London Fashion Week, spring–summer 2012, day 1 photos and videos

Our day one coverage from London Fashion Week sees both photography by Douglas Rimington and video of the collections.
Paul Costelloe can always be relied upon at London Fashion Week to deliver a well made, well edited collection. For spring–summer 2012, Costelloe shoed baby-doll dresses, shirt dresses, and puff skirts and sleeves, while for men, loose shirts and lightweight suits, with a hint of the 1960s throughout.
Corrie Nielsen looked to the Far East for her inspiration, with kabuki suits, origami pleats, layering, ruching and pleating.
Caroline Charles’s spring–summer look is loose-ﬁtting, with dresses at knee-length, made more feminine on some outﬁts with the presence of bows, ties, sashes, sequins, beads and lace. She sent many of her models out with hats and dark sunglasses, lending the collection a sophisticated air.
Bora Aksu combined a 1900s look with bohemian chic, sending variations of panelled dresses and tops down the catwalk. The cut of the panels provided contrast, as did the aquamarine trim on numerous dresses. The ingenuity was in the designer’s detailing.
Jean Pierre Braganza showed dramatic prints, unexpected cut-outs and oversized tailoring, including the return of very angular shoulder pads on his jackets. Despite the play on sizes, Braganza’s larger-than-life designs worked on the models, in keeping with the looser silhouettes of spring.
Felder Felder had a youthful, feminine style to its spring–summer 2012 collection, with a clever use of cut and trim to distinguish its dresses. The collection also welcomed the return of the metallic mini-dress, miniskirt and leather jacket.
There were dashes of metallic fabrics at Basso & Brooke, too, but in a far more colourful fashion. Floral, and psychedelic prints, in dresses again cut loosely, characterized the duo’s spring collection. The looks were accessorized with oversized jewellery and large sunglasses.
The video camera also caught Maria Grachvogel, Sass & Bide, Orla Kiely, Ann-Soﬁe Back Atelje and PPQ, shown below, along with a day one highlight reel.

Paul Costelloe