A closer look at London Fashion Week

Issa
Click on the Lucire TV icon to watch Issa’s show on video.

A rich display of graphic prints, including peacock and chained feather designs, breathed life into Issa’s autumn–winter 2011–12 collection. Swirls of forest green, russet and teal complemented belted pussy-bow blouse silk mini dresses. A knee-length flared overcoat in bright red is young and fresh, while the high-wasted pleated pants add a touch of 1970s sophistication. While there is some reference to the knotted silk jersey dress Kate Middleton wore to the announcement of her engagement to HRH Prince William, the silk jersey dresses one in russet and the other in blueberry are more contemporary with the careful placement of pin-tucks around the waist and shoulder lines. Long suede gloves, felt beret fascinators and excessively large fur hats provided by milliner Stephen Jones round off the overall look.

Mulberry
The scene was set with plenty of green foliage and giant mushrooms sprouting from the side of the catwalk, and it seemed as though the models had escaped into an enchanted part of the English countryside for a stroll. A blend of earthy shades, with bright sparks of teal, lavender and sapphire pink in cozy winter fabrics are embellished with multiple, multi-sized patch pockets, large brass buttons and buckles and belted-up waists. Models swamped down in maxi dresses and skirts, matched with thick, long woolly scarves still looked graceful. The oversized coats with an array of different textures ranging from fur, to the wool with leather waist pockets and cuff-bands, work well. As do the delicately pleated silk dresses matched with chunky knit cardigans.

There is a rich variety of leather satchel bags, such as embossed alligator, plain patent, studded or quilted, ranging from mini to medium-sized, as well as leather belts and ankle or knee-length boots in a range of colours to match the collection. The metallic bronze, leather ankle boots along with the little matching dog coats are gorgeous must-haves.

Vivienne Westwood

Vivienne Westwood
Vivienne Westwood really went to town with her collection. At first glance resembling a quirky mix of the British Monarchy, meets the circus, meets The Pirates of the Caribbean. No wonder when you later find that her true inspiration was from the warped novel of Alice in Wonderland. With tartan, loud stripes and wild animal prints dominating the scene, as well as each model’s styling and make-up different from the rest, you can’t deny it’s typical Westwood eccentricity. Each model came out in an explosion of textures, colours and shapes. For example, an oversized toppling Queen of Hearts-style crown, psychedelic feather cape, woolly knit gloves and a shimmering pencil-line silk skirt all feature in the same outfit. The collection showed a wide range of wear, from a couple of shimmering gold and bronze figure hugging evening dresses with stunning décolletage detailing, to a series of everyday basics including, asymmetrical wool knit ponchos, cardigans and long-sleeved dresses. A ruffled bib shirt with a fully done up Peter Pan collar teamed with suspenders and a glittery miniskirt is the epitome of sweet and sassy, while high-wasted skirts in discreet earthy hues tone down this greedy feast of pattern and colour.

Nicole Farhi
With a restrained block-colour palette of black, grey, white and a splash of ruby red, subtle graphic prints and only a hint of pin-stripe, it's hard to dismiss the contrast between the easy femininity of drapery against the harder masculine cuts. Exquisite zip detailing lends subtle edginess to a white, mid-calf length dress with capped sleeves. While soft white cable-knit accents add a sense of comfort against a hard back drop of black, wool knit cardigans and jumpers. Accessories are non-existent with models’ hair tied back into slick ponytails, red lipstick and wearing black tights and black lace-up ankle boots.