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Jonathan Saunders
Jonathan Saunders is on a roll, following up his successful summer collection with a winter winner. While summer had a sporty resort vibe and an almost flirtatious appeal, winter was altogether more prim, with colours inspired by photographer Paul Outerbridge.
The look: Modern prim
Silhouette: Streamlined midi columns
Key items: A straight-up-straight-down silhouette was created by sheer column shirt dresses with pleated border hems, straight-cut sheath dresses with either thigh splits or a dropped-flare hem, or sleek shell tops and short-sleeved tees teamed with midi-length pencil skirts. Tailoring had a sombre feel, with high-breaking 2SB long-line belted blazers and skirt suits and coats buttoned to the neck. Shirts were also neatly buttoned to the neck, albeit in sexy printed sheers and paired with pencils featuring daring side splits
Colour: Wintry darks including rich Bordeaux reds, navy and black with colour-blocked injections of emerald green, cornflower blue and crimson with vivid turquoise. Also oily silver-black metallics for party looks
Fabric & knit: Stretch satin, felted wool, micro-patterned jacquards, Lycra jersey, chiffon sheers, mohair wools
Print & pattern: Diminutive geometric repeats, small-scale zigzags, Baroque florals in mixed colourways, bi-colour silhouette florals, a bird in flight set against tropical foliage, an iris border print
Details & trims: Tall collars, neat fold-over pussy bows, sequinned panels – some striped, pleated sheers, colour-blocked diamond inserts, grosgrain belt-like trims
Footwear: Peep-toe sandals with chunky platform and block heels by Christian Louboutin, offered in velvet and metallics
Jaeger London
British heritage is at the heart of the Jaeger brand but heritage doesn’t have to mean classic as Stuart Stockdale proved with this collection. Traditional woven checks were transposed onto the lightest of sheers; classic coats were either cut up and cropped or completely overblown; and the quintessentially British autumnal palette was injected with offbeat jolts of jewel brights.
The look: Heritage redux
Silhouette: Playfully proportioned Outerwear was the key focus and played with exaggerated proportions - from cropped pea coats to floor-sweeping maxicoats, both with extra-wide revers. There were also chunky knit cardigan coats and sleeveless swing coats, a fit-and-flare trench with ponyskin cape and pockets and throw-on toppers in glossy black fur. Trousers were either flat-fronted and straight-legged or cropped and tapered, while midi-length skirts were split at the sides with high-low hems. Sheer blouses in heritage check prints completed the offer. “It is a melting pot of the British Empire, expanding ideas of British heritage to the wider world, including the colours of the Raj,” said Stuart Stockdale
Colour: Autumnal favourites - orange, marigold, scarlet red, moss and navy offset with jewel tones of fuchsia and kingfisher blue
Fabric & knit: Melton wool, heavy Ottoman, houndstooth, Prince of Wales plaid, Harris tweed, brushed mohair, cashmere knits, wool jersey, wool embroidered organza, ponyskin, shearling, sheer striped knits
Print & pattern: Houndstooth checks on chiffon and silk in a pale cream colourway
Details & trims: Extra-wide clover-leaf lapels, panelled hems, split high-low hems with curved edges, slit sleeves, minimal patch pockets
Footwear: Wide-strapped sandals featuring spats and piping trims, to-the-knee boots
Accessories: Bags featured feathered buckle straps and steamer trunk padlocks, detachable shearling collars and revers, fur-cuff gloves and long gauntlet gloves, flat clutch bags, colour-blocked hosiery
John Rocha
While his show notes cited inspirations as varied as paintings by Pierre Soulanges and the stark landscapes of Iceland, John Rocha’s continued experimentation with texture and moulded shape was really at the heart of the collection.
