Culottes are a welcome reminder that the weather is heading in the right direction. Either worn with flatforms or crisp white kicks, it’s finally time to bare those legs (well part of them) in some wide-leg crop-length trousers.

Our top four just so happen to be made from the fabric of the season, denim. And we’ve taken a liking to the frayed variety, but you’ll find a plethora of styles, cuts and washes out there. Here are our Twin picks to get you started.

High-Wasited Denim Culottes, £135, self-portrait-studio.com & Raw Edge Hem Denim Culottes in White, £268, charlie-may.co.uk

Frayed Edge Denim Culottes, £30, monki.com & A Tentative Atelier Asymmetrical Culottes, £328, farfetch.com

Tags: A Tentative Atelier, Charlie May, Culottes, Denim, Monki, Self Portrait, SS15

As the fashion pack decamps to Paris for the next round of Autumn / Winter 15 womenswear shows, Twin revisits London Fashion Week – the off-guard moments, the new stars of design and the risk-takers who made us sit up and take notice.

1205

Back to Winter basics was the theme for designer and NewGen recipient Paula Gerbase this season, as her signature androgynous vision continued with structured tailoring, loose fit trousers and knitwear taking the form of longer-length dresses, high polo necks and a sleeveless knit tunic. Utility detailing worked against the neutral colour palette of chalky whites, navy and grey, as the Barbican’s glass roofed conservatory provided a leafy sanctuary and tropical oasis of calm during a hectic fashion week – a setting which blended perfectly with this effortlessly understated collection.

1205.eu

Charlie May

Turning her presentation into a live lookbook shoot – complete with photographer Yuvali Thesis and illustrator Clym Evernden capturing the moment – Charlie May invited the audience behind the scenes into her world of clean-cut modernism. Set in Mayfair’s art-deco inspired Beaumont Hotel, the collection presented an oversize silhouette as generous shapes framed the body in a mix of shearling, leather and rich wools – the emphasis was on tactile textures, quality cuts and winter seen through a fresh minimalist focus.

charlie-may.co.uk

Helen Lawrence

Experimenting with the concept of deconstruction of textural fabrics, the designer drew inspiration from the tape-wrapped sculptures of British artist Phyllida Barlow.

Creating a collection which included oversize silhouettes in lambswool and elastomeric yarn, raw unfinished holes were left in the garments, paired with heavy leather boots by Kult Domini, evoking a woolly 90s grunge aesthetic.

Set against a landscape of meteor-like rocks, her vision transformed Chelsea College of Arts into a post-apocalyptic playground, with the odd pop of gold bleeding through the romantic darkness.

helen-lawrence.co.uk

Christopher Raeburn 

We are sailing was a key reference for Raeburn’s nautical-inspired collection, Immerse, which continued the theme from his AW15 Menswear show, offering a bold exploration of the textures, shapes and colours associated with a life on the seas. A merino wool cape, puffer jacket, pea coat and duffel coat all reinvented the sailor aesthetic, in muted blues and life-jacket orange.

His shark print motif was in full effect across knitwear and jumpsuits while fur detailing and long ponchos injected a casually luxe elegance into his signature mix of modern technical outerwear. Shark-shaped bags and mittens gave things a playful twist. Aye aye captain.

christopherraeburn.co.uk

Joseph 

The basement of a Soho car park complete with silver foil blankets for warmth, provided the setting for Joseph’s take on desconstructed femininity – and the blanket association didn’t stop there. Across an almost nude colour palette, heavy knits and blanket fabrics seamlessly blended with silk, fur and cashmere to evoke an organic cozy familiarity, as hard oversize masculine cuts played against the softness, unravelling a seductive femininity – inspiration drawn from the work of sculptor Robert Morris.

In a collection which included threadbare knits with drop-stitching, fur tunics and blanket dresses, all worn with velcro strap sandals and thick woolly ankle socks, it evoked the feeling of coming in from the cold, with added comfort.

joseph-fashion.com

Sibling  

Do you wanna be in their gang? Yes please. The Sibling trio continued to put the fun into reworked classics, with an energetic collection which fused a myriad of textural styles, including signature cobwebbed knits, fuzzy furs, lyrically-splashed polished latex and a reinvented tweed two-piece in knitted lurex.

Drawing inspiration from the vibrant hues of the late Danish furniture and interiors designer Verner Panton, 80s neon pinks and sherbet oranges called for attention across colour-block knits, slinky knit dresses and skinny scarves, as detailing from beaded brooches and badges evoked those Saturday trips to Camden Market as a teenager, the one with only DIY on your mind. Slim and sexy silhouettes injected glamour into a collection which celebrated being too cool for school, complete with punk-edged mohawks.

