LONDON FASHION WEEK: John Rocha kicked off the second day of London Fashion Week yesterday showing his autumn/winter 2005 collection in Claridges ballroom.
This was one in which he cleverly fused elements of classic military tailoring and traditional menswear fabrics like Prince of Wales check, pinstripes and grey flannel with decorative feminine embellishment like patchwork and hand crochet.
A grey wool polo neck with a single epaulette was worn with slouchy pewter-buttoned sailor trousers.
Full skirts with shredded hems were held in check by long, lean crochet tunics.
Wooden bracelets worn the whole length of the arm, woven black neckpieces and iridescent black feathers added an extra, rather strange, African touch to the mix.
"The idea for this collection all started last November in London when I saw an exhibition of Peter Beard's photographs of Africa," said Rocha backstage. Rocha is well known for monochrome collections - the only bright colour in the show was one scarlet dress - but he likes to play with texture and ornamentation. Hand crochet was everywhere, used in fetching waistcoats, tank tops and high-necked sweaters, or appliquéd on sleeves.
Leather was given a strong Rocha workout too, shredded, patchworked or punched for extra effect. Jackets and pants were narrow and shrunken, worn boyishly with brogues and short socks.
The show was a curious mixture of irreverent tailoring and romantic, ragamuffin dressing, all with that offhand, offbeat elegance so characteristic of Rocha's style.
Paul Smith also played to his strengths yesterday in the Royal Horticultural Hall decked out in chintzy, swirly print Axminster carpeting.
Always an adroit and ironic observer of British establishment traditions, this time he rooted out familiar country classics like Burberrys, tweed jackets and Argyle knits and dragged them to the city in vivid new shapes and clashing colours.
Tweed capes were shown with flame red or sky blue tights and sparkle shoes, college scarves were flung around bright orange or russet tweed coats and Teddy Boy trousers.
Trench coats were snakeskin, shoes zebra print and even the kilts would frighten the horses with their flashing mirror-embroidered cummerbunds and cheeky patterned wellies. The tailoring, however, was impeccable.
Tweed also featured in Ashish's show, but flecked with sequins and sparkle, a continuing trend for next winter.
Newcomer Ashish Gupta from New Delhi is a Fine Arts graduate from Central St Martins and winner of the New Generation award for the second time.
The sheer exuberance and colour of his collection almost went too far in some cases (mauve sequinned track suits are more than this writer can take), but it was hard not to be impressed with the unbridled energy and craftsmanship in his show, in which full skirts heavy with bands of Indian wool embroidery were worn over leggings and red shoes.
It was left to the incomparable Nicole Farhi to provide the day's most romantic, desirable and wearable collection of all.
From the dreamy black satin ribboned Art Deco dresses to the handsome velvet jackets edged with grosgrain, close fitting brocade coats and neat sheepskin waistcoats, there was a sweetness and lightness of touch that was somehow very appropriate on St Valentine's Day.