The look: Soft goth
Silhouette: Flared at the waist, oversized proportions
Key items: Signature crini-shaped dresses, moulded skirts and fit-and-flare redingotes worked an hourglass silhouette. Long, proportional layering saw sleeveless straight-cut coats paired with sheer midiskirts or long ruffled-hem tunic blouses teamed with sheer harem pants. Elsewhere a dropped-waist pea coat dress and an awkwardly proportioned tailored coat had mannish overtones
Colour: Black, scarlet and camel
Fabric & knit: Heavily textured fabrics including signature cobweb knits, fluffy fur-like tufted yarns, knotted loop-wool fringing, bonded and pressed wools, tinselled yarns, grainy tweeds, alpaca and angora. Lighter weights of sheer silk, lace and silk georgette. Furs including lambskin, ponyskin and shearling
Details & trims: Scratch-stitching, hand appliquéd lace, smocked panels, tuck-stitch knits, hand crochet, naively appliqued lettering, patchworking and spliced fabrics, raw and frayed edges, ragged fringing, dropped sleeveheads, dipped hems with cutaway sides, cropped swing sleeves, scrolling and folded bias hems
Footwear: Buckled biker clog boots in black and white or gold
Accessories: Elongated framed handbag
Issa
It is no wonder Daniella Helayel is an upbeat celebratory mood this season, riding profitably high on the back of Kate Middleton mania, but the designer is also celebrating her brand’s 10th anniversary. Her collection, aptly titled Celebration, rehashed her archival prints, most notably a bold pheasant feather of which she not-so cryptically said: “I thought I should bring the pheasant feather back because I wanted something that was truly British mixed with my Brazilian colours.” Although she remained tight-lipped about her royal connections, this reference to British heritage was a clear statement she is hoping for more crowning glory.
The look: Pretty in print
Silhouette: Short and swingy or long and columnar
Key items: Flare-skirted skater dresses were young and flirty in either printed silks and chiffons or weightier structured wools. Swishy skater miniskirts were teamed with printed silk pussybow blouses, while a full-skirted tailored redingote followed the same flared silhouette. The contrasting lines of lean column dresses had a 70s jet-set vibe - some long-sleeved with gathered details, others featuring daring plunge necklines, thigh-high splits or cutaway backs. Separates included fluid silk wide-leg pants, maxiskirts with second-skin polo-neck tops and skin-tight flat-front Capri pants topped with a cropped mink jacket. “It was a print revival - I recycled all my old prints,” said Daniella Helayel. “I went into my archive and looked at everything I’ve done over the last 10 years and created this firework print which was an explosion of all the elements.”
Colour: Saturated tones of rich petrol blue and mallard green, bright vermilion, warm russet and dark grenadine, inky navy blue, camel and black as a ground for red and cream prints
Fabric & knit: Several slinky jersey weights, printed silks and floaty chiffons, sturdy wools, mink
Print & pattern: Pheasant feathers, exploding fireworks, large chain-links in an all-over repeat, mosaic effects
Details & trims: Engineered body-contoured seaming on bodices, swingy godets, racy plunging V-necks, glittery black beading
Footwear: Super pointy courts, skinny gold strappy sandals, leather-edged red and black knee-high bootsAccessories: Feathered hats by Stephen Jones, gold jewellery featuring a happiness symbol and the evil eye, gold chain belts, opaque coloured tights, suede gloves, printed silk scarves, long grey fox tippet
Charles Anastase
There was a subtle subversive element teasingly hiding beneath Charles Anastase’s femininely gamine collection of butter-wouldn’t-melt tailored coats and sweetly demure dresses.
The look: Gamine chic
Silhouette: Subtley flared with feminine princess lines
Key items: Anastase’s fit-and-flare princess coats came with neat half-belts at the back or almost military reefer styling to layer over his Sunday-best empire dresses, maybe finished with a bow or a trail of tiny covered buttons tracing the back. Decorous ruffled blouses were teamed with schoolgirl A-line skirts or skinny flared pants and that same pant shape looked coquettishly sophisticated when worn with a matching black velvet gold appliquéd shell top. Knitted tunics and flirty - never sexy - dresses hit the mark, along with languid but girly blush-pink lingerie-inspired slip dresses. The collection’s subversive touchstone came into play with a dropped-waist velvet all-in-one with a sheer peek-a-boo bodice
Colour: The season’s emerging trend for deep, rich reds surfaced here with grenadine, oxblood and raspberry worked against the toning intensity of cognac, with accents of palest blush pink, champagne, inky blues and pigeon grey, with sooty black velvets adding a grown-up touch
Fabric & knit: Shetland tweeds had a Sunday-best feel, alongside mohairs, silk velvet, organza, shot taffeta, satin, Lurex knits, alligator effects and ponyskin
Print & pattern: A singular rearing horse placement on a blood-red dress
Details & trims: Tiny covered Sunday best buttons, velvet trims, coquettish hook-and-eye trims, bronze rectangular paillettes, gold emboidered motifs, self ruffles and jewelled velvet collars topping sheer blousesFootwear: High covered wedge Chelsea boots, over-the-knee boots
Accessories: Diamante and rhinestone hair slides, cable-knit cashmere scarves
Kinder Aggugini
Kinder Aggugini presented a slick, beautifully judged collection based around the modernist aesthetic lived out by Peggy Guggenheim, etched with 50s glamour and a subtle sense of deconstruction.
