‘Glamour is an imaginative process that creates a specific emotional response: a sharp mixture of projection, longing, admiration, and aspiration. It evokes an audience’s hopes and dreams and makes them seem attainable, all the while maintaining enough distance to sustain the fantasy’, Virginia Postrell British designer Claire Tagg launches her eponymous label for AW18 showcasing a dramatic, oriental inspired fauna and flora collection. The AW18 season is inspired by a personal story of her travels as an Air Hostess, combining glamour and destructed textures to creative a dramatic yet opulent range.

The AW18 collection sees cut and silhouette inspired by formal airline uniforms. Structured jackets and blazer style dresses are juxtaposed with oversized full skirts and ballgowns constructed in luxurious Duchess Satin. Despite the more grown-up aesthetic of the collection, the core identity of the brand remains.

The tone of the season is sophistication, with an elegant clean colour palette, hosting baby pinks and mustard yellows with contrasting fuchsias and black. Highlights of metallic gold draw attention to the decadence within the garments. The new designer contrasts textures using delicate fabrics of chiffon and satin alongside raised sequinned lace, cotton, satin and silk jacquard.

Tagg keeps her signature layered aesthetic using digital printing to create rich textures of ripped paper alongside a cherry blossom placement print and elaborate embellishment. Each garment is lovingly hand beaded, creating a unique piece every time with no two pieces looking the same.

Accessories continue to play a strong part in the brand with colourful beaded jewellery alongside fabric belts with plane seat belt fastenings. Tagg graduated from The University Of The Creative Arts, Rochester, having won the New Designers Hainsworth Statement Award and winning runner up for the Womenswear Award at Graduate Fashion Week. The carefully handcrafted collection ranges from £500 for separates, to £1600 for hand embellished ballgowns.

WOULD LIKE TO THANK: Fashion Scout, Nicola Hitchens, AW Hainsworth and my family for there constant support. SHOW PRODUCTION: Fashion Scout Events MAKE-UP: Paul Merchant and team using products by KRYOLAN HAIR: Hair created by the TONI&GUY Session Team lead by Jon Wilsdon, using label.m Professional Haircare Styling SPECIAL THANKS TO: Martyn Roberts, The team at Fashion Scout, Kryolan and Toni & Guy PR BY NICOLA HITCHENS nicola@fashionscoutevents.com @claire.tagg | #clairetagg @fashionscoutlondon | #fashionscout | #fashionpioneers www.clairetagg.com | www.fashionscout.co.uk