Oversize coats and jackets, mismatched tweeds, fuller skirts, colourful prints, embellishment and 1980s references – prepare yourself for the new season’s autumn/winter trends previewed at the Brown Thomas catwalk on Tuesday.
"It is all about feminine glamour and the empowerment of women," according to the company's director of fashion Shelly Corkery clad in a tweed dress with fake fur trim. Key buy of the season, she said, would be a tailored suit as "CEO-inspired tailoring is really strong at the moment". There were many variations on the theme particularly a full-skirted plaid number from Dior with a taut jacket, a tweed suit with oversize jacket from Calvin Klein and Loewe's safer and more demure slim grey pants and cropped knit.
Some 80 guests were dressed to the nines for the big in-store presentation staged in a darkened space on the first floor with flashing lightbulbs and, for the first time, seating lined with iPads. Showcasing more than 100 outfits from 29 international labels, the line-up was diverse and wide ranging. There were bold new takes on opera coats by much lauded newcomer Richard Quinn as well as tight and tarty Versace denims and bondage Balmain logoed dresses recalling the 1980s.
There was a lot of colour and angular cut shapes with a mixum gatherum of print, tartan and stripes. Sporting references – bomber jackets, go-faster striped trousers and even socks – were pervasive as were the tweed coats and jackets – oversized Prince of Wales and windowpane-check coats and jackets with curved shoulders. A particularly elegant wrap coat from Givenchy stood out. Counterbalancing this was glitter and embellishment – sequinned skirts and shoes (Miu Miu, Erdem), bias cut silks (Roksanda Ilincic), black lace and marabou-feathered dresses (McQueen), green sparkle overlays and pink tulle dresses (Prada). A long silver sequin skirt from Erdem teamed with a plain white shirt gave its sparkle an everyday look.
As for print, it was colourful particularly in bias cut silk dresses. Leopard print came in abstract form in a Stella McCartney knit, in dresses from Valentino, floral print in mini dresses at Gucci while light-hearted handbag motif dresses from Dolce & Gabbana would certainly lift the winter spirits. What made heads turn, however, included a full-skirted 1950s style couture dress in brilliant white from Maticevski, an hourglass black number from Victoria Beckham and the lavish and voluminous silks from Quinn that closed the show in style. No prices quoted.
