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Mulberry
Mulberry has emerged as the hottest label to watch in terms of all that is quintessentially British in the international fashion arena. With its concentration on good design, immaculate finish and quality fabrications, along with its ever-expanding range of must-have accessories, this is the name that could topple Burberry from its position as the ultimate British aspirational brand.
The look: Country classics with a twist
Silhouette: Subtle structured shapes and ladylike longer lengths
Key items: Luxurious outerwear included quilted macs with shearling linings, easy trench coats, boyfriend jackets, lambskin poacher jackets and duffels, or the plush touch of a Toscana lamb gilet. All perfect to throw over culottes, classic trousers, feminine printed blouses, sweeping long skirts and ladylike shirtdresses with pleated skirts and bow-tied necklines
Colour: The palette reflected the colours of the countryside, with mole greys, rich russet or conker browns and heathered lilacs, with accents of brilliant kelly green, foxglove pink, lavender and pheasant green
Fabric & knit: Toscana lamb, waxy sheepskin, quilted cotton, wool-cotton blends, herringbone tweeds, stretch wool, double silk georgette, metallic crepe, double-faced silk, corduroy, rabbit, cashmere, charmeuse, jacquard silk
Print & pattern: Prints too evoked a rustic spirit, featuring woodland imagery - think squirrels, birds and flowers contrasted with a peace-and-love jaquarded silk for an urbane urban touch
Details & trims: Ski-clip-style gilt hardware closures on outerwear and jackets
Footwear: Ankle boots with smooth wooden wedges and tilly-buckle hardware in rich colours and textures including tweed, jumbo cord, grained metallic leather and lambskin
Accessories: The heritage Bayswater and Bayswater satchel with poacher-style straps; stud closures and a new across-body strap; double-chain wrapped handle bags; new hardware details to update the Alexa; butter-soft quilted leathers and a conker-coloured patent highlighted some of the latest must-have bags
Acne
From the quintessential Britishness of the Mulberry show, the fashion pack was whisked straight to the urban gritty show space of Acne, the fashionista’s go-to brand, with its signature androgynous style reworked in a mix of unexpected fabrications and fashion colours.
The look: Urban girls
Silhouette: Relaxed and boxy
Key items: The cropped pant manifested itself in butter-soft leather to team with throw-on tie-belt wrap coats, big cocooning shearlings or a silver leather shell top sporting a dare-to-bare sheer back. Leather dungarees and a workwear-inspired boilersuit added to the urban vibe, along with workwear jackets and a roomy biker. A more decorative element came into play, with the cloqué skirts worn with a mannish denim shirt or in the side-split palazzo pants and their matching maxiskirt. And there was a luxe appeal in the drapey camel tunic knit and cropped leather biker skirt
Colour: Urban blues and greys, burgundy, rose and pale shell pink, hyacinth, pea green, marigold and dijonFabric & knit: Leather, drills, denim and cloqué, tulle overlays, silk velvet, shearling
Footwear: Wooden-heeled platform sandals in patent or silver, camel-coloured wedge-heeled broguesAccessories: Natural-coloured pop socks
Jasper Conran
After last season’s acclaimed resort-inspired collection, Jasper Conran turned to a more minimal, structured look for autumn/winter, teaming his rigorous tailoring with slick minimal modernism with a strong graphic appeal.
