No Thank You, Mr Botox: Fam Irvoll SS13

I must confess to being ridiculously excited, to the point where my guinea pigs wondered what on earth I was on, upon receiving my gorgeous Fam Irvoll SS13 invitation. Bearing the title No Thank You, Mr Botox and some quite frankly awesome illustrations I couldn't wait to get to London Fashion Week and see the show for myself!
The collection is a triumphant celebration of granny chic, embracing the fact that we're all getting older whilst creating something new and fresh. So get your knitting needles ready, pop the fairy cakes in the oven and pour yourself a nice cup of tea- Irvoll is taking stereotypically frumpy elements and making them extremely cool.
The show opened with three models in candy floss wigs congregating for a natter and hobble down the catwalk to the jolly tune of Thank You for Being a Friend before proceeding to the beat off I'm Too Sexy, fighting back against the notion that aging is something to be avoided.
The hair was bouffant, the lips and nails red, the eyes blue slicked with catlike navy eyeliner and pop socks were out in full force.
Contrasting the slightly sporty pieces and looks reminiscent of snuggly nightwear with floaty chiffons and slightly naughty sheer pieces the collection was all inherently feminine. Mint and pink were the colours of the day, along with a little blue and lavender, pretty much making up my favourite candy coloured palette. Cute contrasting stripes juxtaposed the glorious curves seen in the wave of a caricature's hair, little puffed sleeves, pretty scalloped edges and quaint Peter Pan collars.
Whilst rocking a platform, the shoes were cosy with over the top fuzzy slipper lining and even a few dog snouts! Dogs are very much the best friend of Irvoll's muse of this season, with poodles galore. One especially clever effect seen in the collection is the layering of shapes working together to create a 3D form, from a white poodle top to a face seen in a skirt.
Another thing I really liked in this collection was the jewellery influence from the pearl embellishment seen in a polka dot pattern or like actual earrings and necklaces on the print figures and also the feeling of decorative cameo shapes within the prints.
In a collection inspired by 50s sophistication the prim and proper full skirted pieces are at the top of my wishlist, my favourite perhaps being the ivory frock topped with the perfect little... baseball cap? Oh let's face it- I want it all! From cosy knits to beautifully intricate lace I love the childlike joy in Fam Irvoll's work. She's firmly become one of my favourite designers and I hope her incredible work will be making us smile for a long time yet.