Creativity, Simplicity and Impact at Oxford Fashion Week

Before I get into the fashion, a little bit of Greek mythology. Elysium was the VIP area of the afterlife, reserved for mortal relations of Gods, heroes, the righteous and all the other general good eggs. So it only seems appropriate that the concept show at Oxford Fashion Week was named after the hugely desirable place that is akin to heaven.

The power of clothes to move and affect the viewer was the focus here, not so much to make shocking clothes, but just to get you thinking about fashion and how you approach style. Set in the beautiful town hall and accompanied by a platter of Hotel Chocolat raspberry and cream ganache making their way around the room, the show was stylish even before the models marched onto the catwalk. The music was a dash Deerhunter, a dash liquidstep, a whole lotta instrumental and a large chunk of atmosphere.

I say ‘marched’ because it was an almost regimental procession of styles, yet at the same time the atmosphere was almost ethereal and detached from the room. The best thing was that the models, as they are supposed to do, didn’t act as if they were wearing anything more interesting than a brown paper bag. What they were actually wearing was the ultimate in creativity, bold looks, and somehow accessible fashion. Common themes throughout the seven designers were geometric patterns – still very big on the high street – clean cut tailoring and beautiful colours that shone whilst dominant in the clothes as well as minimal in the detailing.

Crimson Rose O’Shea dressed her models in what can only be described as a mishmash of tulle, ruffles, shimmer, colour and texture, whilst maintaining deliciously clean lines throughout. The breathtaking dresses were accessorised with very simple jewellery, tetris-shaped monochrome shoes and, best of all, hats that looked like a piece of A3 card turned onto itself. It takes a lot of skill to make that look like high fashion, but it really, just, worked.

Fashion students from Oxford Brookes turned up the neon with their collection of surprisingly ready-to-wear bright orange, electric blue and black two-piece outfits. For them as well as Yiannis Kariosiotis, acrylic plastic jewellery was the order of the day, whilst Kariosiotis’ collection consisted exclusively of layers of canary yellow sheer draped perfectly over each other to create a seductive and regal silhouette that I’m convinced every woman could wear with panache.

An Asian touch was brought to the show by Nayuko Yamamoto, a recent graduate from Central St. Martins College, who created a stunning effect by blending literature with fashion by printing lines of poetry onto his dip-dye blue and white looks. Triple-layered dresses and flowing skirts combined with masculine shirts to create a line that was truly unique and classically beautiful.

The next designer brought my favourite collection of the night – my barely legible notes on her clothes simply say ‘drama,’ ‘sexy’ and ‘boom.’ Chloe Reynolds showcased her ‘Black’ collection on Friday night, bringing jumpsuits and dresses with thigh-high slits and midriff panels cut out, leaving oblique muscles covered only by a leather belt. Complete with black lace eye masks, this collection was the definition of how to be sexy whilst showing very little legs or cleavage – a LBD with a strategic side panel does all the work.

The lace eye masks made another appearance at the closing collection by Sarah Palin (no, the Alaskan hasn’t branched out into fashion, thank goodness); a clash of textures and materials is a hot look this season, and Palin interpreted this trend by splashing basic white dresses with tears of colour in a stunning take on Jackson Pollock. The definition of less is more, the sweeping dresses and occasional cape splattered with ripples of autumnal orange and yellow created a simple yet effective look.

This show took the viewer to another place- a place of contradictions, somewhere bright and in-your-face, but simultaneously calming and easy. If I took one thing away from this show, it was a reminder that this winter is for colour, simple tailoring and statements, so shelve that black jumper and get creative.