The look: 60s chic
Silhouette: Modern and minimal
Key items: Strong graphic lines came into play for the collection’s simple tank dresses and A-line skirts, worked in a variety of reptile-inspired patterns, or overlaid in sheer mesh. That same minimalist look was worked into hip-belted scalloped-hem shifts and a micro-shorts all-in-one. DB tailoring, an immaculate tuxedo jacket and a grey reefer-style skirt suit had a structured appeal, while shimmering sequins, rectangular paillettes and an ostrich-feathered coat were worked into sparse lines for a less-is-more appeal for evening Colour: Intensely saturated oxblood red and espresso, punctuated with accents of amethyst and deep inky blues
Fabric & knit: Emerging fabric trends were addressed in the use of silky calfskin and plush Toscana lamb, complementing wool jersey, viscose jersey, silk crepes, suede, silk tulle, cashmere, soft leathers and silk chiffons
Print & pattern: This was more about surface decoration than print, with reptilian patterns worked in bold black and white combinations, which were moulded or stitched and carved
Details & trims: Self-covered hip belts, contrast top stitching, fringed and tiled leather and suede, lacing details
Footwear: Square-toed flat pumps in patent or satin, over-the-knee boots in suede or croc effectsAccessories: Flowing head scarves, bucket hats, jersey beanies, shoulder bags with Perspex or acrylic trims, suede hip belts, opaque tights, Toscana-lamb clutch bags
Nicole Farhi
Nicole Farhi continued her exploration with innovative fabrics for her immaculate autumn/winter collection, full of those items that have made her one of the stalwarts of London Fashion Week - the perfectly cut trouser, great outerwear and covetable knits.
The look: Streamlined and functional
Silhouette: Minimal and linear but softly structured
Key items: Farhi cuts a mean pant, and this season they came with a masculine full leg and a high cummerbund waist, the perfect team mates for her fitted metallised herringbone tweed jackets or her jersey tops, which shimmered with moulded sequins. Bonded knits took traditional Aran structures into a new dimension, and there was a play on the masculine shirt, here cut in oversized shapes with a flowing caped back or with pintucked details. Outerwear is another strong suit with this label, and the easy kimono wraps and unstructured wide-cut silhouettes didn’t disappoint. Sinuous jersey dresses featured coiled zips, tracing curvilinear seams or the spine of a floorlength shift, and for evening columnar dresses in chainmail yarns or the contrast of billowing crystal-pleated floor-sweeping skirts
Colour: A tightly focused palette of lamp black, inky midnight blue, deep oxblood and winter white, with a flash of vermilion red
Fabric & knit: Innovative finishes and techniques took traditional wools and meltons into another stratosphere, with bonded, laminated, boiled and pressed effects. Herringbone tweed had a silvery metallic finish, while calfskin, moleskin and suede added a tactile touch among Farhi’s moulded and laminated sequins
Details & trims: Exposed coiled zips, cutout backs, contrast edging
Footwear: Laced suede needle-heeled ankle boots, ponyskin ankle boots
Accessories: White hosiery
Unique
With a new venue, Anna Wintour and a cast of London it-girls front row, expectations were running high at Topshop Unique’s autumn/winter showing for a collection that was inspired by post-depression 30s America - a theme that offered scope for looks that veered from stevedores to Hollywood glamour queens, via showgirls and sultry Art Deco sirens.
The look: 30s Americana
Silhouette: Va-va-vroom meets hello sailor
Key items: The collection was a cavalcade of looks and key items too long to list, but key pieces included matelot pants and skirts, sailor tops and shirtdresses, laced-back hotpants, a masculine trench coat and ticking western-style jeanswear. Flippy bias dresses and long-line pencil skirts sometimes veered towards a strict 40s silhouette, and there was a play on Cruella de Vil, with a posse of faux furs and exaggerated fur trims. One standout dress was a simple devoré shift with a burn-out of the Brooklyn Bridge
Colour: Black and white, warm gingers, camel and a raft of yellows, silver
Fabric & knit: Faux furs by the yard from fake mink to dalmatian-print ponyskin, cocooning shearling, rubber-backed canvas, ticking stripes, mohair, flocked Lurex, striped jersey, satin, devoré and marabou, silver leather
Print & pattern: Dalmatian spots, a micro dog-print repeat, Hollywood logos, Manhattan-skyline motif
Details & trims: Deco appliqués
Footwear: High stomping metallic Mary-Janes, dalmatian-patterned heeled ankle boots
Accessories: Lace hosiery and ankle socks
Antonio Berardi
For winter, Antonio Berardi aimed to break out of his after-six reputation with a new focus on daywear and, more particularly, outerwear. And for the first part of the show he did just that, layering coats, jackets and heavy knitwear to chunky extremes before giving way to his more familiar high-octane evening looks. “I wanted it to be luxurious, but it was tougher than usual,” said Berardi. “I wanted it to feel like London.”
