Design duo Fyodor Podgorny and Golan Frydman made a glamorous entrance into the fashion world in September 2011, when they won the prestigious Fashion Fringe award. Since then they have been popping up on the fashion elite’s radar and blossoming into a well-established brand, soaring to the top of the Fashion Week schedule as a definite must-see. Their growing presence in the industry coupled with the fact that it was my first show of the season, meant that my expectations were set considerably high. Cue the music!
The show was given the title, “electric children” and was inspired by the pair’s daily commute to the studio across Waterloo Bridge; they were particularly fascinated by the busy bikers and runners who provide a steady beat to London’s morning routine.
The models swished down the runway to the tune of Plague by Crystal Castles, opening the show with a bright yellow three-piece suit that looked like a seriously high-fashion alternative to motorcycle gear. The same goes for the white snakeskin suit that followed – each one with a loose bomber jacket and asymmetric panelling on the trousers.
As the sports luxe theme continued, there were iconic, oversized FG sweat tops, sheer fabrics and pieces in snakeskin pastel. The sporty feel was broken up by an injection of enchanting multi-coloured feathers and splashes of aqua blue and nude. For SS14 the brand collaborated with jewellery designers Tresor Paris, who provided the beads and embellishments for some of the tops and dresses.
My personal favourites included a teeny tiny bandeau top made up entirely of smileys (awesome, right?!) and a bewitching nude bandeau dress decorated with rainbow feathers.
I adored the vibrant pink lipstick and hint of dyed hair too.
The soft minty greens, vibrant neon yellows and pastel pinks offered a stark contrast to the wet, grey London city that wrapped itself around the panoramic windows like a depressing winter souvenir. The colourful feathers looked as if they’d been plucked straight from Kevin the tropical, flightless bird from Pixar’s UP! In other words it was fun, dynamic, bold and beautiful.
Overall the collection was a great mix of soft, loose pieces and structured, expressive pieces – staying loyal to the brand’s ideal client who is “unafraid of showing both her sensitive and strong sides.”
It was also interesting to see a selection of black for spring/summer, my favourite being this floor-length, snakeskin dress. Not typically something you’d associate with spring but it gave the collection another dimension.
Among the FROW was beautiful TV presenter, Laura Whitmore and singer-songwriter Dionne Bromfield.
Thank you to Stature PR and Emma Jarman for the show ticket!
