andy Warhol kind of print, from the colours to the images printed on top mixed with the contemporary oriental silhouettes. Interesting, right? 

The gowns with their cheeky thigh-high slits, high collars and gorgeous kimono sleevess looked dramatic but still elegant, everything you'd need in the case you were hitting some high-society evening party but still want to look cool. It's a shame there wasn't any casual wear though, we would have loved to rock this style during the day!

words: Selina Lalli
photos: Francisco Gomez de Villaboa

Jean-Pierre Braganza AW11

The sci-fi influences were evident as usual at Jean-Pierre Braganza's AW catwalk show as soon as the very first model stepped into our view. With her hair pulled tightly back in a super-high ponytail she walked on past us with alien-like ease and we just knew this was going to be another Braganza bonanza of sharp tailoring showcased with a science-fiction edge, and yes, as usual, we were spot on.

The tailored pieces were offset by trippy digital prints and for a change, we were shown some space-y silouhettes we could actually wear without looking like a reject from Gareth Pugh's production line. Practical fabrics were on all the rage in Braganza's 'post-cyber world' - with the AW's usual staples, leather and wool, making quite a few appearances. 

Panels of contrasting fabrics added more interesting shapes to the already interesting garments, and of course, what would a sci-fi influenced collection would be without statement shoulders? Braganza's collection is fit not only for a 'future world', but for a future fashion season. The season of AW 2011, in fact!

words: Navneet Gill

photos: style.com . We haven't downloaded ours yet...

In case you need ANOTHER reason to be wildly obsessed with Wildfox Couture...

This should just about do the trick.

This film is just gorgeous and magically ethereal. It makes me want to do some weird pagan dances whilst listening to Bat For Lashes and Devendra Banhart. It also makes me want to buy cauldrons full of Wildfox Couture, which, alas, i cannot afford. Perhaps i could cast a spell to reverse my fortunes?
Spirits of fashion, i summon you...

Wildfox Couture Fall 2010 - It's Witchcraft