As the five day fashion spectacular of London Fashion Week reaches it’s penultimate day, we take a look at the sartorial style lessons to learn and what’s in store for our future wardrobes. With LFW showcasing a strong roster of upcoming talent including Molly Goddard, AV Robertson, and Paula Knorr equally matched by an impressive showing of Irish creativity from Paul Costelloe and Simone Rocha, the London catwalks were filled with innovative designs and intriguing trends.
Check Mate
Designers continued their love-affair with all things square, but there is nothing safe about the checked pattern for autumn – bold, bright and worn head-to-toe. Tartan, plaid, windowpane, and houndstooth, all made an appearance and at Simone Rocha it came in the shape of red tartan dresses complete with red hair bows and fur heels, and AV Robertson contrasted and constructed with metallic slices. Paul Costelloe showcased check in all guises with short swingy jackets, oversized shouldered blazer and a sophisticated midi coat that was styled with a white shirt and tie. Subverting the traditional notions of classic checks, Costello also featured the perennial pattern with dramatic slits and contrasting PVC fabric.
Rainbow Bright
Take note: colour isn’t just for spring. London Fashion Week exploded in cheer-making colour with Delpozo, Mulberry, and Marta Jakubowski, deciding it was time to take bright hues into chillier temperatures. Championing top-to-toe tonal dressing, Jasper Conran went on a journey of colour sending models out in all shades of orange, yellow and Pantone’s colour of the year – ultraviolet. Tailoring dominated across the collections, following on for its strong showing at New York Fashion Week, but Mulberry amped it a notch with the bold suit in shades of Kermit the Frog green. Christopher Bailey’s last show for Burberry was a celebration of LGBT+ that manifested itself in rainbow checks and a finale that included Cara Delevingne in a multicoloured stripe floor-sweeping cape.
Covered-up
A hooded trend is turning heads during fashion week, models wearing hoods-come-balaclava’s featured up on the runways of Calvin Klein and now it’s popped up at Preen, Richard Malone and Matty Bovan in London. At Preen a myriad of hoods were styled with sheer ruffled skirts and floral detailing in different patterns, either clashing or matching what it was paired with. While Richard Malone kept it tonal in literally head-to-toe looks complete with coordinated hoods. At Toga, hair-covering accessories were also featured in the shape of a sampling of baroque silks headscarves. While Erdem topped off his signature jacquard and velvet designs with sheer polka dot hair and face coverings.
Sweet Treats
Dublin has no drought of donut shops and the craze has now spread to the catwalks. It was all in the details at Irish designer JW Anderson’s autumn collection with cartoon-style illustrated jumpers and chocolate-sprinkled donut charms that swung from belt loops.
Razzle Dazzle
Boasting more glitz than RuPaul's Drag Race, designers including Paula Knorr, AV Robertson, and David Koma, injected LFW with mood lifting sparkle. In the ultimate fashion flashback, Halpern showcased a cavalcade of sequins, harking back to the disco era with sequin flares and glittering miniskirts paired perfectly with platforms created in partnership with Christian Louboutin. The king of bling, Ashish stuck to his sparkly-loaded show with models emerging from a shop entrance set complete with shutters, mannequins and neon signs. And it wasn't just the clothes that shone bright, Markus Lupfer showcased a sparkly style with smooth hair parted straight to reveal of strip of crystals. While Preen's finale included sequin-loaded dresses in shades of cream and white, complete with glitter faces curated by make-up artist Val Garland.
Blankets
Not an accessory you’d normally associate with fashion but the humble blanket appeared on the runways of Mother of Pearl and Roksanda. Designer Amy Powney at Mother of Pearl sent models down swathed in shocks of stripes, checks and spots complete with blankets folded neatly under their arm or rolled up to mimic handbags. While at Roksanda models came out clutching checked blankets over blouses and tailored trousers.
Tango Time
If you're enjoying Dancing with the Stars on a Sunday, you'll now be able to channel the stars with a fun and fabulous collection featured at London Fashion Week. Designers often take inspiration from the most weird and wonderful places, from lampshades at Mary Katrantzou to the Yorkshire fields at Mother of Pearl. Sophia Webster based her autumn collection on the opulent, vibrant and competitive world of ballroom and Latin dance. Energised by her past as a competitive dancer and Baz Luhrmann's Strictly Ballroom, it was reflected in a collection bursting with crystal fruit embellishment, dramatic plumes, and hot pink satins. Her signature speech bubble bags anchored the collection with tongue-in-cheek phrases like "Twinkle Toes" and "She's the greatest dancer".
Powerful messaging
Diversity and female empowerment were the buzz words of many shows across the weekend, most notably at Christopher Bailey’s last hurrah at Burberry and it continued at Marques’Almeida with a soundtrack of young girls talking about body positivity and individuality with models wearing power women printed jumpers.
