If New York is considered the most commercial of the four cities, London is still waving the banner for new talent. And this season’s London Fashion Week didn’t disappoint. And despite all that cutting-edge appeal, there was an over-arching feeling of bold femininity and even a little romance…
Prints, please!
Some of the best print work is currently coming out of the London scene, where designers have grabbed digital printing technology and run with it. Leading the pack is Mary Katrantzou, who this season sent out bright and bold photo-ready florals mixed with a little fauna—putting the two trends together in the same pieces, with schools of fish swimming beneath florals. Her block-colour floral suit was a highlight. Giles also picked up on the fauna theme that we saw in New York. His Swan Lake-themed show included swan images adorning tees and dresses, while elsewhere voluminous gowns were trimmed with feathers. Peter Pilotto picked a Japanese wave print to fill out full skirts and elsewhere used placement prints including sheafs of wheat and florals to enliven his slimline dresses. Jonathan Saunders continued his great print work with black graphic prints on shades of spearmint and apricot, making up pretty 1950s-style day dresses.
Erdem’s exquisite collection again brought flora and fauna together, but in a subtle palette of pale and cornflower blues. His spring day dresses featured swallows and flowers, and the looks were topped off with mini-boaters and matching print gloves. Femininity has a new hero.
Modern Tribal
There was a touch of modern tribal this season, which was kicked off by Sass & Bide. Key pieces included their beaded and appliquéd bodice dresses and statement jewellery. Holly Fulton also brought a modern tribal makeover to the catwalk with her simple placement prints in black on yellow and ochre. The tiger print in black and white made a welcome appearance instead of the ubiquitous leopard of recent seasons.
Old/New School
Of course, alongside all the new guns are the established and heritage brands that the UK does so well. Burberry is, of course, the best known of these, and with Christopher Bailey running the ship, the label can seemingly do no wrong. This time, he added artisinal touches to the collection, with raffia pompom caps, crochet, latticed leather work and beading all adding a handmade feel to trenches and anoraks, slimline jumpers and accessories, while there were plenty of pieces embellishment-free to appeal to those less inclined towards such things. The mid-length skirts were particularly appealing, with just enough fullness to make them eminently wearable for many seasons to come. Aquascutum added graphic details and sheer touches to its tailoring, as well as including fabrics that appeared plasticised, adding a modern touch.
Jaeger London presented a mixed bag—sometimes of liquorice allsorts. Its multicolour striped pieces were particularly appealing, in shapes that were just reminiscent enough of the early 1960s.
The Final Word in Femininity
Continuing to present her own brand of femininity, Roksanda Illincic had fun this season with colour, volume and silhouette. Her eye-watering pinks, aquas and golden mustard tones in beautiful stiff silks were crafted into simple shapes where everything from sleeves to waistlines were dropped, and smaller details including pinch pleats were slightly off-centre. The overall effect was simple—and simply glamorous.
