Vivienne Westwood, Molly Goddard and Preen look to the past at London Fashion Week

The British capital had shows that delivered on its reputation for creativity

Vivienne Westwood updated her 1990s corset tops for spring/summer 2022. Photo: Vivienne Westwood

Even Westwood's famous 'Pirate' boot from 1981 was revisited for spring/summer 2022. Photo: Vivienne Westwood

Vivienne Westwood revisited her famous 1981 'Pirate' collection for spring/summer 2022. Photo: Vivienne Westwood

Westwood's huge archive was revisited for spring/summer 2022. Photo: Vivienne Westwood

Showing where many of today's trend started, Vivienne Westwood updated her 1981 'Pirate' collection for spring/summer 2022. Photo: Vivienne Westwood

Preen by Thornton Bregazzi looked to recycling for spring/summer 2022. Photo: Preen by Thornton Bregazzi

A jacket from recycled fabric at Preen by Thornton Bregazzi. Photo: Preen by Thornton Bregazzi

Preen by Thornton Bregazzi reworked a 1980s theme for spring/summer 2022. Photo: Preen by Thornton Bregazzi

Turning to local British makers, Matty Bovan's spring/summer 2022 collection is about the handmade. Photo: Matty Bovan

Matty Bovan reworked vintage wallpaper patterns for his spring/summer 2022 collection. Photo: Matty Bovan

Bovan reworked vintage wallpaper patterns for his spring/summer 2022 collection. Photo: Matty Bovan

Crochet squares are transformed into a dramatic dress by Matty Bovan. Photo: Matty Bovan

The 1970s featured heavily in the spring/summer 2022 collection by Temperley London. Photo: Temperley London.

Temperley London looked back to the 1930s and 1970s for its spring/summer 2022 collection. Photo: Temperley London

The spring/summer 2022 collection by Temperley London was inspired by Agatha Christie. Photo: Temperley London.

There were many pretty flourishes at the Molly Goddard show. Photo: Molly Goddard

For spring/summer 2022 Molly Goddard's signature smocking was given a lighter touch. Photo: Molly Goddard

For spring/summer 2022 Molly Goddard's collection brimmed with colour. Photo: Molly Goddard

London Fashion Week is well under way, and is proving to be as dynamic as ever, despite the absence of big labels such as Burberry and Victoria Beckham. At the weekend, some highly creative shows were staged in a mix of in-person, as well as digital, presentations.

Click through the photo gallery above to see some looks from London Fashion Week.

Perhaps as a result of the pandemic or Brexit, many British designers looked to the past for inspiration, with the 1930s, '70s and '80s all making a return.

Here are some of the highlights:

Vivienne Westwood

Now aged 80, Westwood, a pervasive influence on fashion both in the UK and around the world, has revisited many of her key moments for spring/summer 2022. In this latest outing, two archive collections are name checked, from 1981 and 1990 respectively.

The Pirate Collection from the early 1980s gave us the famous buckle-up Pirate boot, here reworked in a patterned covering. The oversize hats and loose cuts, too, all reappear, now remade for today.

Westwood's 1990 corset collection also made an appearance, with model Georgia May Jagger tight-laced into a series of boned corsets, pantaloons and high, high heels that echoed Westwood's one-time muse, the model Sara Stockbridge.

Preen by Thornton Bregazzi

In another case of nostalgia, this married design couple took inspiration from the 1980s, with plenty of power shoulders and drop-waist dresses to show for it.

A colour palette taken from the old television test card – those born after 1980 may have no idea what this even is – provided the framework for jumpers and jackets pieced from recycled knitwear. Cut and patched with abandon, no two items were the same.

Matty Bovan

This talented, if eccentric designer also looked to the 1970s for this collection, in particular the fabulous wallpapers of the era. With the brash patterning now reworked into fabrics, Bovan set about gathering it into great puffball skirts, or pulled tight as skinny fit tops.

Keen to produce the whole collection in the UK, Bovan sourced local knitters to create the crochet granny squares that made up circular capes and jellyfish-ish dresses.

Molly Goddard

Known for her fondness for smocking, Goddard delivered smocked looks for both men and women in an appealing show. Boys arrived with swing tops gathered across the chest, while the girls donned layered netting looks with puffs and ruffs of extra fabric. Given a new twist, however, the pieces are meant for everyday wear, and were shown layered over jeans and tracksuit pants.

Temperley of London

For her spring/summer 2022 show, designer Alice Temperley looked to the British whodunnit writer Agatha Christie. As one of Temperley's favourite eras, the cuts and styles of the 1930s were given an update, either as a vintage salmon silk dressing gown, conjured into an elegant evening dress, or Art Deco geometric patterns scattered across a beaded gown with matching cape. Into all this, Temperley also folded the Biba-esque freedom of the 1970s, now imagined as circular prairie dresses and tiered, flouncy dresses.

Read more

A hybrid London Fashion Week kicks off in style with runway shows