The look: 50s-inspired sophisticated glamour
Silhouette: Architectural and linear
Key items: Reed-thin silhouettes were accentuated with Aggugini’s beautifully executed tailoring, narrow coats showing just a hint of contrast lining, or felted cashmere kimono jackets with sculpted backs worked with flower-like geometric cut-outs to reveal a flash of print beneath. Pencil skirts emphasised the linear feel, with their deconstructed seamlines etched with contrast running stitches, and were teamed with a simple silk tee sporting the slogan “Vive l’Art”. Trouser shapes came cropped in the perfect proportions to team with the yellow dip-dyed felted parka with its high, ruched pleat neckline. For evening, sinuous jersey dresses in bold colour-blocks, limpid florals or with ruching details are decorated with sparkling sequinned harnesses
Colour: A modernist palette of black and white with pops of vermilion and sunshine yellow and a grounding of grey
Fabric & knit: Aggugini used every manifestation of luxurious cashmere along with crepe de chine, silk taffeta, cloque and jersey
Print & pattern: A delicate floral print was worked on a taffeta parka as linings, or came overdyed into a smudgy abstracted bouquet, contrasted with a simple black-and-white micro-spot used as linings
Details & trims: Sculpted backs, graphic cut-outs, pinked edges, raw deconstructed seamlines, contrast running-stitch decoration, sequin placements, glitter edging in black-on-black combinations
Footwear: Glitterflake high-block heeled ankle-straps in a medley of colours
Accessories: Diamante trimmed 50s glamour sunglasses, coloured acrylic sculptural high-crown trilbies with net veiling
Betty Jackson
Print, pattern and texture are integral to a Betty Jackson collection, never more so than for autumn/winter 2011/12, where the designer juxtaposed her effortlessly simple silhouettes with a wide array of exaggeratedly plush-touch fabrics.
The look: Rugged cocooning
Silhouette: Elongated and weightless
Key items: Outerwear was a strong feature, providing the perfect canvas for Jackson’s preoccupation with texture this season, with easy throw-on unstructured shapes layered over long knit dresses, simple shell tops and cropped peg-top pants. Sinuously languid bias-cut dresses offered a delicate contrast to the weightless bulk of a relaxed-fit biker-style coat and there was a drop-waisted brushed wool all-in-one that mirrored a silhouette seen earlier in the day at Charles Anastase
Colour: The emerging trend for rich reds was addressed with intense tomato, blood and brick combined with signature neutrals like putty, mist grey and the classic mix of black and winter white
Fabric & knit: Intense brushed, felted and boiled textures gave wool a weightless and ruggedly bulky feel, layered with crepe de chines, georgette, knitted rabbit, shearling, loosely structured tweed, wool lace knits, sequins and leather
Print & pattern: A soft floral print and painterly childlike diamond pattern
Details & trims: Exposed back zips traced the spine of simple dresses, self bows set at the tailbone, appliquéd plasticised flowers with sparkling tassle details
Footwear: High platform Mary Janes in winter white, blood red and black; wedged sandals
Accessories: Red flower pins and necklaces also worn as hair decorations, chain belts, tote bags, cream stockings peeping through semi-sheer dresses, chain-handle bags
Louise Gray
A kaleidoscopic whirlwind of colour and pattern brightened up a misty London day as Louise Gray took to the runway with her signature madcap irreverance full of exhuberance and club-kid fantasy.
