London Fashion Week AW13: Jena Theo

After the mild disappointment with the Bora Aksu screen situation, I wasn't sure what to expect at my next show, Jena Theo. There were two sessions of Jena Theo which was reassuring but I wasn't taking any chances. So I trotted off to the Portico rooms on the top floor Somerset House and in plenty of time for show. Turns out, I was the first one there and show wasn't going to be as crowded and so I made my way back to the exhibition area where I spotted jewellery designer, Mawi. If you remember my blog resolutions from  a couple of months ago, I wanted to do a celebrity interview and Mawi was on my list of potential people to approach. And after much hesitating, I did. It was a cheesy bumbling, I'm a blogger, I'm a big fan, I love North East India and I want interview please. Thankfully, she was kind enough and suggested I talk to her PR Rebbecca and book a slot. More on that later.
I wandered around Somerset House for a bit before heading back to a smaller queue at Jena Theo.

The Portico Rooms are small-ish, airy and filled with natural light. I managed to stand by an elevated area at the back of the room which was better from a photos point of view. I was still too dinky-legged to get impressive shots. The show was nice enough. The collection contained lots of silks, pinks, leather and oversized shapes. It was eclectic but not in an over-the-top sort of way. In fact, I thought the colour palette was rather summery. And why not, I think! The models channelled a tough girl chic. I particularly loved the cape shaped pink suede tops; feminine but not in a bubblegum girly way.

Jena Theo say they were influenced by the works of abstract painters Helen Frankenthaller and Morris Louis Bernstiein in developing the collection. It explains the beautiful multicoloured prints which formed a significant part of the AW13 collection. I must also say, I thought Jena and Theo were so very cute; they looked like the most approachable duo in fashion.

My verdict  was a thumb-up, mostly. If I could, I'd definitely invest in one of their pink mini-capes or silk blouses. Or possibly even those over-sized golden cocoons. The show didn't have the wow factor that Bora Aksu did but it was a lovely, friendly and intimate setting which is sometimes just as good. What do you make of the collection? Ann x