The look: Statement luxury
Silhouette: Bulky outerwear created heavily proportioned uppers layered atop strictly tailored shapes
Key items: In line with the season so far, outerwear was a key focus for Berardi as he layered jackets and coats in bulky proportion play - a cropped biker with oversized revers and bullion-beaded sleeves sat atop a flare-skirted wrap coat, while a heavy curly lamb jacket with cropped sleeves was styled atop a long grey wool coat, both with hugely exaggerated revers. Beneath these heavy layers came neatly tailored cropped wool pants worn with crystal-studded poloneck jumpers, or folded skater skirts. As the looks moved toward cocktail hour, there were panelled and contoured sheaths in optic black and white, tailored dresses with daringly exposed sheer lace panels at the chest, and a strictly tailored midnight blue pantsuit, its raglan-sleeved jacket featuring a sheer lace back. For full-on evening looks there were lean column gowns in molten metallic Lurex
Colours: Winter white, intense midnight blue, slate and smoke greys, bright pea green and brash metallic red and gold
Fabric & knit: Laser-cut/punched wool, crystal-studded ribbed knits, textured wool jacquards with a scratched patina, cashmere, double-faced silk, organza, fine Chantilly lace, over-dyed Lurex, Mongolian lamb and shaved mink
Details & trims: Sculptural fold-back revers and collar details, dropped shoulders and sleeve heads, exaggerated back cowl drapes, jewel-striped sleeves, heavy studded hardware on sleeves and hems, punched wool mesh, crinkle pleats, eyelet studding, sheer lace panels
Footwear: Multi-strap heels with extended buckle straps by Manolo Blahnik, in lime suede or black patent leather
Accessories: Fine jewellery by Annina Vogel
Matthew Williamson
The opening exit set the tone for the show - a patchworked ethnic-textile parka with leather sleeves and fox-fur hood, worn with chunky buckled biker boots. This was Williamson’s pretty hippy-chick going through a tough-girl phase.
The look: Boho goes biker
Silhouette: Short and leggy
Key items: The leather-sleeved woven textile parka, patched zip-fly leather pants with quilted knees, and a host of motocross biker jackets gave the collection its tougher edge, while blanket coats, shaded Mongolian-lamb chubbies and gilets were more familiar Williamson boho. Signature minidresses were rife - either printed, panelled or featuring embroidered yokes - while the wrap-over miniskirt and softly tapered peg pants had strong commercial potential. Elsewhere there were pin-tucked sheer shirts, tailored jackets featuring a slashed shoulder detail, and that longer-length T-shirt shape that has been is fast becoming one of London’s key pieces
Colours: Clashing coral, pink and red, signature nude, shaded olive, smoky greys, and flashes of bright turquoise and royal blue
Fabric & knit: Degradé curly Mongolian lamb and bouncy silver fox furs, marabou, silky micro-patterned jacquards, silk, chiffon, tinsel-like Lurex, quilted leather, wool, patchworked wovens
Print & pattern: Black-and-white checkerboard squares and zigzags, kaleidoscope/mirrored digital prints, a mint-on-nude floral, diffused animalia
Details & trims: Marabou fringing, pin-tucked pleats, leather edging on blanket coats, crewel embroideriesFootwear: Buckled clog boots, cutout satin sandals
Accessories: Knitted fur scarves, structured metal through-belt on chiffon gown
Vivienne Westwood Red Label
Drawing inspiration from the characters that populate west London’s famous Portobello Market, Vivienne Westwood and Red Label designer Murray Blewett’s collection of individual looks worked best when simply styled.