The signature slogan sweater made its entrance too, paying homage to the show’s soundtrack by Blondie – Call Me it said, and if you saw one of Sibling’s girls hanging out at a party… you would definitely try to get her number.

siblinglondon.com

Ashley Williams 

From behind a key-hole underneath a neon sign that read “Ashley’s”, out stepped Georgia May Jagger and Alice Dellal along with a gang of cool cultish skater girls, transporting you back to the future, as 80s and 90s references signified a collection which celebrated subverting conventional dress codes. Taking inspiration from riot-grrl founder Kathleen Hanna, actress Chloe Sevigny and the 1985 Beastie Boys track, Girls, out came leather corsets (think vice and all things nice), heavy metal tees, neon pink cropped jumpers, fur bucket hats, vampish PVC dresses, leggings with knee holes, mini dresses decorated in patches, cartoon face print dresses and knit jumpers and skirts featuring graphics by Fergus Purcell.

This was in no way a bubblegum sweet collection, it was hard and fast for girls with a bold attitude who aren’t afraid to express themselves, defined by bratty slogans like “Improve Your Image. Be Seen With Me.” Now that’s confidence for you.

ashleywilliamslondon.com

Ashish

Who knew that stripper chic could be so covetable, as a troupe of sassy girls stomped out clad in a powerful and provocative collection which drew inspiration from Jane Fonda’s character Bree Daniels, in the cult 70s movie Klute.

Signature sequin embellishment took on a new form across pumped-up camouflage parkas, mini skirts and jumpers with fur trims, while stonewashed denim was roughed up for the streets, cut into dresses, jackets and lace-up jeans decorated with stud detailing. Boudoir-ready nighties with lace trimming sent the temperature soaring, along with lipstick-red latex boots and a patchwork fur slogan jumper which simply read, “Sex” – watching this collection, you couldn’t help but have it on your mind.

ashish.co.uk

Topshop Unique

There’s a new cocktail in town and it’s called ‘Topshop Unique’, as the fashion powerhouse blended one part outdoorsy daytime English heritage with one part slinky night owl, serving up a decadent mix of sexed-up kilts, vinyl miniskirts, dandelion print dresses with thigh-high slits, marabou trimmed dresses, embellished velvet frocks, Aran knits, retro roll necks and faux fur-lined duffel coats.

Mixing the conventional with the unconventional, this was a gilded happy hour full of posh girls from the countryside who come to the city to party (yah yah), kicking off their red square-toed velvet shoes at the end of the night. We’ll cheers to that.

topshop.com

Tags: 1205, ashish, Ashley Williams, AW15, Charlie May, Christopher Raeburn, Helen Lawrence, Joseph, LFW, Sibling, Topshop

For Autumn/Winter 2014, Charlie May, the womenwear designer with a minimal and monochrome sensibility, called upon knitwear specialists Eleven Everything to create stunning wooly pieces to add to her collection of elegant androgyny. “I’ve admired Kathryn [the designer behind Eleven Everything] and her work for some time,” states May, “so when we met through a mutual friend it was the perfect opportunity to work together. I had been wanting to explore knitwear and the process behind it for my own collections and Kathryn was keen to explore womenswear, so it was a natural collaboration that took form.”

Taking inspiration from the textures of Dartmoor, Devon, the rugged, windswept environment is reflected in her use of pony hair and Mongolian furs. “I was super excited seeing the swatch/sampling process, so many beautiful merino wool styles to choose from but we went with chunky polo’s with long sleeves and origami wrap skirts. The focus is completely on the fabrication in my view, the texture of the rib stands out so beautifully.”

Tags: Charlie May, Eleven Everything

Charlie May may be well known for her fashion blog Girl a la Mode, but each season she reminds us that she is a talented designer-to-watch also. When creating her SS14 collection, May focused on childhood nostalgia. “Growing up in the North Devon countryside as a tomboy and farmers daughter, whilst alternatively listening to the Spice Girls and getting mixed up in the questionable late 90’s fashion,” inspired the introduction of metallic pink and turquoise to her usually minimal aesthetic. Not only does May experiment with new colour palettes, textures are also a focus this season, working with mills for the first time to produce exclusive materials such as a woven polyester/silk metallic fabric that demonstrates a growing confidence in her designs. We find interesting shapes and silhouettes  such as flared trousers and cropped tops, which are those 90’s inspired pieces, pulling the line together in a delicately elegant way.

