Federico, Balham High Road

Federico is the owner of Italian restaurant Bucci on Balham High Road, a few doors along from where I took this photo. There's much I love about Federico's minimalist ensemble, such as the pinstripe detail on his trousers, and the upturned collar of his long-sleeved polo shirt. I guess unsurprisingly, his outfit is also Italian by design.

Three Fifty Nine SS19

I must confess, peering over the brow of my camera, what first drew my attention on the runway wasn't any particular aspect of the collection itself, but rather the Cindy-Lou Who hairdos perched somewhat comically atop the models' heads. Perhaps it was for practicality, as collar details are easily hidden beneath long flowing hair. Nevertheless, combined with bright eyeshadow and abstract prints, there was an air of extraterrestrial about the Three Fifty Nine collection.

This was the first international show for Marwa Afify's womenswear label, presented at Fashion Scout as part of the Dubai Design & Fashion Council x FAD Dubai showcase, which seeks to support designers from the United Arab Emirates. Inspired by the works of an Egyptian artist, the SS19 collection is mostly neutral in its colour scheme, with the occasional splash of red, blue and yellow, and sparing use of dark blue denim. My favourite piece is the coat pictured above, featuring modernist watercolour and wrap-around belt displaying the brand's motto: "perfection is overrated".

XU ZHI SS19

If you regularly follow my Fashion Week coverage, you'll know I much prefer presentations to runway shows. There's typically a lot more freedom to move around the show space, take a closer look at the collection, and find the right angles to take a photograph. That is, after politely hinting to the other guests they should give my 50mm lens room to breathe. I do wonder where everybody else's photos go, besides a fleeting Instagram story - but let's set that discussion aside for another time.

XU ZHI SS19 sees the return of the fashion label's signature fringe detailing in a collection inspired by the American poet Emily Dickinson. However I must admit that having never read any of Dickinson's works, or even heard of her before I attended the presentation, I am probably unqualified to make a comparison. Call me uncultured, if you will; I simply preferred to study Philosophy & Ethics over English Literature at A-Level.

Of course, some amount of research wouldn't go amiss in this instance. A quick scan of the internet mentions her "penchant for white clothing", which is very much evident throughout the XU ZHI collection. Many of her poems also concern flowers and gardens, again seen in the collection by way of delicate floral patterns.

Origins aside, the collection is elegant by its own account, comprising structured suits and flapper-esque evening gowns. Among my favourite pieces are a sheer shirt with oversized collar and large floral embroidery, and a strapless red dress with a sweeping skirt, which is clearly the centrepiece of the collection. The numerous looks were complemented by gold and silver earrings by Los Angeles-based jewellery designer Annie Costello Brown.