Where New York fashion week focused on commercial, urban and street
style elements of fashion, London brought a sense of direction and distinct
flavour. Taking a cue from the men’s catwalk shows in January, there was a
70s, 80s and utilitarian influence, but where the creativity truly shone,
was in ITS tailoring, which could almost have been mistaken for couture.
Sarah Burton may have been in the final stages of pregnancy, but she
presented one of her most exquisite collections to date.She described her
woman as “almost sleepwalking, in a state where reality and dreams become
blurred”, culminating in the most ethereal of silhouettes. The spell was
cast from the first handcrafted leather coat, embellished and hand-painted
with surreal motifs such as pocket watches, lips, and butterflies, to
ruffles cascading over and around décolletés and sylph-like sheer silk and
knit dresses.
Mary Katrantzou referenced a child’s passion for dressing up when talking
about her beautifully engineered collection. Inspiration from American
1950s styling appeared with cowboy shirt detailing appliquéd onto jackets,
trousers and dresses, all crafted in menswear materials. Glamorous tulle
gowns provided the princess aspect. What set this line-up apart from
previous presentations was the totally wearable element throughout.
Simone Rocha’s enchanting collection was inspired by her recent motherhood.
Cocooning shapes were seen in long, Linton tweed coats, with hems left
somewhat metaphorically “falling apart at the seams”. Cloud-like chiffon
dresses came embellished at the breast while tulle bows were tied around
the necks of Victorian-inspired puritanical black dresses, looking both
romantic and eerie. A heartfelt and darkly beautiful collection.
Justin Thornton and Thea Bregazzi presented a beautiful line-up full of
innuendo and edgy juxtapositions. Charming, retrospective and glamorous,
the designers said the idea of their muse was a “poetry groupie… she’s a
bit like a rock-star groupie, but she is obsessed with poetry and Edith
Sitwell is her heroine”. The characteristics of Sitwell’s times appeared in
the painterly melancholy florals that pervaded this edgy, artistic
collection.
Christopher Bailey’s collection for Burberry was aptly named Patchwork,
referencing “patterns and textures from British artists, musicians and
history”, along with military details and a quintessential English
eclecticism. Sending out a myriad of youthful looks, Bailey added quirky
details to coats, while jackets appeared with python piping and sequinned
dresses were resplendent in colourful patterns. Just the right amount of
polish and glitter.
Perhaps it was the tragic loss of Christopher Kane’s mother that inspired
the use of old-timey rain bonnets, but Kane went even further, explaining
after the show that his woman was somebody living behind her own
psychological barriers, with a Grey Gardens sensibility. Weaving his own
intricate web throughout, Kane presented tailored suits trimmed with
ostrich feathers, embellished sylphlike dresses and covetable oversized
sweaters and scarves.
Johnny Coca, the new creative director for Mulberry, rose to the challenge
of instilling a fresh perspective into the brand, serving up a collection
that was absolutely up to the moment. Wool coats with military-inspired
details were a juxtaposition to feminine dresses and graphically coloured
structured pieces. A variety of bags from purses to holdalls underscored
the heritage of Mulberry and exemplified the future of Coca’s design
strength.
Images:Alexander McQueen, Mulberry, Burberry, Christopher Kane AW16