The look: Anything goes
Silhouette: Chaotically layered, twisted and swagged
Key items: Amid the eclectic layers of tartan mini-kilts, ribbed-cuff bloomer shorts, twist-seamed skirts and off-centre button-up shirts, there was much to take away from the collection - simple slouch-fit sweater dresses, high-waist tulip skirts and chalk-striped mannish pants. Best were the dresses that were spared the trash-bag styling - a stunning navy-blue silk blouson dress with delicately gathered full skirt and draped shoulder, or the collared halter in a bronze leopard-patterned taffeta
Colours: A concentration of sludgy browns, olive drab, greige, fawn, mustard and maroon, with richer shadings of grenadine red and bronze metallics. Bursts of royal blue, turquoise and vermilion worked as here-and-there highlights
Fabric & knit: A mix-and-match grab-bag of textiles and textures - patchworked checks and signature tartans in red-blue colourways, chalk-stripe suitings, wool, silk, velvet, wool jacquards, thin jersey, blue broadcloth, charcoal flannel, metallic leopard jacquard, gold brocade
Print & pattern: Knitted squiggle stripes, gold over-painted effects
Details & trims: Neon feather tufts, fuchsia satin blazer trim
Footwear: Tall fur boots, bow-trimmed kitten-heeled mules, suede courts decorated with a rosette, tartan willies, leather ankle boots
Accessories: Silk headscarves, strings of pearls and a plethora of headwear including cable-knit beanies, a feathered alpine hat and overblown formal hats such as bowlers or trilbies
Richard Nicoll
Tired of waisted silhouettes, Richard Nicoll looked to the 1920s as inspiration for elongated lengths and dropped waists, fused with his signature sportswear directions.
The look: A refined sports-glamour fusion
Silhouette: High-low columns and proportional layering
Key items: Sporty dropped-waist knee-length parkas with face-framing collars and panelled raglan-sleeved blouson jackets layered over casually wide pants or cuffed semi-sheer track pants, while long-line sweatshirts were teamed with midi-length skirts for an elongated silhouette. Tops included collarless tunic-length shirts, blouses featuring fly-away fins of parachute silk, and long satin cycling T-shirts emblazoned with crystal-beaded names
Colours: Olive with mustard, nude with ghost white, shades of peach and tonal blues - petrol, Prussian and inky midnight
Fabric & knit: Merino wool, iridescent techno nylons, chiffon and georgette, scratched-effect jacquards, delicate sheers, molten metallic Lurex, quilted double-face, velvet
Details & trims: Elasticated hems and cuffs, face-framing drawstring collars, high-low hems and tails, crystal beaded typography (Latin names of rare moths), skinny cutaway halternecks, colour- or fabric-blocked raglan sleeves
Footwear: Velvet T-bar peep toes
Temperley London
As the brand enters its 10th year of business, Alice Temperley brought the label back to its core focus of eveningwear for winter 2011.
The look: Decadent after-six partywear with a Deco feel
Silhouette: Fishtails and dropped flares with some hourglass waists
Key items: The swishy skater skirts seen elsewhere this week arrived as knee-length fit-and-flare dresses, which contrasted with the longer, form-following lines of the tailored cocktail sheaths and fishtail column gowns. Tailoring arrived as palazzo-pant jumpsuits, and a tux redux comprising cropped jacket and long peg pant. Other party ensembles included flat-front satin flared pants paired with a metallic halterneck top, or a ruffle-shouldered corset top and sheer maxidresses. The occasional daytime look saw skin-tight leather leggings paired with knitwear - either a popcorn-stitch hooded poncho or a ruffle-shouldered cardiganColours: Ghostly pales of peach, blush, skin pink and white, punctuated with black, bronze metallics and a rich ruby red
Fabric & knit: Satin, watery silks, tulle, spotted point d’esprit, mid-gauge knits and a chunky popcorn stitch, silk twill, glittery Lurex metallics
Print & pattern: A digital Venetian fan print used as a border placement
Details & trims: Crystal embroideries, black star-embroidered sheers, three-dimensional rosette appliqués, folded ruffles created cape sleeves, crochet tiers, tiered ruffle hems
Footwear: Metal-heeled ankle boots
Accessories: A wide leather waspie belt
Mulberry has emerged as the hottest label to watch in terms of all that is quintessentially British in the international fashion arena. With its concentration on good design, immaculate finish and quality fabrications, along with its ever-expanding range of must-have accessories, this is the name that could topple Burberry from its position as the ultimate British aspirational brand.
