On|Off at London Fashion Week

What better opportunity to showcase the best new talent in fashion, film and performance than on the eve of fashion week?

Last night the global fashion showcase On|Off did just that at The Rook and Raven gallery,  partnering with Land Rover to bridge the gap between on and off schedule designers. The evening was a multi faceted affair featuring the announcement of the Land Rover Visionary Award Winners along with an impromptu catwalk through the crowd, plenty of wild and wonderful performances and a fashion film starring Tuuli; Rankin’s wife.

To add another layer to the collaborative theme each performer was dressed by a young designer; the most notable being the fantastical transexual Amanda Lepore dressed in a cloak of pale pink hair designed by haute coiffure Charlie Le Mindu, an impressively heavy coating of lipstick and really not much else at all. Performance artist Ryan Styles and his dancers were resplendent in Yang Du’s surrealist cartoon creations; ‘A dream in colours’ as she coined it. Other fashion folk included talented designers Bronwen Marshall, Matteo Molinari and Cedric Jacquemyn.

The much awaited presentation of the On|Off Land Rover Visionary Award was accompanied by an influx of beautifully coiffed models as the crowd parted to form a catwalk. There was a casual yet luxe feel to the collection, which was played out in muted tones and soft fabrics with a beautifully draped and structured feel making for a strong silhouette. The award was presented and designed by Jo Slater; chief designer at Jaguar Land Rover.

It wasn’t all about new talent though; the amazing Zandra Rhodes was at the event in preparation for showing her collection at On|Off in Paris this month. Her arrival was an exciting affair and her bright pink bob and costume jewellery were a delight to behold (I had a burning desire to stroke her hair but settled for a hand shake). George Lamb and Alexandra Burke were among the famous faces mingling inside the gallery with the fash pack, along with Jane Shepardson (CEO of Whistles), Sarah Bailey and Tuuli Rankin.

The perfect start to what promises to be an eventful London Fashion Week…

Image courtesy of JAB Promotions