London Fashion Week at 10-11

Last month, 10-11 Carlton House Terrace was lucky enough to host some seriously impressive fashion shows as part of London Fashion Week. It was an exciting run and a real treat to see what innovative and interesting ways our fashion show venue could be used by each designer.

There was plenty of sensational style debuted ready for next season including some of AW20’s coolest coats, hottest hairstyles and biggest colour trends. We’re already reminiscing about it so here we are, sharing our London Fashion Week highlights with you…

Shrimps

Hannah Weiland’s Shrimps AW20 runway show was a big hitter with guests and the press alike. Featured everywhere from Vogue to Marie Claire to Elle, the collection was a tribute to The Queen and plays with royal style from the 80s.

Weiland said: “It was inspired by the Queen and a particularly bright fuchsia pink outfit she wore. It’s such a beautiful rich colour; I think it has a depth to it and especially works in silk. I love how it contrasts against the other more subtle colours in my AW20 collection and when added to a print it creates a vibrant pop which I love.”

The show debuted pieces including Balmoral-style country jackets and knee-length skirts, jewel-tone evening wear, sustainably sourced wool balaclavas and regal coats detailed with faux-sheepskin cuffs and collars. Taking ‘royal style in the 80s’ a step further, the hair and make-up channelled Princess Diana, with combinations of impressively coiffed hair, high blush and the occasional red lip accompanying each look.

10-11 Carlton House Terrace was the perfect fashion show venue for Shrimps’ AW20 debut. Our elegant Georgian interiors and period detailing created a backdrop which worked harmoniously with Wieland’s royal-inspired collection.

With many of our spaces able to open up into each other, a runway is seamless to set-up for fashion show events. The Gallery, Music Room and Council Room were used as the catwalk, with the sides of each room lined with benches for the audience. In fact, some front-row guests to the show were genuine royalty including Lady Mary Charteris and Lady Amelia Windsor.

Behind the scenes, hair and make-up was done in the Reading Room on the ground floor, while changing was done in the Wolfson Room directly above which backs onto the Gallery, where the catwalk began. This meant a seamless transition for the models changing from one look to the next as they could quickly get back to the runway.

The show itself was put on by marketing agency, Blonstein.

Jiri Kalfar (Eden Eden)

Jiri Kalfar is known for leaving an impression with his shows and AW20 was no exception. His most recent collection takes inspiration from the idea of ‘paradise’ and ‘Eden’, harking back to a time where nature flourished untouched and was respected by humankind.

This romantic idea formed the basis of the collection, an attempt to recreate the garden’s beauty. Using a playful palette of pinks, greens, cream and brown, Jiri’s designs combine traditional haute couture luxury, like embroidery and hand-stitching, with technology to build a vision of a ‘modern-day Eden’. So, while his looks are rooted to now, they’re still (figuratively) woven with the elegance and tradition of the past.

Impressively, his collection is both vegan and zero-waste, making a point that it’s possible to create couture without the enormous environmental costs that are still, broadly, assumed as part of the process.

There’s a lot of arrangements that go into hosting an event at a fashion show venue, and that can include an afterparty – with a very tight turn around! Similarly to the Shrimps show, the catwalk for Eden Eden was formed by the Gallery and Music Room, with the Wolfson Room used as a dressing room and the Mall Room adjacent used to do hair and make-up.

However, the spaces used for the runway were the same as those needed for the afterparty, and just 15 minutes was budgeted for the onsite team to transform the catwalk into an elegant drinks reception. They pulled it off, and both Jiri and his post-show party have received plenty of praise since.

Suppliers for the event included DyeLog PR, Delta Live (production) Event Hire Professionals (make-up mirrors and benches) and Searcys (catering).

Simon Mo (Peek A Zoo)

This presentation was a particularly original take on the ways 10-11 can be used for events. Simon Mo’s AW20 collection investigates what exactly the relationship isbetween humans and nature – or, more specifically – animals. His inspiration uniquely comes from a dream where he became a wild animal whisperer able to understand the feelings of animals and experience their adventures with them.

This, combined with his background studying vintage veterinary practices and a curiosity about circus animals’ relationships with their trainers, formed this collection’s core concept. The fabrics, shapes and prints are all heavily influenced by typical vintage circus trainers’ costumes.

Silhouettes are borrowed from unisex vet uniforms, brightly coloured patterns are reminiscent of traditional circus tents, while faux skins, knitwear imitating chinchillas and giraffe print burnout are all highlights across his designs.

Similarly to Jiri Kalfar, Simon Mo is aware of the environmental issues within the industry but works hard as an environmentalist to fight back, producing ‘fashion with a cause’ and raising awareness. At the AW20 debut of Peek a Zoo, donations were collected for Freedom for Animals; one of the longest running charities for protecting animals in the UK, starting as the ‘Captive Animals Protection Society’ in 1957.

Our fashion show venue was used as a space to present Simon Mo’s AW20 collection, with our Music Room filled with life-sized (and near-life-sized) animal props which the models stood amongst. It was just the right space for this with its stunning carved fireplace, ornamental plasterwork and an impressive amount of natural daylight providing a wonderful contrast to his bright colours and edgy tailoring.

Adjacent to the Music Room, our Council Room was used for dressing the models while the Mall Room across the first floor was used for hair and make-up. The event was coordinated by DyeLog, the production was by Delta Live, the animal props came from Event Prop Hire, and Event Hire Professionals supplied the make-up mirrors used behind-the-scenes.

London Fashion Show Venue to Hire

London Fashion Week has to be one of our favourite weeks of the year. We love the buzz that the team and guests bring, and it is such a pleasure having all that original creativity under our roof! If you’re interested in using a Grade I listed Georgian townhouse as a venue for a fashion show, you can get in contact with our team at info@10-11cht.co.uk or call on 020 7969 5224.