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Kelly Shaw AW15

Kelly Shaw AW15 March 9, 2015Fashion0 Comments

Some may say it’s a little crazy to travel all the way to Paris to see a fashion designer from London. But I think it’s a great excuse. Plus it meant I could take over the Kaleidoscope twitter and instagram feed with my pictorial review of street style at Paris Fashion Week.

It was great to catch up with Kelly Shaw at the Capsule Show, held at the beautiful and historic Tapis Rouge showspace in the 10e arrondisment. I featured Kelly before with her “Paris here we come” crowdfunding campaign. So it’s nice to see her hard work come turn into reality at Paris Fashion Week itself.

I love profiling designers who have a story to tell and boy does Kelly like to tell a story with her collections. The great thing about Kelly’s work, is that there is always a thread between her collections each season, the story continues, the theme evolves as her work moves forwards. Kelly’s storytelling gets stronger and more compelling each season.

For Autumn/Winter 15 the story behind the Kelly Shaw AW15 collection is very philosophical. It’s about a union philosophy and collective unconsciousness. Kelly is enticing us to get in touch with our dark side, to really understand it. Whilst also pushing us to “discover the infinite power of your light”.

Kelly builds moodboards to help her generate her designs for the prints in the collection. She recruits artist Jem Doulton to bring together amazing pieces of art. Those are then taken to digital print and incorporated in the collection. I love the Liminal digital print pleated skirt, in a gorgeous heavy silk Dupion. It’s very chic, the cut and the weight of the material is sublime and the depth of the print is mesmerising.

The greys and blues in the collection, as well as the “dark side” print could leave you feeling a little heavy in the style for AW15. So make sure you reach for the lighter side with Kelly’s famous slogan tees and sweaters. There are always slogan pieces in Kelly Shaw’s collection as it gives a whimsical yet powerful edge. They are also a lower price point which makes them more accessible to a wider audience.

The slogans are printed on organic cotton, where possible. The majority of the collection is made with fabrics sourced from the UK and the pieces are made in the UK. Kelly supports British fashion through and through.

Kelly aims to put a little human emotion and the study of behaviour into the thinking behind her designs. This season she confesses to be “a little less angst-y and more emotional” in her work. I asked Kelly who the Kelly Shaw woman is; she told me she is in her 30’s, she likes to make a statement and is interested in the world, ideas and being creative.

The collection was made in a month, which is amazing and there are a lot of wearable pieces throughout. My favourite is the British Mohair Tartan Coat, with patch pocket detail. It is so sumptuous, so soft and you can really wrap yourself up in it for those wintery days and protect yourself from “the dark side”! Take comfort from a great piece and be proud it is made in the UK from British wool.