The look: Country classics with a twist
Silhouette: Subtle structured shapes and ladylike longer lengths
Key items: Luxurious outerwear included quilted macs with shearling linings, easy trench coats, boyfriend jackets, lambskin poacher jackets and duffels, or the plush touch of a Toscana lamb gilet. All perfect to throw over culottes, classic trousers, feminine printed blouses, sweeping long skirts and ladylike shirtdresses with pleated skirts and bow-tied necklines
Colour: The palette reflected the colours of the countryside, with mole greys, rich russet or conker browns and heathered lilacs, with accents of brilliant kelly green, foxglove pink, lavender and pheasant green
Fabric & knit: Toscana lamb, waxy sheepskin, quilted cotton, wool-cotton blends, herringbone tweeds, stretch wool, double silk georgette, metallic crepe, double-faced silk, corduroy, rabbit, cashmere, charmeuse, jacquard silk
Print & pattern: Prints too evoked a rustic spirit, featuring woodland imagery - think squirrels, birds and flowers contrasted with a peace-and-love jaquarded silk for an urbane urban touch
Details & trims: Ski-clip-style gilt hardware closures on outerwear and jackets
Footwear: Ankle boots with smooth wooden wedges and tilly-buckle hardware in rich colours and textures including tweed, jumbo cord, grained metallic leather and lambskin
Accessories: The heritage Bayswater and Bayswater satchel with poacher-style straps; stud closures and a new across-body strap; double-chain wrapped handle bags; new hardware details to update the Alexa; butter-soft quilted leathers and a conker-coloured patent highlighted some of the latest must-have bags
Acne
From the quintessential Britishness of the Mulberry show, the fashion pack was whisked straight to the urban gritty show space of Acne, the fashionista’s go-to brand, with its signature androgynous style reworked in a mix of unexpected fabrications and fashion colours.
The look: Urban girls
Silhouette: Relaxed and boxy
Key items: The cropped pant manifested itself in butter-soft leather to team with throw-on tie-belt wrap coats, big cocooning shearlings or a silver leather shell top sporting a dare-to-bare sheer back. Leather dungarees and a workwear-inspired boilersuit added to the urban vibe, along with workwear jackets and a roomy biker. A more decorative element came into play, with the cloqué skirts worn with a mannish denim shirt or in the side-split palazzo pants and their matching maxiskirt. And there was a luxe appeal in the drapey camel tunic knit and cropped leather biker skirt
Colour: Urban blues and greys, burgundy, rose and pale shell pink, hyacinth, pea green, marigold and dijonFabric & knit: Leather, drills, denim and cloqué, tulle overlays, silk velvet, shearling
Footwear: Wooden-heeled platform sandals in patent or silver, camel-coloured wedge-heeled broguesAccessories: Natural-coloured pop socks
Jasper Conran
After last season’s acclaimed resort-inspired collection, Jasper Conran turned to a more minimal, structured look for autumn/winter, teaming his rigorous tailoring with slick minimal modernism with a strong graphic appeal.