Androgyny is always at play when it comes to Charlie May’s collections and this season that meant a collaboration with Hudson shoes. Creating a white slip on brogue, featuring silver zip detailing – the epitome of a perfect summer shoe, according to May herself. “I was really excited to work with Hudson as I love what they do, and am so keen to move into footwear and accessories myself, but don’t quite have the resources to do that yet.”

The collection, including the limited edition brogues, goes on sale at the beginning of February.

charlie-may.co.uk

Tags: Charlie May, Hudson Shoes, SS14

When Charlie May sent her AW13 collection down the catwalk this year, each look had its own piece from her recent collaboration with accessories designer Danielle Foster. Their capsule collection heavily features vinyl plastic on leather bags and jewellery, keeping in line with both Charlie May’s minimalist and Danielle Foster’s timeless aesthetic.

Twin spoke to May about the joint design venture…

When did you discover Danielle Foster’s accessories?

I discovered Danielle through Bengt, who was my first stockist and started seeing her bags popping up everywhere. I loved the classic design and heavy focus on hardware on leather.

What is it about Danielle’s designs that captured your attention and made you realise that your collections could compliment each other?

I love that Danielle’s bags are so raw. They’re finished in a classic and traditional way, but add in chunky gold hardware and even some human hair so you’re on your way to something unique and unusual, which I relate to a lot with my work. Classic tailoring in unexpected fabrications and cuts is something I love to do.

What was the collaboration process like? How did it differ from your usual creative process?

I loved working together, it was very easy and we both knew to keep it simple. Danielle had already been thinking up shapes when I brought in the leathers and designs for my AW13 collection. I’ve always wanted to work with clear plastic too, which matched perfectly to my icy inspiration.

What materials did you utilise in the collaboration?

The bags are mostly made from traditional thick saddle leather. The only unusual material was the clear vinyl plastic, which I absolutely love in the satchel. I feel there are lots of clear bags around at the moment but none as cool as our satchel! I think the clear against the heavy black is really strong. I really liked Danielle’s braided handles on the tote bags, to give a cool little detail on a classic.

How do the accessories accentuate your collection?

I always think bags finish off a collection perfectly, it’s like having the whole package. A lot of my AW13 collection was quite matchy. The classic satchels were great to pair with a few trouser suits to step it up a notch and also to toughen up some of the floatier silk looks.

Who in the future would you like to collaborate with?

I have a couple of super exciting collaborations for next season that I’m not quite ready to blab about, but I can reveal that it will include shoes!

Why do you think collaborations between designers are such a big commodity nowadays?

I think collaborations are amazing for young designers to get their names heard. Working with other designers, you’re effectively sharing each others fan bases and reaching a wider audience.

The Charlie May x Danielle Foster collection will be released in August on BengtFashion, The Unconventional and the designers’ respective own e-commerce sites.

charlie-may.co.uk

daniellefoster.co.uk

Tags: Charlie May, Danielle Foster

This Saturday the London blogger glitterati are getting together for a united yard sale. The line-up includes Charlie May aka Girl a la Mode, Susie Bubble, Lust & Found and Anastasia & Duck all selling cherished designer, high street and vintage womenswear and menswear.

Expect a posh upcycle, fashion stylie of course with food, drink and live music.

Twin caught up with one of the bloggers involved, Charlie May…

When did you start your blog?
August 2008, whilst I was studying fashion design at university.

How would you describe it in five words?
Clean, minimal, adventurous and design led.

What is London style to you?
The freedom to dress however you want without being stared down in the street.

What will you be selling at the yard sale?
I seem to collect hats at sample sales and then never wear them! One hat in particular i’ll be selling is the leather ACNE cowboy hat from their Resort collection. It’ll make someone very happy I’m sure!

How did you get involved with it?
Susie sent me an email asking if I wanted to be a part of it, I’ve just moved house so was keen to go through everything and only keep what’s in regular circulation.

Will you be on the hunt for anything yourself?
I have a feeling I’ll be spending any money I make on Susie’s rail, I hear it’s going to be pretty amazing!

Saturday 11th August
10am-6pm
23A Benwell Rd,
London,
N7 7BL

Closest tubes: Holloway Rd or Highbury & Islington

charlie-may.co.uk

girlalamode.co.uk

Tags: Bloggers Yard Sale, Charlie May, Girl a la Mode, Susie Bubble