With London, the second major fashion week, now done and dusted, it means we are halfway through the epic four-city fashion marathon that dominates the industry.
London Fashion Week is known for delivering high-octane creativity, and this season was no exception.
The Gareth Pugh show was held at the BFI IMAX cinema in Waterloo and included an art house film by photographer Nick Knight. Models were encased in sculptural, solid structures, which totally imprisoned the body, and took the forms of gilded bodices, voluminous capes and hoods, and fiery silks.
Erdem delivered a collection that, once again, felt like a walk in a country garden. Taking as its starting point Queen Elizabeth II, and all the regal pageantry that surrounds her, it gave us endless flowers on beds of green and blue, or floating on shimmery silver with feathers, finished with coronation-era bows on shoulders and long embellished gloves. In typical Erdem style, however, this was no dogged facsimile, (the square necklines and pop socks with pointed pumps made sure of that), but rather a spirited new age celebrating confidence and a love of dressing up.
Read more: Luxury label Erdem to design clothes for H&M
Versus Versace, the Italian label's younger, hipper sibling, gave us a wardrobe fit for an urban cowboy, complete with fringed cowboy boots and shirts. Checks played a huge role on hats, bikinis, tops and trousers, as well as what is shaping up to be a huge trend: the transparent raincoat.
There was plenty of dark denim, too (and, randomly, punk style mesh), all softened with pistachio green suits and shirts, and preppy skater skirts covered in horse bridles. Bags were also a big thing for Versus, in the form of cross-body pouches and oversized totes. Fresh and street-ready, this collection is set to be super-popular next spring.
Tommy Hilfiger brought his Instagram-ready see-now-buy-now collection to London this season, fully embracing the rock 'n' roll pedigree of the city. Housed at The Roundhouse in Camden (a concert venue where The Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin and Jimi Hendrix have all played), the show opened with Gigi Hadid wearing sawn-off denim shorts, a floor-length coat, and a padlock and chain as jewellery.
Setting the tone for a collection riffing on trademark Hilfiger stripes infused with rock star attitude, T shirts were emblazoned with Gigi’s name as a band, hooded sweatshirts were stretched into dresses, while roadie check shirts were worn over leather shorts. Trousers were rolled down over hips - exposing endless midriffs - and almost every look had a backstage pass slung carelessly around necks. Upbeat and bouncing with energy, this collection was all about letting the good times roll.
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Read more:
5 key moments from London Fashion Week
London Fashion Week: Burberry sees in technicolor
Amid political uncertainty, New York Fashion Week was a celebration of diversity
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