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It’s all over for another season. I am, of course, talking about London Fashion Week. The general talk of London 2012 is the Olympics, so it seemed reasonable to expect a lot of lycra on the catwalk, but did it come? No (pweh!).
Instead summer 2012 is all about lady-like styles, and flattering, sexy fashion. Vintage trends aren’t going anywhere, from 50s seaside trends at Daks to wifely dresses and 70s styles at Jonathon Saunders. Vivienne Westwood showed her signature draped, figure cinching styles oozing sex appeal and Jaeger London showed well-cut tailoring, and classic blouses.
A girl’s girl myself, favourites had to be Erdem, Mulberry, Amanda Wakeley and Emilia Wickstead. New Zealand born Emilia Wickstead treated the audience to an ice-cream coloured show of baby dolls, playsuits and silky shirt dresses. She has mastered quintessential English sex appeal in a sweet-and-innocent kind of way. Cute prints of Parisian landscapes on darling silk dresses added a bit more fashion to the collection.
Mulberry too, were loving the ice-cream shades, with a bit of khaki thrown in. Their striped Neapolitan maxi dress is sure to be a model dress-down favourite next summer. Mulberry showed a stunning collection of chiffon skirts, rain macs and buttery leather shorts.
From one English rose to another and on to Erdem who showed his signature florals but with more grown-up allure. This collection could not be more beautiful. Starting with cornflowers and blue hydrangeas, moving onto red poppies, shapes were fluid and the attention to detail second to none. Laser cut lace and pleated skirts made for fashion at its most pretty, a real treat.
At Amanda Wakeley, the designer moved slightly away from her signature elegant aesthetic to incorporate a look which was still womanly but had sporty undertones. Colours were darker, in navy and petrol blue, yellow and red. Durable zips slinked down the back of mini dresses and prints were bold and graphic creating a collection which was all-in-all, very wearable.
One tip - If you want to know which styles are here to stay for next season they are - seventies, military and lace, so invest in these for A/W if you want longevity.
