Vauxhall Fashion Scout: Lako Bukia A/W '12

   Lako Bukia followed on from Prose at the Vauxhall Fashion Scout event I attended for LFW on Monday. I had already looked up Lako on Vogue out of curiosity before I attended the catwalk show, and was impressed by her fine attention to detail and her emphasis on feminity, with her previous collection favouring fluid and dainty materials. Born in Tbilisi, Georgia, Lako's designs are clearly influenced by her Georgian roots; her last collection featured heavy structured pieces inspired by Georgian architecture, while her A/W '12 collection is based on a Georgian superstition. Named 'Broken Mirrors', the glass-like segments and metallic panels on the clothes are a direct embodiment of the Georgian belief that looking into mirrors is bad luck. I personally love this theme, as I feel it gives the collection an intriguing, mythical quality and has formed the basis for beautiful, contemporary pieces of clothing.

 

    Lako Bukia is already a brand that is on everyone's lips- Lako branched out from her home city when  she was invited to take part in the 'Kiev Week of Young Fashion Designers' in 2009. Her collection, 'Mushroom' was exhibited in the Central St Martin's College of Art and Design, London and also published in America's well-known fashion magazine, Oasis. From there, Lako studied in Milan, working on styling projects with stylist Katie Burnett and dedicating her time to learning more about the art of styling. She then took part as one of thirty Georgian designers in the Georgia fashion show, 'Days of Peace' where one of her designs, a white dress, was highly acclaimed by fashion critics. She has now achieved three collections in London and one in Europe, selling in France, Georgia and Hong Kong.

   Lako has defined the brand as one that is trying to redefine the way the world sees feminity and sexuality, saying: "Femininity and sexuality are now widely perceived as being equal to wearing tight and revealing clothes. The women of the world forgot that there is something more exciting in the mystery of the type of garments which do not stress one’s body shape...this is one of the reasons I think my designs are different. They convey a different meaning; a meaning I think is missing in fashion today." She has portrayed this vision in her latest collection by presenting clothes that are effeminate yet elegant, sweeping and loose rather than figure-hugging; the clothes have a sex appeal that is mysterious, futuristic and edgy.

 

   A glance at the silver and black lining along the runway gave us a glimpse at what was to come in the collection. I was, in a way mesmerized when the bright lights appeared and the models were highlighted in fabulous, space-age-esque, head to toe, shimmering metallic creations. The individual pieces were exquisitely made, from the straight-cut peter pan collars to the tailored silver trousers, and the fabrics were extravagantly luxe and silky. Chiffon, sheer and soft wool floated down the catwalk in the form of flirty skirts, tank tops and long sleeved blouses. The metallic effect was carried on throughout the collection, varying from the shiniest, smoothest silver silks to metallic flecks on other garments and glitter shoes- Miu Miu style. Jewelled buttons added another feminine and glamourous touch, while there were also hints of sports luxe, with the detail on the trousers and the hood-like collars on some pieces. The finale, which was announced with a loud 'pop' of silver confetti being released, showcased a gorgeous, party-appropriate black sheer dress with a floaty skirt and a cool contrast of one silver stripe down the front. The audience were then wowed by the ultimate in metallics- a sparkling replica of a jagged broken mirror in the form of a top with an underlay of sheer black long sleeves.

 

   The sculpted, incredibly sleek high ponytails held with tribal look metallic bands immediately caught my eye in polishing each and every outfit. The make-up was very natural with slightly pinched cheeks and a nude lip, but with a sharp, straight pencilled on eyebrow which was intended to reiterate the cubist influence illustrated throughout the collection- definitely a style statement. I loved the whole collection, because of its luxe feel and the interesting inspiration behind it but also because it is a collection that is so cool yet very wearable for the normal girl. Metallics are already trending and are the perfect way to glam up autumn and winter eveningwear. Take a look at some of the outfits of the collection below!