The look: A tartan army of party people
Silhouette: Multi-layered
Key items: Every item was a canvas for Gray’s zany take on pattern - from simple shifts, blousons and boxy jackets to her swinging A-line coats, fabric-blocked panataloons and shirts teamed with deconstructed kilts and layered with decorated over-aprons and melanged, marled or Aran knits
Colour: Think a multi-coloured rainbow on acid
Fabric & knit: Plaids and tartans formed the touchstone for the collection and were overdyed, over-printed with foil polka-dots or pixellated into seemingly abstract patterns. Other key fabrics included silks, tweeds and brushed mohair
Print & pattern: Plaids, checks, tartans, tribal geometrics, foil prints, spots, pixellated patterns
Details & trims: Plastic paper chains, beading, smocking
Footwear: Heeled Wellington boots in colour-blocked spots and metallics designed by Nicholas Kirkwood and made by Pollini for Louise Gray
Accessories: Balloon headpieces by Nasir Mazhar, whistle earrings, giant clutch bags
Clements Ribeiro
This was a successful second outing on the London runways for Clements Ribeiro after their hit comeback collection last season. The design duo continued their fascination with experimental print techniques, perfectly complementing their signature luxe knits.
The look: Elegant Victoriana with a masculine/feminine twist
Silhouette: Elongated and reed thin
Key items: Outerwear marched to a military beat, with masculine reefer styling offset by contrasting decorative jet-beaded trims that complemented the collection’s narrow mid-calf skirts, dresses worked in beautiful degrade Baroque damask and ocelot patterns, and luxe crystal-trimmed cashmere knits. The mood darkened with a passage of black-on-black dresses crafted in lacquered lace, and flannels and brocades for a Victoriana-inspired evening look
Colour: Black undercut with flashes of a vibrant and unexpected cobalt, and layers of grenadine, raspberry, bilberry, dusted amethyst and ivory
Fabric & knit: Wool flannels, cashmere, crepe, tree bark crepe, quilted silk, cloque, lacquered lace. Cashmere and bouclé knits
Print & pattern: A delicate Baroque pattern, lace prints and a Moorish motif worked as all-overs or as degrades fading into a monochrome ocelot print
Details & trims: Jet beading, jet-beaded appliqués, crystal trims on knits, grosgrain ribbon and hussar-inspired frogging, slashed backs on simple dresses
Footwear: Satin toe-caps on block-heeled platforms and satin sandals, both by Charlotte OlympiaAccessories: Lace stockings, beaded collars, jet-beaded bags
PPQ
The look: Modern Jacobean/Elizabethan. Demure disco
Silhouette: Body-conscious eveningwear with modest necklines and exaggerated sleeves
Key items: Funnelled, tailored coats with high, scoop-neck collars and knee lengths kick-started the collection, which was heavily laden with body-conscious dresses. High necks slowly softened into off-shoulder and informal scoop neck-lines as the show proceeded, and eventually dropped down to a low scooped back, with thigh-skimming skirt hems and velvet panelling, while simple dresses were playful with subtle graphic shapes and logos worked in velvet. There was a sense of movement in the fluid pleating on a loose peplum dress and in the grey marl silhouette that appeared to layer and twist around the body in a toga wrap. Informal tailoring was present in a velvet skirt and a peplum jacket. Romanticised button-up blouses with high-neck Elizabethan ruffles and balloon sleeves gave an overall demure yet seductive feel to the collection
Colour: A predominantly black palette with accented with grey marl, soft lilac, grey-blue tones and bold flashes of purple
Fabric & knit: Wool twill tailored pieces, silk, velvet and black lace
Print & pattern: A punkish barbed-wire repeat print in regal purple, with thick splashes of orange and a gold coil motif in differing scale mixes
Details & trims: Elasticised lace trims cuffed voluminous dress sleeves and layered lace ruffles modestly surrounded the neckline. Clear Perspex appliqués adorned sleeves and were also used as embellishment on the fronts of dresses which encased brooches and other jewellery pieces. Velvet pockets, puff shoulders, dress panelling and pussy-bow-ties were other key details
Footwear: Chunky platform court shoes in black and grey suede with scalloped or lace trim edges and feather trims. Over-the-knee leather platform boots with suede details and lace trims at the knee
Accessories: Whimsical felt hats. Clear plastic bangles filled with gold chains and pearl charms, long chains with Perspex pendants and an evening bag encased in a Perspex cube with long chain detail. All finished with hair in pigtail plaits tied with velvet ribbons
Jonathan Saunders is on a roll, following up his successful summer collection with a winter winner. While summer had a sporty resort vibe and an almost flirtatious appeal, winter was altogether more prim, with colours inspired by photographer Paul Outerbridge.
