As ashamed as I am to admit it, the first thing that hit me when I started at York two years ago was the lack of stand out style and experimental fashion. Cursing Yorkshire for not being everything I loved about London, I retreated into wearing whatever would keep me warm and bring comfort to my permanent hangover. That was until I visited a friend in Leeds a month later and suddenly realized I was checking out every other outfit, and kicking myself for not making more of an effort.
Fast-forward to last Saturday night and I am sat in a beautiful venue in Leeds with a press pass around my neck, routing through my goody bag, and excitedly waiting for the Dress Me Beautiful Fashion Show to start; all the while press photographers with much bigger cameras than mine are snapping away at the quirky and glamorous guests taking their seats.
The show was heralded as a platform for designers and models that would “bridge the gap between education and the fashion industry” and yet somehow the collections were so outstanding, you completely forgot that the models and designers were at the beginning of their careers. Instead what resonated in the head of a London lover like me was Leeds’ position as one of the most fashion forward cities in the country.
Out of a staggering twenty-seven brands that showcased their designs on the evening, there were for me two incredible collections that I couldn’t stop thinking of over the next week. Completely unique and brilliantly witty was Two Jags who sent their alternative male models down the runway in a punk-inspired collection with the motto, “sex, drugs, and bacon rolls” splashed across chaotic printed shirts.
With a name like Two Jags, hinting at the nickname of John Prescott, who was a strong political link to the working class in the 1980s Labour Party, the collection cleverly reflected the turbulent political past of the North as well as speaking to the ever growing despair of youth under our current government’s austerity measures. Politics aside, these boys oozed so much attitude and looked so ridiculously cool that all I really could think about was what an earth a girl would wear on a date with them.
As if answering my thoughts, Yorkshire brand Black DUSK sent a collection of clothes down the runway that were packed with attitude and were, most importantly, completely wearable. Not only was the collection testament to designer Elkie’s signature style of “the oversized look” and “lots of black”, her slashes of white and mesh inserts had a monochrome sports-luxe vibe that felt particularly on trend for SS14.
Speaking to Elkie after the show, it was lovely to learn that she provides a truly British product. As a start up designer, Elkie purchases all her fabrics in local shops in West Yorkshire. Not only does this mean she can respond directly to demand of different styles, Elkie says, “it’s also nice to build a relationship with local businesses.” Even better for students is that unlike the high street, who tend to offer “British” collections at extravagant prices, the fact that Elkie manufactures all clothes in her studio in Denholme means her prices are completely reasonable. With plans to build her latest collection around the pieces seen at Leeds Fashion Show look out for the new Look Book in the next couple of weeks at www.blackdusk.co.uk.
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