Fabric swatches, original Daks sketches and treasured postcards of 1950s sirens, fixed together by coloured drawing pins -the Daks S/S 13 moodboard could be the scrapbook of a fashion student obsessed with heritage glamour. But while the moodboard might be a romantic tribute to Daks’ past, the collection was all about propelling the brand into the present.

The women in the snapshots are an advertisement for British summertime, wearing clothes designed for sipping lemonade at the country club. So no surprise that Sheila McKain-Ward’s modern Daks woman is just as refined, wearing butter cream and chalky white in weightless fabrics like chiffon, silk and nylon. Witness the first look: a simple white dress and buttermilk single-breasted coat with sloping shoulders, clearly inspired by the images of women in white leaning on tennis rackets.

And inned to the middle of the moodboard? The Daks house check, given a modern twist with a diamond pattern. McKain-Ward was inspired by the abstract expressionist movement – in particular, a Jasper Johns painting of white paint on top of a raw canvas. In her cool, crisp collection, that translated to layered textures and brushstroke prints.

Split in two halves, the show opened with transparent neutrals and closed with black leather – with the Daks signature check featured in the middle of the show, transitioning between the two palettes. The order perhaps signaled that McKain-Ward will continue to push the brand in new directions, but will stay loyal to the traditions that lie at the heart of the iconic brand.

Clever, simple, fluid and effortless – McKain-Ward mastered craftsmanship when working at Halston, Donna Karen and Oscar de la Renta. No wonder she produced a collection that recognised the house’s heritage – but one that lifted it to luxury status and beyond.

Words: Emma Spedding

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(1) Christopher Raeburn

(2) J.W. Anderson

(3) Pringle of Scotland

Check out our other backstage posts from LFW:

Day One: Felder Felder, PPQ and KTZ
Day Two: Moschino, Jasper Conran and Kinder Aggugini
Day Three: Philip Treacy – Special Report
Day Five: Aminika Wilmont, Fashion Fringe and Nasir Mazhar
Day Five: Meadham Kirchhoff – Special Report

Images: Christopher Raeburn, J.W. Anderson and Pringle of Scotland by Hatnim Lee, J.W. Anderson (last three images) by Mark Rabadan

The post London Fashion Week: Backstage at Christopher Raeburn, J.W. Anderson and Pringle of Scotland S/S 2013 appeared first on Wonderland.

(1) Splits, spills and thrills

It’s every model’s nightmare. The last big fall was Burberry Spring/Summer 2011 – who knows which brand will produce the next pair of life-threatening, dignity-destroying pair of heels? But don’t worry, fashion folk are more likely to applaud a successful recovery than laugh at a pratfall. After all, everyone’s familiar with the sensation of almost tripping one of those damn Somerset House cobblestones.

(2) Celebspotting

Don’t act like you don’t care about the celebs: nobody’s immune to the magnetism exerted by the rich and famous. (Or just someone who was on T4 once.) London has yet to reach the front row celeb infestation levels of New York, but we’re getting there. Attending Fashion Week’s a quick way for celebs to earn fashion cool points. Hey, it’s their world, we’re only living in it.

(3) Street style bloggers

What’s that? Blinding multiple strobe flashes? Nope, the paparazzi hasn’t arrived yet, it’s only the style bloggers. Armed with a DSLR and a higher tolerance for waiting around than most, the street style hunters will be out in force. London Fashion Week is a safari and you’re their prey. Just wipe that smile off your face, strike a pose and think “viral, baby, viral”.

(4) The next big thing

New York’s sophisticated, Paris is luxurious – what’s London? The scrappy kid who won a reputation as being the place to spot new talent, that’s what. Jonathan Saunders and Richard Nicoll made it big here, and this year, who knows? We’ve got our sights set on Simone Rocha as the breakout hit. And, as ever, don’t neglect the Topshop Effect – now that the Topshop name’s a huge global brand, it’s got the clout to push any young designer into the spotlight with its NEWGEN programme.

(5) Virtual reality

Fashion Week has traditionally been seen as a bit of an ivory tower – nice to read about in the papers, but impossible to get to if you’re not in the industry. The BFC have done a stellar job of bringing LFW to the masses by being one of the first to livestream runway shows (they’ve got 70% of shows covered this year and are aiming for 100% in the future). Burberry’s launching their Tweetwalk initiative; Topshop’s letting visitors tune in and customise the collection online as they watch the livestream. LFW – a techy dream come true?

(6) Parties, parties, parties

Fashion Week wouldn’t be Fashion Week without the afterparties (and a queue snaking out the door to match). After all, weary fashionistas need somewhere to prop their feet up after a hard day’s work tramping between LFW venues. Recession, what recession?

(7) Kooky, spooky and a little bit crazy

London’s the one place where crazy isn’t just accepted, it’s embraced with open arms. Just think of Pandemonia, the LFW icon in all her glorious seven-feet of rubberized PVC. Or Meadham Kirchhoff, whose runway shows transform the catwalk into joyously deranged pop culture raves. Hell, all you need to do is look at Vivienne Westwood to know that London fashion is all about rebellion, eclecticism and good ol’ British eccentricity. All together now: that shit cray.

Words: Zing Tsjeng

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