The look: 60s chic
Silhouette: Modern and minimal
Key items: Strong graphic lines came into play for the collection’s simple tank dresses and A-line skirts, worked in a variety of reptile-inspired patterns, or overlaid in sheer mesh. That same minimalist look was worked into hip-belted scalloped-hem shifts and a micro-shorts all-in-one. DB tailoring, an immaculate tuxedo jacket and a grey reefer-style skirt suit had a structured appeal, while shimmering sequins, rectangular paillettes and an ostrich-feathered coat were worked into sparse lines for a less-is-more appeal for evening Colour: Intensely saturated oxblood red and espresso, punctuated with accents of amethyst and deep inky blues
Fabric & knit: Emerging fabric trends were addressed in the use of silky calfskin and plush Toscana lamb, complementing wool jersey, viscose jersey, silk crepes, suede, silk tulle, cashmere, soft leathers and silk chiffons
Print & pattern: This was more about surface decoration than print, with reptilian patterns worked in bold black and white combinations, which were moulded or stitched and carved
Details & trims: Self-covered hip belts, contrast top stitching, fringed and tiled leather and suede, lacing details
Footwear: Square-toed flat pumps in patent or satin, over-the-knee boots in suede or croc effectsAccessories: Flowing head scarves, bucket hats, jersey beanies, shoulder bags with Perspex or acrylic trims, suede hip belts, opaque tights, Toscana-lamb clutch bags
Nicole Farhi
Nicole Farhi continued her exploration with innovative fabrics for her immaculate autumn/winter collection, full of those items that have made her one of the stalwarts of London Fashion Week - the perfectly cut trouser, great outerwear and covetable knits.
The look: Streamlined and functional
Silhouette: Minimal and linear but softly structured
Key items: Farhi cuts a mean pant, and this season they came with a masculine full leg and a high cummerbund waist, the perfect team mates for her fitted metallised herringbone tweed jackets or her jersey tops, which shimmered with moulded sequins. Bonded knits took traditional Aran structures into a new dimension, and there was a play on the masculine shirt, here cut in oversized shapes with a flowing caped back or with pintucked details. Outerwear is another strong suit with this label, and the easy kimono wraps and unstructured wide-cut silhouettes didn’t disappoint. Sinuous jersey dresses featured coiled zips, tracing curvilinear seams or the spine of a floorlength shift, and for evening columnar dresses in chainmail yarns or the contrast of billowing crystal-pleated floor-sweeping skirts
Colour: A tightly focused palette of lamp black, inky midnight blue, deep oxblood and winter white, with a flash of vermilion red
Fabric & knit: Innovative finishes and techniques took traditional wools and meltons into another stratosphere, with bonded, laminated, boiled and pressed effects. Herringbone tweed had a silvery metallic finish, while calfskin, moleskin and suede added a tactile touch among Farhi’s moulded and laminated sequins
Details & trims: Exposed coiled zips, cutout backs, contrast edging
Footwear: Laced suede needle-heeled ankle boots, ponyskin ankle boots
Accessories: White hosiery
Unique
With a new venue, Anna Wintour and a cast of London it-girls front row, expectations were running high at Topshop Unique’s autumn/winter showing for a collection that was inspired by post-depression 30s America - a theme that offered scope for looks that veered from stevedores to Hollywood glamour queens, via showgirls and sultry Art Deco sirens.
The look: 30s Americana
Silhouette: Va-va-vroom meets hello sailor
Key items: The collection was a cavalcade of looks and key items too long to list, but key pieces included matelot pants and skirts, sailor tops and shirtdresses, laced-back hotpants, a masculine trench coat and ticking western-style jeanswear. Flippy bias dresses and long-line pencil skirts sometimes veered towards a strict 40s silhouette, and there was a play on Cruella de Vil, with a posse of faux furs and exaggerated fur trims. One standout dress was a simple devoré shift with a burn-out of the Brooklyn Bridge
Colour: Black and white, warm gingers, camel and a raft of yellows, silver
Fabric & knit: Faux furs by the yard from fake mink to dalmatian-print ponyskin, cocooning shearling, rubber-backed canvas, ticking stripes, mohair, flocked Lurex, striped jersey, satin, devoré and marabou, silver leather
Print & pattern: Dalmatian spots, a micro dog-print repeat, Hollywood logos, Manhattan-skyline motif
Details & trims: Deco appliqués
Footwear: High stomping metallic Mary-Janes, dalmatian-patterned heeled ankle boots
Accessories: Lace hosiery and ankle socks
Antonio Berardi
For winter, Antonio Berardi aimed to break out of his after-six reputation with a new focus on daywear and, more particularly, outerwear. And for the first part of the show he did just that, layering coats, jackets and heavy knitwear to chunky extremes before giving way to his more familiar high-octane evening looks. “I wanted it to be luxurious, but it was tougher than usual,” said Berardi. “I wanted it to feel like London.”
