Hellavagirl autumn/winter 2017 collection catwalk show for LFW

Hellavsagirl’s show opened with twinkling music, reminiscent of a wind-up music box, transitioning into some sort of space-shuttle countdown to blast-off. This music perfectly represented the overall aesthetic of the show: futuristic space-age chic combined with Renaissance elegance.

This changed to heavy rock music as the first model began to walk, dressed in a flowing gold glitter cape, with a flower garland for a collar and an impressive black paper flower on her head. The following look featured a black sequin bodysuit with a regal, gold cape across the shoulders. The running theme throughout the collection appeared to be a strong silhouette, reminiscent of Renaissance fashion, with voluminous shapes, powerful shoulders and layering of material. This was juxtaposed with the choice of colours or fabrics, with most of the outfits in metallic silver, gold or bronze with glittering sequins in abundance, creating a modern twist to these historically majestic colours. 

Ornamentation to the garments featured feather capes, netted trains and collars made up of floral bouquets. The juxtaposition of these different textures succeeded in creating an innovative combination of old and new, traditional and futuristic.  

The focal point of the collection were the magnificent paper flowers that decorated a few of the looks. The best was certainly saved until last, as the model appeared wearing an elegant, floor-length dress and surrounding her upper half were enormous black paper flowers.

From some angles they completely obscured the model from view, giving the appearance of a giant, gothic bouquet. The texture of the tissue-paper succeeded in creating depth and dimension to the shapes, with intricate layering that gave the flowers a realistic appearance. The material had life and movement as the model walked down the runway, which overall made the look captivating and powerful.  

The whole collection was a playful juxtaposition of different shapes and fabrics, that clashed and combined to elevate the looks beyond traditional fashion. By utilising the silhouettes of historical Renaissance fashion with futuristic, glittering fabrics, Hellavagirl combines fashion of the past and of the future. 

Eve Upton-Clark
Photos: Krish Nagari