A Year in London

A fashion inspired lesbian romance based on the experiences of director Flaminia Graziadei that shows a young Italian girl as she embarks on a journey of a lifetime, leaving behind her family and boyfriend in the countryside of Italy to become a fashion student in London, falling for her acclaimed fashion lecturer to explore the LGBTQ+ identities and relationships that unfold. In UK and Irish cinemas from 17th July.

Olivia (Nina Pons) is having a farewell lunch with her family and boyfriend as she leaves her beloved homeland in the mountainous forest region of Southern Italy to go to London to study at the College of Couture. There is a sweet opening send off showing the scenic beauty of the meandering streets of an ancient village and the stylish interiors of an old family tailoring business as she waves goodbye to her parents and boyfriend resigned to accept but support her ambitious plans.

Arriving in London the girl from the conservative Italian countryside is taken aback by the startling sight of two older men in suits kissing in broad daylight, a sign of broadening horizons and an opening of the eyes living in the city. She receives a warm welcome at her accommodation, a terraced flat share, which she seems underwhelmed and unimpressed by, showing her aloof attitude and disdain for the living habits of her flat mates. This attitude is further underlined on arrival at the college of couture, whilst her beaming smile reflects her joy on arrival, it contrasts with her steely attitude towards her fellow peers. This demeanour is quickly changed up as she recognises her master lecturer in fashion design the beautiful and stylish Nina Clark (Melanie Liburd) who she is quick to try and impress as their paths rapidly become entwined.

The film’s dialogue resonates for its authentic mix of accents between the two ambitious fashionistas. Nina Pons is Italian who has lost none of her home country accent and is able to give a performance of genuine Italianess in London with intriguing effect. This contrasts with the equally eloquent but accentuated English accent of Melanie Liburd, of half English and half St. Kittitian decent, who herself has no difficulty in pulling off the pretensions of the fashion world with her credentials in modelling and fashion design behind her.

The locations and stylish interiors enhance the fashion theme and the meeting of ambitious minds, from the Italian and London homes to the college, nightclubs and exhibition venues that, along with the clothing and beauty of the actresses, make easy viewing on the eye.

The LGBTQ+ storyline is approached with subtlety to the point of being unnoticeable with bare flirtations of friendship between the two career minded individuals, although it is more overtly recognisable in the relationships of Nina and her partners that are alluded to in a London club community, once famed in the UK fashion and music worlds. There are a couple of fantasy sequences between the student and mentor that promise to attract the attention of the censors but the scenes cut short to leave the rest to the audiences’ imagination.

With all its stylised mis en place the end product straddles the film and TV drama genre without a high end cinematography finesse to bring out the dramatic potential of the script. The storylines have a degree of fashion superficiality, like the sustainability theme that is tagged on the end of the fashion show without making a significant enough purchase but in the same breath this keeps the tone light and palatable for a general audience with a feint scent of fun and humour amongst its dramatic intentions

*SPOILER ALERT* A Year in London is a high fashion Anglo-Italian love story that guides the audience on the transition into the LGBTQ+ world with the biggest plot twist being the time spent outside of London.