The look: Statement luxury
Silhouette: Bulky outerwear created heavily proportioned uppers layered atop strictly tailored shapes
Key items: In line with the season so far, outerwear was a key focus for Berardi as he layered jackets and coats in bulky proportion play - a cropped biker with oversized revers and bullion-beaded sleeves sat atop a flare-skirted wrap coat, while a heavy curly lamb jacket with cropped sleeves was styled atop a long grey wool coat, both with hugely exaggerated revers. Beneath these heavy layers came neatly tailored cropped wool pants worn with crystal-studded poloneck jumpers, or folded skater skirts. As the looks moved toward cocktail hour, there were panelled and contoured sheaths in optic black and white, tailored dresses with daringly exposed sheer lace panels at the chest, and a strictly tailored midnight blue pantsuit, its raglan-sleeved jacket featuring a sheer lace back. For full-on evening looks there were lean column gowns in molten metallic Lurex
Colours: Winter white, intense midnight blue, slate and smoke greys, bright pea green and brash metallic red and gold
Fabric & knit: Laser-cut/punched wool, crystal-studded ribbed knits, textured wool jacquards with a scratched patina, cashmere, double-faced silk, organza, fine Chantilly lace, over-dyed Lurex, Mongolian lamb and shaved mink
Details & trims: Sculptural fold-back revers and collar details, dropped shoulders and sleeve heads, exaggerated back cowl drapes, jewel-striped sleeves, heavy studded hardware on sleeves and hems, punched wool mesh, crinkle pleats, eyelet studding, sheer lace panels
Footwear: Multi-strap heels with extended buckle straps by Manolo Blahnik, in lime suede or black patent leather
Accessories: Fine jewellery by Annina Vogel
Matthew Williamson
The opening exit set the tone for the show - a patchworked ethnic-textile parka with leather sleeves and fox-fur hood, worn with chunky buckled biker boots. This was Williamson’s pretty hippy-chick going through a tough-girl phase.
The look: Boho goes biker
Silhouette: Short and leggy
Key items: The leather-sleeved woven textile parka, patched zip-fly leather pants with quilted knees, and a host of motocross biker jackets gave the collection its tougher edge, while blanket coats, shaded Mongolian-lamb chubbies and gilets were more familiar Williamson boho. Signature minidresses were rife - either printed, panelled or featuring embroidered yokes - while the wrap-over miniskirt and softly tapered peg pants had strong commercial potential. Elsewhere there were pin-tucked sheer shirts, tailored jackets featuring a slashed shoulder detail, and that longer-length T-shirt shape that has been is fast becoming one of London’s key pieces
Colours: Clashing coral, pink and red, signature nude, shaded olive, smoky greys, and flashes of bright turquoise and royal blue
Fabric & knit: Degradé curly Mongolian lamb and bouncy silver fox furs, marabou, silky micro-patterned jacquards, silk, chiffon, tinsel-like Lurex, quilted leather, wool, patchworked wovens
Print & pattern: Black-and-white checkerboard squares and zigzags, kaleidoscope/mirrored digital prints, a mint-on-nude floral, diffused animalia
Details & trims: Marabou fringing, pin-tucked pleats, leather edging on blanket coats, crewel embroideriesFootwear: Buckled clog boots, cutout satin sandals
Accessories: Knitted fur scarves, structured metal through-belt on chiffon gown
Vivienne Westwood Red Label
Drawing inspiration from the characters that populate west London’s famous Portobello Market, Vivienne Westwood and Red Label designer Murray Blewett’s collection of individual looks worked best when simply styled.
