For two days only, a little piece of the London fashion world set up shop in New Yorks West Village.
Travelling en masse through the British Fashion Councils London Show Rooms initiative, 22 designerswomenswear, menswear and accessories all representedmade their way to Manhattan to meet and greet top editors and retailers.
Designers setting up rails in the airy studio space included , , , , and , among others. Van Der Ham, Fulton and Koma also participated in the Show Rooms residency in Los Angeles last week, with side trips to Coachella (for Van Der Ham) and Las Vegas (for Koma, who didnt have time to gamble) between the events.
The trip gave Koma a chance to talk editors through his autumn winter 2013 collectionand to praise perhaps his highest-profile client, Beyonce, who wears the designers custom black-and-gold performance ensemble in her Mrs Carter Tour.
Shes incredible, Koma said, noting that Knowles first wore one of his MA collection dresses to an MTV awards show in 2009. Its been quite a big pleasure to work with someone like her long-term.
Although orders have closed for the season, the group-showrooming format helps younger designers build influencer fan clubs. In LA, Salma Hayek borrowed one of Van Der Hams dresses; in NY, certain Show Rooms visitors kept their eyes peeled for Met Ball gown options.
For designers Catherine Teatum and Rob Jones, now in their fifth season, its all a matter of spreading the message printed on their garment labels: Made with Love and Care in England.
Weve had those in place since last season and the response has been really good, Jones said. Teatum added, People really want to see heritage and craftsmanship. If youre not on the shop floor, you want them to understand that part of the story.
Look for someone to understand that part of the story all the way down the Met Ball red carpetmaybe, just maybein Teatum Jones polka-dotted, tulle-sleeved Melissa dress.