Holy moly, getting up for a 9.30am start on a Sunday feels unnatural, but luckily Betty Jackson made it worth it. Most of the onlookers looking forward to their Sunday roast may have had a rethink as Betty's collection is all about the midriff. Cropped tops are worn with snug pencil skirts and more voluminous ensembles are cinched to reveal a tiny waist, hidden under layers. It was grown-up girly; flower prints are painterly and not saccharine and a subtle snakeskin print replaced the more in-your-face offerings we saw at Eley Kishimoto (more of that later). Despite the intimidating thought of abs on show, the clothes all looked effortless; lots of tying and draping and even some artful fraying. For the third day in a row we saw summery hues for an a/w collection: icy blue and faded mustard replaced traditional autumnal tones. The smart girl touch was a handbag worn as a rucksack - Betty, mass-produce them quick, all this LFW travel with a heavy bag is leaving us lopsided!
Falguni and Shane Peacock were the first husband and wife duo of the day - showing for the second season as part of the On/Off schedule, after already establishing themselves in India. We didn't know quite what to expect but were immediately transported to Mumbai when the Slumdog Millionaire score filled the On/Off space at the Science Museum. In the place of traditional Indian sari colours, we saw deep jewel tones and pixellated prints. The Peacock’s forte is surface design, building up sleek dresses into an artist’s canvas. One number seemed to be constructed from shards of coloured glass, though this seems unlikely considering the health and safety issues, and feathers formed the shape of another. One print, the amber coloured swirls on a floor- skimming gown, was like haute couture molten lava.
And speaking of prints, and indeed husband and wife duos, Eley Kishimoto brought some serious sunshine to the BFC tents. Punters walked in to sounds of airport announcements rather than the usual dance anthem or ambient coffee shop tune. And the travel theme didn't stop there (we should have guessed from the boarding pass ticket) as the smooth voice of old blue eyes himself, Frank Sinatra, rang out with 'Come Fly With Me' and a series of 60s inspired ensembles appeared. The collection, entitled Jet Set Masala, gave a slight nod to The Avengers and Twiggy with monochrome checks and bold, block coloured ensembles paired with matching jaunty riding hats and tiny 'EK' emblems. You could imagine these ladies in the heyday of glamorous travel, serving you champers in first class. Please Eley Kishimoto, give British Airways staff a makeover. Goodness knows they need it. In the blink of an eye swinging 60s paisleys met exotic tiger prints in pink and turquoise and the sounds of Bollywood filled the space (hang on a minute...deja vu). The refined airhostesses had touched down in spicy India; a neat tea dress traded a round neck for an asymmetric sari collar and they were ready to explore.
For a hat trick of shows featuring glorious prints, we had the pleasure of seeing Louise Amstrup at the Fashion Scout. A graphic print of acid yellow smoke adorned her sleek collection of womenswear. Form fitting dresses were canvases for draped folds of liquid-like fabric and boy, the girl sure knows how to make a behind look good with her skinny tailored trousers. The prints didn’t quite steal the show; instead a dove grey sleeveless coat with Star Trek sleeves had that pleasure. Pens scribbled harder, shutters closed quicker and eyes grew wide; all signs of a showstopper.
From a relative newcomer to British fashion heavyweight, it was back to the BFC for Jaeger. As expected, it was a rather celeb-packed affair; names from Alexa Chung to Nicholas Hoult lined the front row. Flashbulbs blinded us, oversized handbags wielded by overzealous editors walloped us but we remained calm amongst the storm. The collection was the opposite of the atmosphere: refined and subdued. Yet more monochrome was handed to us, a stark contrast to the rainbow stylings of Eley Kishimoto, though there were a few geometric prints painted onto simple sheath dresses. Neat jackets and womanly skirt suits featured subtle tactile details like furry cuffs for comfort and sheepskin shrugs to snuggle in. The only bedazzling details were bejeweled necklines, adding some sparkle amongst the subtle tones.
There seems to be two approaches to design this week: blind the crowd with colour to erase any thoughts of the economy or offer appropriate fare, toned down and unostentatious to remind them of it. Either way, we get a variety of catwalk shows to keep our fashion week interesting.
Words: Selene Pearson
Photos: Kate Gillett
