Taking as their influence "all things magical", Topshop's in-house design team produced an ethereal, somewhat 70s-inspired collection, all huge crimped hair and a palette of rust red, ochre and grey. Some outfits I didn't warm to especially, such as huge mustard flares teamed with cropped tops, cavegirl-esque swimsuits worn with heavy boots, and tie-dye hippie kaftans. Others, however, were beautiful. My favourite piece (above) was a mid-length dress in a yellow and black smudged print, with several slits up the leg and made from the lightest chiffon (which was available to order straight after the show... if only I had a spare £300!) Other pieces, like a metallic blue cutaway dress, hit just the right note seasonally, and towards the end of the collection a few pieces in crushed peach silk really caught my eye. Overall it was not an immediately wearable collection, but certainly one with real beauty and imagination, and one which, when distilled slightly with a few classic pieces of tailoring, could form the basis of an eye-catchingly lovely outfit come spring.
Another show that I watched live thanks to Topshop was Peter Pilotto (above). I got up at 9am for this one so I'm very relieved to say it didn't disappoint. In fact, it exceeded my expectations in terms of wearability and beauty. Gorgeous full-length draped gowns in shades of cornflower blue, deep navy, dusty yellow and pure white made their way elegantly down the catwalk. You could tell just from looking that the tailoring was expertly done; all the pieces just sat so beautifully on the body. The design duo also make clever use of a varied colour palette, knowing exactly which colours to combine and in which way for a stunning and wearable result.
There were many other beautiful shows... Emilio de la Morena (above) was a highlight, and produced a stellar front row turnout (Olivia Palermo, Julia Restoin-Roitfeld and Leighton Meester, to name but a few). The man certainly knows how to make a beautiful minidress, and his amazing creations came in sculpted cream organza, cutout black leather with chiffon overlay, and beautifully cut tulip shapes in sunshine yellow, coral and duck-egg blue. I also loved Charles Anastase's geek chic models with their round glasses and scruffy fringed wigs, and the soft chiffon dresses in white, black and violet were wearable and supremely elegant. Christopher Kane's reputation as London's wonderboy certainly drew in the crowds, and he displayed his continuing knack for subverting traditional fabrics and styles by producing a "Royals in neon" vibe, all acid green and pink twinsets in laser-cut leather. A little too out-there for my tastes, I must confess, and I couldn't help thinking it might all have looked a little nicer in creams and navys... Mark Fast was another show I watched live, and thoroughly enjoyed. While he didn't break any new ground, in that it was still all bodycon knitted dresses, he certainly proved that he sure can make a good bodycon knitted dress (and if it ain't broke, don't fix it, eh?). What I loved most about this show was actually the hair and make-up: gorgeous backcombed bouffants teamed with super-sexy glittery eyes provided the perfect after-dark beauty look to emulate. Erdem was, as ever, an LFW highlight. He printed faded floral motifs onto the airiest of chiffon dresses and made lace minidresses classier than they have ever been before.
But, of course, there was no show that could compete with the grand dame of London Fashion Week: Burberry Prorsum (above). Christopher Bailey's line has been my absolute undisputed favourite collection of the past two seasons, so needless to say I was waiting with bated breath to see what he would produce next. After frantically trying to stream his show live last season while at work and being thwarted by the restricted internet, this season I had no such qualms (thank you, unemployment) and delightedly settled down to watch it in all its real-time glory. And what a show it was. It was roughly divisible into three sections, helpfully separated by a change in soundtrack. The first was a take on that ever-classic Burberry stalwart: the trench. The new incarnations of this perennial favourite came paired with quilted leather leggings, patent belts in bright shades of aquamarine and acid yellow; some boasted black leather sleeves and panels, or were edged in leather piping. Teaming them with clashing bright clutches, or belting them over vibrant minidresses, kept the looks fresh and inspired. The second section moved away from the trench and into biker jacket territory, where the focus would remain for the rest of the show. Classic, timeless black leather cropped jackets and gilets were slung over ruched chiffon minidresses in ice-cream shades of powder blue, salmon pink, navy and champagne. Flashes of silver came via leggings and high-shine jackets. Another change of soundtrack and we moved into a fiercer take on the biker, arms and bodies embossed with hundreds of silver and gold studs. Animal prints took centre stage, with leopard minidresses in khaki and cobalt blue providing the perfect contrast to the jackets they sat beneath, and the occasional high-octane snakeskin jacket. All in all, it was an impressive, confident and supremely modern collection. Bailey has taken us away from all the white floaty dresses that so many other designers have fallen back on and chosen a fierce new direction - a direction that will no doubt be welcomed by his legions of loyal fans. And - apart from the final model tumbling over in the most cringeworthy piece of viewing I've seen in some time - it was a thoroughly exhilirating spectacle. Thank you, Christopher. Already excited for next season...
So that's LFW, as seen by me. Where front rows were concerned, there weren't quite as many good sightings as in New York (but then, there weren't as many days). My reliable favourites Chung and Palermo made commendable appearances, but the Burberry show wasn't quite as good FROW-wise as last season (no Mary-Kate, sadly) and Palermo wasn't quite as on form as in New York. Luckily though, two British redheads stood out to me in their sartorial efforts (quite apart from the fact that flame-coloured hair is so now). Nicola Roberts of Girls Aloud fame (above) looked adorable in Topshop Unique at, duh, Topshop Unique, while Karen Gillan, my style crush of several months and Doctor Who actress, showed up at Mulberry in a lovely white silk shirt, black sequinned Mulberry miniskirt and legs for miles. Kudos to these British girls for showing those Yanks how it's done...
Right then, I'm off to see what's going on in Milan so far... ciao!
Pictures of Topshop Unique, Peter Pilotto, Emilio de la Morena and Burberry Prorsum: Elleuk.com
Picture of Nicola Roberts: Glamourmagazine.co.uk
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