The style prominence of the shoulder next season (AW09) is indisputable. They are the body part that one should be flaunting come fall. No mistaking.
As a result, the bold shoulders that have sauntered down the catwalks, show after show, city after city, have been widely reported on in the media. Much has been made of their exaggerated appearances, geometric shapes and padded silhouettes.
One shoulder trend that seems to have slipped through the fashion net, however, is the embellished look.
Paul Smith draped shoulders in sparkly crystals and pearls that swung in tandem beautifully with the models strides, Holly Fulton (from Fashion East) and Roksanda Ilincic heavily encrusted their designs with jewels and sequins lending them an 80s TV soap feel. Jenny Packham took inspiration from the 1920s and from them hung fringes of beads that twinkled in the lights,while David Koma used metal adornment not unlike bullets to emphasize the natural curve of a bare shoulder. Embellishment huddled densely together by Peter Pilotto and Julien Macdonald had a feral feel, while Gemma Slack* cloaked shoulders with a stunning cage cape that appeared to be made out of a gold metal.
Embellishment, as many of the London Fashion Week designers have proven is an accessible way to tap into the pronounced shoulder trend this Autumn. It offers versatility, functionality and originality all in one tidy little package. Whereas it would be hard to imagine where or how one would wear a jacket that is akin to a Quarterbacker’s football kit in day to day life, a beaded shoulder will easily slot into any existing wardrobe. That’s not even the great news though! With an old garment, a trip to the local haberdasher and a little time, fashion has finally given us a wonderful trend that genuinely lends itself to an achievable DIY job. Let the sewing commence.
Edith
Top row, from left to right. Paul Smith, Holly Fulton, Roksanda Ilincic. Middle, Jenny Packham. Bottom row, from left to right: David Koma, Peter Pilotto, Julien Macdonald.
There were definitely a lot of “Dynasty shoulders.” I enjoyed the embellishments as well, though I’m curious to see how/if this trend will translate to mass-market retail.
These Designs are sooooooooooooooooooo Fetch!!!!