Hunting with hounds is set to be banned in the UK, but another kind of hunt is being intensified for the next big name in fashion.
London Fashion Week is traditionally fertile ground for such pursuits, and this year the British Fashion Council has taken the proactive step of appointing three scouts to flush out and support new talent. Yesterday two newcomers, part of the New Generation group sponsored by Top Shop, staged their first shows in the august surroundings of the Royal Academy.
Gardem, a young Lebanese designer based in Paris, presented a mainly monochrome collection, in some respects like John Rocha, in which sparkling silver jewellery became an integral part of the mostly black clothing.
As in many fledgling shows, detailing like horizontal zips, thin layering, pleating and heavily worked jackets showed effort, but there was a lightness of touch and a femininity best expressed in sweet patchwork dresses in soft, creamy cottons.
Swash, an English-Japanese duo, sent out breezy and bold "greenery yallery" prints that provided a touch of décor on a white cape shirt or cuff, and looked fresh and youthful on shorts and baby-doll dresses, though jeans with waists hanging open at the back were a step in the wrong direction.
When it comes to the old guard, Betty Jackson reigns supreme as one of the stalwarts of the industry who rarely falters, yet her spring-summer collection was surprisingly lacklustre.
There were some pretty dresses and pintucked tops, some great khaki sundresses and slouchy pants, but belted dressing-gown coats and full skirts tied with chocolate-box bows hit a discordant note. And despite the sequins, even the 60s-style bib-fronted "dolly bird" dresses seemed to lack sparkle.
Hotly tipped to be Designer of the Year and the rising star of British fashion is Giles Deacon, who at 37 is no newcomer to the industry. He is an established illustrator and designer slowly engineering his mark with a cunning and powerful support team.
His striking show in the Chelsea Barracks had a line-up of models that included Linda Evangelista, Erin O'Connor and l6-year-old superstar Lily Cole, and was more haute couture than ready-to-wear, both in spirit and in substance.
Each item, from the billowing brown printed caftan that opened the collection to the sunray silk chiffon dresses that closed it, was precious, handmade and luxurious, designed for a seriously glamorous lifestyle. "Dazzle" dresses were edged with crystal. Hand-crafted bridle belts kept waists in check, but there may be no stop to this man's gallop.