The look: Modern prim
Silhouette: Streamlined midi columns
Key items: A straight-up-straight-down silhouette was created by sheer column shirt dresses with pleated border hems, straight-cut sheath dresses with either thigh splits or a dropped-flare hem, or sleek shell tops and short-sleeved tees teamed with midi-length pencil skirts. Tailoring had a sombre feel, with high-breaking 2SB long-line belted blazers and skirt suits and coats buttoned to the neck. Shirts were also neatly buttoned to the neck, albeit in sexy printed sheers and paired with pencils featuring daring side splits
Colour: Wintry darks including rich Bordeaux reds, navy and black with colour-blocked injections of emerald green, cornflower blue and crimson with vivid turquoise. Also oily silver-black metallics for party looks
Fabric & knit: Stretch satin, felted wool, micro-patterned jacquards, Lycra jersey, chiffon sheers, mohair wools
Print & pattern: Diminutive geometric repeats, small-scale zigzags, Baroque florals in mixed colourways, bi-colour silhouette florals, a bird in flight set against tropical foliage, an iris border print
Details & trims: Tall collars, neat fold-over pussy bows, sequinned panels – some striped, pleated sheers, colour-blocked diamond inserts, grosgrain belt-like trims
Footwear: Peep-toe sandals with chunky platform and block heels by Christian Louboutin, offered in velvet and metallics
Jaeger London
British heritage is at the heart of the Jaeger brand but heritage doesn’t have to mean classic as Stuart Stockdale proved with this collection. Traditional woven checks were transposed onto the lightest of sheers; classic coats were either cut up and cropped or completely overblown; and the quintessentially British autumnal palette was injected with offbeat jolts of jewel brights.
The look: Heritage redux
Silhouette: Playfully proportioned Outerwear was the key focus and played with exaggerated proportions - from cropped pea coats to floor-sweeping maxicoats, both with extra-wide revers. There were also chunky knit cardigan coats and sleeveless swing coats, a fit-and-flare trench with ponyskin cape and pockets and throw-on toppers in glossy black fur. Trousers were either flat-fronted and straight-legged or cropped and tapered, while midi-length skirts were split at the sides with high-low hems. Sheer blouses in heritage check prints completed the offer. “It is a melting pot of the British Empire, expanding ideas of British heritage to the wider world, including the colours of the Raj,” said Stuart Stockdale
Colour: Autumnal favourites - orange, marigold, scarlet red, moss and navy offset with jewel tones of fuchsia and kingfisher blue
Fabric & knit: Melton wool, heavy Ottoman, houndstooth, Prince of Wales plaid, Harris tweed, brushed mohair, cashmere knits, wool jersey, wool embroidered organza, ponyskin, shearling, sheer striped knits
Print & pattern: Houndstooth checks on chiffon and silk in a pale cream colourway
Details & trims: Extra-wide clover-leaf lapels, panelled hems, split high-low hems with curved edges, slit sleeves, minimal patch pockets
Footwear: Wide-strapped sandals featuring spats and piping trims, to-the-knee boots
Accessories: Bags featured feathered buckle straps and steamer trunk padlocks, detachable shearling collars and revers, fur-cuff gloves and long gauntlet gloves, flat clutch bags, colour-blocked hosiery
John Rocha
While his show notes cited inspirations as varied as paintings by Pierre Soulanges and the stark landscapes of Iceland, John Rocha’s continued experimentation with texture and moulded shape was really at the heart of the collection.
