Super Super Fashion Troopers - LFW

Tue, 09/10/2007 - 7:23pm

Super Super the show of the week I was most looking forward to during London Fashion week September 07. Why? My styling and photography students at London College of Fashion (Anna Trevelyn amongst others see photo) had re introduced me to the 90s revival via Super Super magazine 2 years ago and I would get to see it in the real and what’s different about the 90s this time around.

Relieved to learn again a couple of years ago that there was an alternative night club boom(and people were dressing up!!) with the likes of Boom Box and Family.I was beginning to get worried about the kids I had taught before all this ,seeming to be into Posh and Kylie devoid of any irony .What happened to alternative and irony, come the beginning of the millennium? I think it all went a bit on snooze. Observing that this next generation didn’t take celebrity worship to seriously and were self assured, playful and aware they could be there own celebrities very much thanks to my space and the self digital image revolution, bring it on kids lets see what ya got!!!!

Super Super showed in the Vauxhall Fashion Scout venue care of Blow Pr on the Wednesday evening. It had been a full on fun fas day with our Marian and Selene. Champers and reflexology in the back of a black cab curtsey of Scholl and with feet back in tact dancing while waiting for the start of Fashion East show to Diana Ross – Upside Down, teaching passers by my dance to the lyrics moves... You know the entire usual exhausting stuff darling!

So I head over to meet one of my long term bezzy friends Fiona Cartlledge (Fiona & Luke Jewellery) very apt going with her to this show as she was a major player in the early nineties party scene and owner of the legendary shop that was Sign of the Times. (One of my coolest Stockist in the day) Selling Street Fashion before it was called Street. When Topshop was full of dark safe colours and commercial fashion design was all about not taking risk with colour and pattern and cheap labour. Ohhh what a great place for an independent designer with attitude that was. Similarly to Super Super it was the power of the creative collective that ruled and got us Sign of the Timers noticed. Back on track girl getting all rosy about the past there arrhhh.

So Fiona was at the front of the show queue and I did the FUK blogger would like to feature card and it wasn’t working. The Super queue! Never had seen anything like it for a fashion show, so long. I was told would get in but needed to join the queue. So now I get back up front because that queue isn’t going anywhere and managed to get rescued by a lovely Pr from blow. Straight into free drinks, no seats and a video projection of Namalee all feeling very a la clubby. The next day I was told 1000 people were turned away for the after show party!!

The Super show starts over an hour late. Compared by Jodie Harsh what feast for kitsch eyes and a smasher she was. (Damn my camera just ran out of battery, right at the start of the show)She made me feel all bet lynch cosy,looked after and all was going to be fine with Jody at the helm. Super Showed five designers Komakino, Thomas Sels, Kling by Kling, Elliot Atkinson and tunnel Technique. and six performances by No Bra , The O , Namalee- Ms Super Super, Niyi, Black Peter
And Sub Universe.

The – O anorther Super performer was all about a length of red fabric and pair of white knickers worn by singer number one, singing an old Chinese song. Then singer number two attached to the first came out with a silver glitter face and sung a Barry white style song. One of my ex styling students Justine Josephs a talent (just styled the Kokon to zai look book) warned me that this may get messy. As at performances in the past they have been known to use blood guts and flour. I suddenly went all 38 once I had heard this and felt protective over my 1940s vintage dress. After moments of oh no what’s going to happen ? and spotting big padded bags full of something under his red fabric. Stay down that end of the catwalk mate then to our delight we were all showered with an explosion of multicoloured giant pieces of glitter. Sensory hysteria, I loved it. The catwalk sparkled ready for the rest of the designers and performers to shine on down it.

The Super designers showed a mix of oh just ran this up in my bedroom, aren’t I mad me designs to well made out there edgy pieces. Particularly liked Kling by Kling reminding me of body maps use of jersey a kind of playwear look. Black, white and grey graphic coulr mix. Also loved Tunnel Technique worn by Namalee and her two backing singers in her performance singing songs Namazonia and Go Girl. The dresses were like puffy patch work cocktail dresses. Mixed fabrics brightly coloured neon and primary polka dots mixed with patterned fleece and super hero duvets. The dresses were styled with patterned tights worn with doc martin style boots / high tops and Mohican big hair with neon hair bits. Would love to see more than three pieces from this designer... Namalee’s performance reminded me of bannarama (early days), bow wow wow, Madonna (early days) and a bit of all the other late 80s early 90s girl bands I cant remember the names of at the moment. Adored the little fella that joined Namalee in his cartoon t-shirt dress/ nighty with a silver cooking pan on his head banging it with a drum stick, very bubbles from Ab fab. Only in London.

Anorther Super performer also adding to the girl power explosion “No Bra” with her wildly long hair and coat worn with literally no bra singing F**k her do her, F**k him do him. I was transfixed by her. Need to find out more about this lady. Fiona told me she had supported Berth Ditto last week.

Noticed most of the clothes shown generally had a baby grow jersey easy feeling, unisex and baggy. Really like that there not playing the over body conscious card to much. The audience on the other hand wore short short 80s trash dresses and one girl looked smashing in a black cabaret style leotard bowler and great eye make up. However it unnerved me a bit as it reminded me of the Silver Jubilee street party in 1977 when one of our neighbours came out in similar get up after a few to many drinks and we all thought oh that’s what she get up to in the bedroom and when your 8 you just don’t wanna hear or think about that sort of stuff..

Super Super didn’t disappoint in creating the energy London needs to continue alternative scenes. Loved the combination of performance and designers as it gave the show any edgier feel compared to most other shows at LFW. More Superness next season please. Thanks, I was 23 again for an hour and was impressed by my updated fashion past that was the 90s and now nu rave. Although I have a hunch we will be calling it nu grave next season as this lot move fast. Go Super Super.