UNITED KINGDOM: London Fashion Week gets underway with contrasting collections by established designer John Rocha and newcomers Noir

London Fashion Week kicked off on Monday (September 18, 2006) with spring/summer collections by established designer John Rocha and Danish-born newcomer Peter Ingwersen for Noir. John Rocha's show was filled with natural fabrics and understated colours. Predominantly black and cream, Rocha highlighted his simple pieces with splashes of brown and silver. Jackets, skirts and trousers were sharply tailored and frills appeared on necklines and hemlines. "This collection is about using workwear but with a Victorian detail, bringing the past in a modern form, using all natural fibre like silk and linen and cotton and also it's a collection that I think travels well because most of the collection is actually washable," Rocha said. Rocha has spent over 20 years in the fashion industry. Born in Hong Kong of Chinese and Portuguese decent he moved to London to study fashion in the 1970s. As well as fashion, he also designs a crystal collection, jewellery and collaborates on interior and architectural projects. He was awarded a CBE in 2002. Noir, who made their invited debut at London Fashion Week in February, showed a politically conscious collection, a portion of the sale of which supports sustainable business processes in the Third World. It was a rock-inspired collection full of skin-tight leggings, pencil skirts and skimpy tops, predominantly in cotton. Even a red PVC dress was 95 percent cotton and only 5 percent plastic. "It was actually about traditional couture elements, however using the fabric of cotton cotton; being very democratic, accessible to everyone," Danish-Born designer Peter Ingwersen said. Ingwersen was involved in the creation of a fabric brand called Illuminati 11 where Ugandan cotton is manufactured in Europe for Noir for onward sale to leading luxury brands, and in the establishment of the Noir Foundation, a fund that supports African cotton workers.

ITN Source | September 19, 2006

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