The look: Soft goth
Silhouette: Flared at the waist, oversized proportions
Key items: Signature crini-shaped dresses, moulded skirts and fit-and-flare redingotes worked an hourglass silhouette. Long, proportional layering saw sleeveless straight-cut coats paired with sheer midiskirts or long ruffled-hem tunic blouses teamed with sheer harem pants. Elsewhere a dropped-waist pea coat dress and an awkwardly proportioned tailored coat had mannish overtones
Colour: Black, scarlet and camel
Fabric & knit: Heavily textured fabrics including signature cobweb knits, fluffy fur-like tufted yarns, knotted loop-wool fringing, bonded and pressed wools, tinselled yarns, grainy tweeds, alpaca and angora. Lighter weights of sheer silk, lace and silk georgette. Furs including lambskin, ponyskin and shearling
Details & trims: Scratch-stitching, hand appliquéd lace, smocked panels, tuck-stitch knits, hand crochet, naively appliqued lettering, patchworking and spliced fabrics, raw and frayed edges, ragged fringing, dropped sleeveheads, dipped hems with cutaway sides, cropped swing sleeves, scrolling and folded bias hems
Footwear: Buckled biker clog boots in black and white or gold
Accessories: Elongated framed handbag
Issa
It is no wonder Daniella Helayel is an upbeat celebratory mood this season, riding profitably high on the back of Kate Middleton mania, but the designer is also celebrating her brand’s 10th anniversary. Her collection, aptly titled Celebration, rehashed her archival prints, most notably a bold pheasant feather of which she not-so cryptically said: “I thought I should bring the pheasant feather back because I wanted something that was truly British mixed with my Brazilian colours.” Although she remained tight-lipped about her royal connections, this reference to British heritage was a clear statement she is hoping for more crowning glory.
The look: Pretty in print
Silhouette: Short and swingy or long and columnar
Key items: Flare-skirted skater dresses were young and flirty in either printed silks and chiffons or weightier structured wools. Swishy skater miniskirts were teamed with printed silk pussybow blouses, while a full-skirted tailored redingote followed the same flared silhouette. The contrasting lines of lean column dresses had a 70s jet-set vibe - some long-sleeved with gathered details, others featuring daring plunge necklines, thigh-high splits or cutaway backs. Separates included fluid silk wide-leg pants, maxiskirts with second-skin polo-neck tops and skin-tight flat-front Capri pants topped with a cropped mink jacket. “It was a print revival - I recycled all my old prints,” said Daniella Helayel. “I went into my archive and looked at everything I’ve done over the last 10 years and created this firework print which was an explosion of all the elements.”
Colour: Saturated tones of rich petrol blue and mallard green, bright vermilion, warm russet and dark grenadine, inky navy blue, camel and black as a ground for red and cream prints
Fabric & knit: Several slinky jersey weights, printed silks and floaty chiffons, sturdy wools, mink
Print & pattern: Pheasant feathers, exploding fireworks, large chain-links in an all-over repeat, mosaic effects
Details & trims: Engineered body-contoured seaming on bodices, swingy godets, racy plunging V-necks, glittery black beading
Footwear: Super pointy courts, skinny gold strappy sandals, leather-edged red and black knee-high bootsAccessories: Feathered hats by Stephen Jones, gold jewellery featuring a happiness symbol and the evil eye, gold chain belts, opaque coloured tights, suede gloves, printed silk scarves, long grey fox tippet
Charles Anastase
There was a subtle subversive element teasingly hiding beneath Charles Anastase’s femininely gamine collection of butter-wouldn’t-melt tailored coats and sweetly demure dresses.
The look: Gamine chic
Silhouette: Subtley flared with feminine princess lines
Key items: Anastase’s fit-and-flare princess coats came with neat half-belts at the back or almost military reefer styling to layer over his Sunday-best empire dresses, maybe finished with a bow or a trail of tiny covered buttons tracing the back. Decorous ruffled blouses were teamed with schoolgirl A-line skirts or skinny flared pants and that same pant shape looked coquettishly sophisticated when worn with a matching black velvet gold appliquéd shell top. Knitted tunics and flirty - never sexy - dresses hit the mark, along with languid but girly blush-pink lingerie-inspired slip dresses. The collection’s subversive touchstone came into play with a dropped-waist velvet all-in-one with a sheer peek-a-boo bodice
Colour: The season’s emerging trend for deep, rich reds surfaced here with grenadine, oxblood and raspberry worked against the toning intensity of cognac, with accents of palest blush pink, champagne, inky blues and pigeon grey, with sooty black velvets adding a grown-up touch
Fabric & knit: Shetland tweeds had a Sunday-best feel, alongside mohairs, silk velvet, organza, shot taffeta, satin, Lurex knits, alligator effects and ponyskin
Print & pattern: A singular rearing horse placement on a blood-red dress
Details & trims: Tiny covered Sunday best buttons, velvet trims, coquettish hook-and-eye trims, bronze rectangular paillettes, gold emboidered motifs, self ruffles and jewelled velvet collars topping sheer blousesFootwear: High covered wedge Chelsea boots, over-the-knee boots
Accessories: Diamante and rhinestone hair slides, cable-knit cashmere scarves
Kinder Aggugini
Kinder Aggugini presented a slick, beautifully judged collection based around the modernist aesthetic lived out by Peggy Guggenheim, etched with 50s glamour and a subtle sense of deconstruction.
