London Fashion Week spring/summer 2022 has concluded on a resoundingly strong note.
After five days of jolting colour, and some wonderfully eclectic silhouettes, the likes of Richard Quinn, Loewe's JW Anderson and newcomer Harris Reed were on hand to top it and shake things up in the best of ways.
Victoria Beckham
Known for her sleek but sophisticated eye, Beckham is still one to experiment with a dash of the unexpected. In a show that centred around relaxed tailoring and how masculine shapes looked on female forms, Beckham threw in some metallic skirts.
Worn with simple knitted collared tops and Birkenstock-style sandals, it was very city chic. Checked coats arrived with wrap-over knee-length skirts, while for dressier occasions there was a ribbed column dress, with a printed silk skirt and a fitted, halter neck jumpsuit with a cut front panel.
JW Anderson
For spring/summer, JW Anderson delivered his show as a series of photographs shot by long time collaborator, Juergen Teller. Set between a graveyard for tyres, the stripped back clothes feel clean and urgent. A leather bandeau dress still has the shape of the cow skin left as the hem, while a halter neck is added with strands of colourful cord, which are left hanging down to the knees.
More leather is cut into a very simple apron dress, in reality a tube of hide with straps, and a backless dress is made from layered pieces, giving a rough, unfinished feel. Another look is a pair of fabulous footless waders, held up by the same rough addition of colourful cords.
Richard Quinn
Opening your show with Kate Moss's daughter is one way to get the world's attention, but this outing was far more than just click bait. Famous for his use of dense floral patterns, instead Quinn's first five looks were in solid colours.
Soon the patterns were back, in quilted, spiral cut coats and jackets in granny pinks and lime greens. Then, in another switch of pace, the solid hues returned, as grand gowns split to reveal clashing coloured trousers underneath.
Richard Harris
Fresh from creating the Met Gala look for Iman, with help from Dolce & Gabbana, Harris gave his first fashion show, made almost entirely from second-hand wedding dresses found in charity shops.
Letting his imagination fly, Harris reworked the fabric into boat neck puff balls, trails of tightly corseted satin that started somewhere around the ribs and tuxedos remade with kick flares and panels of lace veils. A remarkable talent, and only 25 years old, Harris is a force of nature and a name to follow closely.
