Tearing myself away from my stand, or rather my internet connection hasn't been easy but I had to go check out portfolios when I saw the Westminster show yesterday, which was packed to the rafters and was full of collections that had serious direction and focus...so many to talk up that it is hard to choose but me boring on about every student would be a pointless affair...
Sarah Benning started the show and woke me up from the afternoon lag and completely distracted me from the fact that I needed to pee at that point. It was delicate and brash clashing with each other. Giant knits with a plastic sheen were paired with printed chiffon and dainty patternation going up the legs. A look at her sketchbook reveals Benning's previous work on printed latex and in her final collection, it seems she was really trying to experiment with techniques. It has to be said that I have a wee bias towards giant knits and that the chunky strands are so pronounced in Benning's pieces makes them even more striking.
Fflur Owen (pronounced Fleur...)'s collection was heaped with labour and love and there was a real sense of craftsmanship about every piece that struck me straight away. The cut out leather, the treatment of the animal skulls, the handmade shoes and the way those elements came together was spectacular to watch. She got the cow and sheep skulls from her uncle's farm, polished them, covered them with Swarovski crystals to make neckpieces and worked the cows head into a truly amazing bag. Fflur had prettified the skulls so much so that you could barely detect their origin. In awe....well and truly.