The look: 50s-inspired sophisticated glamour
Silhouette: Architectural and linear
Key items: Reed-thin silhouettes were accentuated with Aggugini’s beautifully executed tailoring, narrow coats showing just a hint of contrast lining, or felted cashmere kimono jackets with sculpted backs worked with flower-like geometric cut-outs to reveal a flash of print beneath. Pencil skirts emphasised the linear feel, with their deconstructed seamlines etched with contrast running stitches, and were teamed with a simple silk tee sporting the slogan “Vive l’Art”. Trouser shapes came cropped in the perfect proportions to team with the yellow dip-dyed felted parka with its high, ruched pleat neckline. For evening, sinuous jersey dresses in bold colour-blocks, limpid florals or with ruching details are decorated with sparkling sequinned harnesses
Colour: A modernist palette of black and white with pops of vermilion and sunshine yellow and a grounding of grey
Fabric & knit: Aggugini used every manifestation of luxurious cashmere along with crepe de chine, silk taffeta, cloque and jersey
Print & pattern: A delicate floral print was worked on a taffeta parka as linings, or came overdyed into a smudgy abstracted bouquet, contrasted with a simple black-and-white micro-spot used as linings
Details & trims: Sculpted backs, graphic cut-outs, pinked edges, raw deconstructed seamlines, contrast running-stitch decoration, sequin placements, glitter edging in black-on-black combinations
Footwear: Glitterflake high-block heeled ankle-straps in a medley of colours
Accessories: Diamante trimmed 50s glamour sunglasses, coloured acrylic sculptural high-crown trilbies with net veiling
Betty Jackson
Print, pattern and texture are integral to a Betty Jackson collection, never more so than for autumn/winter 2011/12, where the designer juxtaposed her effortlessly simple silhouettes with a wide array of exaggeratedly plush-touch fabrics.
The look: Rugged cocooning
Silhouette: Elongated and weightless
Key items: Outerwear was a strong feature, providing the perfect canvas for Jackson’s preoccupation with texture this season, with easy throw-on unstructured shapes layered over long knit dresses, simple shell tops and cropped peg-top pants. Sinuously languid bias-cut dresses offered a delicate contrast to the weightless bulk of a relaxed-fit biker-style coat and there was a drop-waisted brushed wool all-in-one that mirrored a silhouette seen earlier in the day at Charles Anastase
Colour: The emerging trend for rich reds was addressed with intense tomato, blood and brick combined with signature neutrals like putty, mist grey and the classic mix of black and winter white
Fabric & knit: Intense brushed, felted and boiled textures gave wool a weightless and ruggedly bulky feel, layered with crepe de chines, georgette, knitted rabbit, shearling, loosely structured tweed, wool lace knits, sequins and leather
Print & pattern: A soft floral print and painterly childlike diamond pattern
Details & trims: Exposed back zips traced the spine of simple dresses, self bows set at the tailbone, appliquéd plasticised flowers with sparkling tassle details
Footwear: High platform Mary Janes in winter white, blood red and black; wedged sandals
Accessories: Red flower pins and necklaces also worn as hair decorations, chain belts, tote bags, cream stockings peeping through semi-sheer dresses, chain-handle bags
Louise Gray
A kaleidoscopic whirlwind of colour and pattern brightened up a misty London day as Louise Gray took to the runway with her signature madcap irreverance full of exhuberance and club-kid fantasy.
