LFW – Izmaylova SS12

The birth of a new label is always intriguing, especially a luxury label. I always find it interesting to see how fashion (and automobile) companies position them, what their points of distinction are and how they achieve the luxury status from scratch. Izmaylova’s first collection, entitled “The edge of darkness”, somehow captured the essence of luxury and excess with it’s reinforcement of the label’s Russian roots. The Orient Express-esque tickets were intriguing, even more so when my ticket got punched by a lovely ‘ticket inspector’, complete with a uniform and cap. Inside the cavernous space in Freemasons Hall, a bench surrounded by pretty vintage cases sat in the middle of the catwalk.
The setting set the mood for a more is more collection, which is exactly what we got. The collection was literally dripping with luxury, from the soft silk fabrics and luxe leather detailing to the twinkling crystals and voluminous feathers. The craftsmanship harks back to a time well designed and beautifully finished clothing, when fashion was an artform. Indeed, some of the dresses have taken over 100 hours to finish. One dress has 3000 hand sewn black Swarovski crystals on it, while others are made up of laser-cut leather, structured hidden corsets or feather sleeves.