The look: Anything goes
Silhouette: Chaotically layered, twisted and swagged
Key items: Amid the eclectic layers of tartan mini-kilts, ribbed-cuff bloomer shorts, twist-seamed skirts and off-centre button-up shirts, there was much to take away from the collection - simple slouch-fit sweater dresses, high-waist tulip skirts and chalk-striped mannish pants. Best were the dresses that were spared the trash-bag styling - a stunning navy-blue silk blouson dress with delicately gathered full skirt and draped shoulder, or the collared halter in a bronze leopard-patterned taffeta
Colours: A concentration of sludgy browns, olive drab, greige, fawn, mustard and maroon, with richer shadings of grenadine red and bronze metallics. Bursts of royal blue, turquoise and vermilion worked as here-and-there highlights
Fabric & knit: A mix-and-match grab-bag of textiles and textures - patchworked checks and signature tartans in red-blue colourways, chalk-stripe suitings, wool, silk, velvet, wool jacquards, thin jersey, blue broadcloth, charcoal flannel, metallic leopard jacquard, gold brocade
Print & pattern: Knitted squiggle stripes, gold over-painted effects
Details & trims: Neon feather tufts, fuchsia satin blazer trim
Footwear: Tall fur boots, bow-trimmed kitten-heeled mules, suede courts decorated with a rosette, tartan willies, leather ankle boots
Accessories: Silk headscarves, strings of pearls and a plethora of headwear including cable-knit beanies, a feathered alpine hat and overblown formal hats such as bowlers or trilbies
Richard Nicoll
Tired of waisted silhouettes, Richard Nicoll looked to the 1920s as inspiration for elongated lengths and dropped waists, fused with his signature sportswear directions.
The look: A refined sports-glamour fusion
Silhouette: High-low columns and proportional layering
Key items: Sporty dropped-waist knee-length parkas with face-framing collars and panelled raglan-sleeved blouson jackets layered over casually wide pants or cuffed semi-sheer track pants, while long-line sweatshirts were teamed with midi-length skirts for an elongated silhouette. Tops included collarless tunic-length shirts, blouses featuring fly-away fins of parachute silk, and long satin cycling T-shirts emblazoned with crystal-beaded names
Colours: Olive with mustard, nude with ghost white, shades of peach and tonal blues - petrol, Prussian and inky midnight
Fabric & knit: Merino wool, iridescent techno nylons, chiffon and georgette, scratched-effect jacquards, delicate sheers, molten metallic Lurex, quilted double-face, velvet
Details & trims: Elasticated hems and cuffs, face-framing drawstring collars, high-low hems and tails, crystal beaded typography (Latin names of rare moths), skinny cutaway halternecks, colour- or fabric-blocked raglan sleeves
Footwear: Velvet T-bar peep toes
Temperley London
As the brand enters its 10th year of business, Alice Temperley brought the label back to its core focus of eveningwear for winter 2011.
The look: Decadent after-six partywear with a Deco feel
Silhouette: Fishtails and dropped flares with some hourglass waists
Key items: The swishy skater skirts seen elsewhere this week arrived as knee-length fit-and-flare dresses, which contrasted with the longer, form-following lines of the tailored cocktail sheaths and fishtail column gowns. Tailoring arrived as palazzo-pant jumpsuits, and a tux redux comprising cropped jacket and long peg pant. Other party ensembles included flat-front satin flared pants paired with a metallic halterneck top, or a ruffle-shouldered corset top and sheer maxidresses. The occasional daytime look saw skin-tight leather leggings paired with knitwear - either a popcorn-stitch hooded poncho or a ruffle-shouldered cardiganColours: Ghostly pales of peach, blush, skin pink and white, punctuated with black, bronze metallics and a rich ruby red
Fabric & knit: Satin, watery silks, tulle, spotted point d’esprit, mid-gauge knits and a chunky popcorn stitch, silk twill, glittery Lurex metallics
Print & pattern: A digital Venetian fan print used as a border placement
Details & trims: Crystal embroideries, black star-embroidered sheers, three-dimensional rosette appliqués, folded ruffles created cape sleeves, crochet tiers, tiered ruffle hems
Footwear: Metal-heeled ankle boots
Accessories: A wide leather waspie belt