The look: A tartan army of party people
Silhouette: Multi-layered
Key items: Every item was a canvas for Gray’s zany take on pattern - from simple shifts, blousons and boxy jackets to her swinging A-line coats, fabric-blocked panataloons and shirts teamed with deconstructed kilts and layered with decorated over-aprons and melanged, marled or Aran knits
Colour: Think a multi-coloured rainbow on acid
Fabric & knit: Plaids and tartans formed the touchstone for the collection and were overdyed, over-printed with foil polka-dots or pixellated into seemingly abstract patterns. Other key fabrics included silks, tweeds and brushed mohair
Print & pattern: Plaids, checks, tartans, tribal geometrics, foil prints, spots, pixellated patterns
Details & trims: Plastic paper chains, beading, smocking
Footwear: Heeled Wellington boots in colour-blocked spots and metallics designed by Nicholas Kirkwood and made by Pollini for Louise Gray
Accessories: Balloon headpieces by Nasir Mazhar, whistle earrings, giant clutch bags
Clements Ribeiro
This was a successful second outing on the London runways for Clements Ribeiro after their hit comeback collection last season. The design duo continued their fascination with experimental print techniques, perfectly complementing their signature luxe knits.
The look: Elegant Victoriana with a masculine/feminine twist
Silhouette: Elongated and reed thin
Key items: Outerwear marched to a military beat, with masculine reefer styling offset by contrasting decorative jet-beaded trims that complemented the collection’s narrow mid-calf skirts, dresses worked in beautiful degrade Baroque damask and ocelot patterns, and luxe crystal-trimmed cashmere knits. The mood darkened with a passage of black-on-black dresses crafted in lacquered lace, and flannels and brocades for a Victoriana-inspired evening look
Colour: Black undercut with flashes of a vibrant and unexpected cobalt, and layers of grenadine, raspberry, bilberry, dusted amethyst and ivory
Fabric & knit: Wool flannels, cashmere, crepe, tree bark crepe, quilted silk, cloque, lacquered lace. Cashmere and bouclé knits
Print & pattern: A delicate Baroque pattern, lace prints and a Moorish motif worked as all-overs or as degrades fading into a monochrome ocelot print
Details & trims: Jet beading, jet-beaded appliqués, crystal trims on knits, grosgrain ribbon and hussar-inspired frogging, slashed backs on simple dresses
Footwear: Satin toe-caps on block-heeled platforms and satin sandals, both by Charlotte OlympiaAccessories: Lace stockings, beaded collars, jet-beaded bags
PPQ
The look: Modern Jacobean/Elizabethan. Demure disco
Silhouette: Body-conscious eveningwear with modest necklines and exaggerated sleeves
Key items: Funnelled, tailored coats with high, scoop-neck collars and knee lengths kick-started the collection, which was heavily laden with body-conscious dresses. High necks slowly softened into off-shoulder and informal scoop neck-lines as the show proceeded, and eventually dropped down to a low scooped back, with thigh-skimming skirt hems and velvet panelling, while simple dresses were playful with subtle graphic shapes and logos worked in velvet. There was a sense of movement in the fluid pleating on a loose peplum dress and in the grey marl silhouette that appeared to layer and twist around the body in a toga wrap. Informal tailoring was present in a velvet skirt and a peplum jacket. Romanticised button-up blouses with high-neck Elizabethan ruffles and balloon sleeves gave an overall demure yet seductive feel to the collection
Colour: A predominantly black palette with accented with grey marl, soft lilac, grey-blue tones and bold flashes of purple
Fabric & knit: Wool twill tailored pieces, silk, velvet and black lace
Print & pattern: A punkish barbed-wire repeat print in regal purple, with thick splashes of orange and a gold coil motif in differing scale mixes
Details & trims: Elasticised lace trims cuffed voluminous dress sleeves and layered lace ruffles modestly surrounded the neckline. Clear Perspex appliqués adorned sleeves and were also used as embellishment on the fronts of dresses which encased brooches and other jewellery pieces. Velvet pockets, puff shoulders, dress panelling and pussy-bow-ties were other key details
Footwear: Chunky platform court shoes in black and grey suede with scalloped or lace trim edges and feather trims. Over-the-knee leather platform boots with suede details and lace trims at the knee
Accessories: Whimsical felt hats. Clear plastic bangles filled with gold chains and pearl charms, long chains with Perspex pendants and an evening bag encased in a Perspex cube with long chain detail. All finished with hair in pigtail plaits tied with velvet ribbons
