Scandal and fashion: two words which have always been synonymous. Galliano’s racist slur; Naomi in her furs; size zero models; and not least Cocaine Kate. However, as Marc Jacobs was forced to chuck his ‘Lola’ perfume ad, featuring a 17 year old Dakota Fanning holding a perfume bottle between her legs, the world has had to acknowledge that this scandal is a little seedier. In recent years there have been frequent protests against the sexualisation of children, a debate that came to a head when Primark was forced to withdraw its padded bras and bikini tops for children as young as seven. Today, the scandal rages on with the Marc Jacobs advert branded ‘sexually provocative’ and accused of ‘sexualising children’: an accusation that the ad definitely achieved. A blonde, young- looking Dakota Fanning leans back with a provocative look in her eyes, and an enlarged perfume bottle clutched between her legs. The tag line reads ‘Oh, Lola!’ an arguable reference to Nabokov’s paedophilic classic ‘Lolita’; Dakota’s pink, translucent chiffon dress and blonde hair could have been lifted directly from the text. So what prompted Marc Jacobs to believe for a second that such an advert would be acceptable? In...

‘‘There is too much fashion’’ declared fashion’s king of exclusivity, Dries Van Noten, in a recent interview with The Independent. With the international fashion shows lasting an entire month, pre-collections, endless collaborations, and the increase of ‘disposable’ clothes in shops such as Primark, I’m inclined to agree with him. Fuel sources are destined to peak (and then go into rapid decline) around 2030, and with the textiles industry accused of both polluting landscapes and contributing to climate change through environmentally unfriendly production methods, it can be argued that the fashion industry is on a one way highway to self- combustion. However, a backlash against the unrelentingly greedy consumerism that created the cycle of production, consumption and waste has begun to emerge from the more conscientious and creative divisions of the fashion industry. The reaction to unethical and disposable ‘fast’ fashion can be viewed through three things: the rejection of globalisation by international fashion houses, the rising popularity of the’ arts and crafts’ movement, and the increased number of ethical, eco- friendly fashion labels. With a shocking estimated 60% of Western clothes being made in Eastern sweatshops, combined with the high street’s unchecked plagiarism of catwalk looks, historic British brands...

There’s a reason why Bora Aksu is one of the most watched designers emerging from London today. Adhering strictly to Louise Wilson’s, the fearsome head of the MA programme at Central St Martins, from which Aksu graduated in 2002, central mantra against derivativeness, this season the Turkish designer has produced yet another starkly original collection to add to his impressive legacy. Describing his work as ‘demi-couture’, for Spring/ Summer 13 Aksu has produced a collection which focuses upon the point at which sweet romanticism collides with a darker edge; he calls upon Queen Marie of Romania, the grand-daughter of Queen Victoria, to be his central muse. Torn from her British roots by her marriage to Ferdinand of Romania, Queen Maria embraced Romanian culture and traditions whilst still maintaining her quintessential Englishness. This can be witnessed literally through Aksu’s frequent depiction of traditionally shaped, gauzy puffed sleeves and heavier dirndl skirts in the collection, and more metaphorically with his melding of fabric and prints. The layering of tulle over cotton and silk embossed with abstract prints give an ephemeral, trompe l’oeil effect to the garments, speaking of a life full of uncertainties and layered with different experiences. In fact, the...

If there was ever a collection that summed up the ever-revolving cycle of fashion, it was the one shown by Matthew Williamson at London Fashion Week, as he celebrated 15 successful years at the helm of his own-name label. Williamson aim was to make a synopsis of “the DNA of the brand”- peacock bright colour ways and daring, red carpet ready evening gowns being eponymous with the label- and perform a thorough re-evaluation for the modern customer. The traditional Williamson clashing hot ‘n’ cold colour palette was reimagined onto thoroughly modern silhouettes, proving that the designer has a lot more depth than singularly providing red carpet magic. Blazing trails of peacock brights blistered and collided in a stream of white light on of-the-moment silken shirts and short suits. Ankle grazing tailored trousers and lust-worthy knits added to the wearable aspects of Williamson’s S/S ’13 collection; no longer will these designs simply clothe the pages of the glossies, but the backs of their exacting editors as well. Kaleidoscope prints adorned more trousers, dresses and jackets; the design was abstracted using embellishment and laser cut-outs, indicating Williamson’s progress and experimentation over the years. Finally, flowing, bias-cut dresses in shades from aquamarine...