Iroquois PR AW12 Press Day

Proof in the pudding that less is more; Iroquois PR’s AW12 event was an intimate affair, showcasing the group’s impressively strong portfolio of fashion labels and their collections for the forthcoming season.

Simeon Farrar is an artist and fashion designer whose AW12 collection is entitled The Haunted House. The use of prints throughout the collection gives it a gothic feel and is decidedly “Brooklyn hipster” in flavour (I say this in a good way). Consisting of sweats and tees with Farrar’s own design motifs such as skulls and baying wolves, grungy plaid shirt dresses, goth pretty dresses in a dark palette and tartan poncho’s all with a worn in and well-loved look, the collection is for the girl for whom Halloween is a way of life. Alongside the clothing comes a delightfully quirky set of bags and totes, all well-crafted and featuring the aforementioned prints. Farrar’s now iconic Kate Mouse – a recurrent design theme – was also present, adding a dash of light-hearted genius; a playful tribute to the model who would be Farrar’s ideal customer.

Scaline London design modern clothing for women, meant to bridge the gap between designer business and casual wear. This is most evident in the labels amazing jackets, extremely well cut and designed, making them perfect investment pieces. The standouts are the military style jackets that are chic enough to carry off as office daywear; structured and minimal in design with a military look and design features such as sleeve cut-outs and bias zips lending an edge. These are jackets that can be worn to the office over a skirt then teamed with jeans and boots to carry you into the night. Other standouts included 70s style jersey pieces and an elegant riff on the Chanel suit style.

Sam Ubhi designs some of the most inspired statement pieces of jewellery on the market.  The AW12 collection comprising natural and organic jewellery all hand-made and produced from Ubhi’s original pieces, is split into two lines. A higher end line, where real precious metals and stones such as gold and diamonds are used and a costume line that is available at a more accessible price point. The oft outré jewellery as well as being perfect for high fashion editorial and adorning let’s say, Daphne Guinness, is also highly wearable, especially for the girl who likes to be noticed! Wearing a Sam Ubhi piece is bound to inspire comment and admiring glances. The collection features gold and jade aplenty, startling red coral used in necklaces and a huge ring (rings are a standout here, being chunky and eye-catching), cow horn necklaces and belt buckles and a beautiful fringed shell bag that shines like a bright star.

David Longshaw is another artist and designer in the Iroquois fold whose bold and unique prints, drawn by the designer himself, are amazingly original. The Elle Talent Launch Pad winner has designed a highly fashion-forward collection for AW12. Extremely individual, the clothing is unique with an avant garde element marking it as something one could see Lady Gaga being quite at home wearing, especially the one of a kind “Maude” hat (Maude being a character of Longshaw’s creation and a recurrent design motif) and the outrageous stacked shoulder design used on jackets and dresses.

Every item on display was a one-of-a-kind piece, each stunning to behold, a particular standout amongst the undeniably strong selection of jackets being a black bolero that featured the dramatic stacked shouldered design. Becky of Iroquois PR was kind enough to divulge a bit of insider information regarding Longshaw; his one-of-a-kind, uniquely London style clothing will be available for the trend setters amongst you to get your hands on an upcoming sample sale and collection preview. Click here for details. Alongside the AW12 collection, David Longshaw also presented his wonderful line of scarves which are stocked in Harrods. Featuring prints of his own design and drawing, a particular standout item was a patriotic themed design to coincide with the upcoming Olympics and Jubilee.

Iroquois also represent the well-known Ice-Watch brand. With over 400 colour and style combinations, Ice-Watch offer a look for everyone (each watch is meant to be unisex) and also a style to suit your every mood. The price point for such well-designed watches is very reasonable starting at around £75, marking them as an accessible and collectable fashion accessory. The newer, bigger and more masculine styles recently made available are on trend and are eye-grabbing pieces that can be shared (or not) by couples.

Ian Michael Turner

Photos: Ian Michael Turner & Sara Reverberi