London Fashion Week

Read on for your guide to who’s hot and who’s not for Autumn-Winter 2011.

After a whirlwind week in New York City, Fashion Week finally arrived in London. For designers, this was the moment where six months of hard work was put to the test as the industry’s foremost fashion figures flocked to the capital in order to view and review their Autumn Winter 2011 collections.

Five days and countless shows, presentations and parties later, London Fashion Week has drawn to a close. Show reports are going out thick and fast and the editors are already preordering their favourite pieces for the coming season.

Read on for your guide to who’s hot and who’s not for AW 2011.





Matthew Williamson

A British legend, and one of my personal favourite brands, showed on the third day of London Fashion Week. The collection showcased exquisite detailing with beading, sequins, marabou-featured hems and many a couture technique. Matthew’s Autumn/Winter theme revolved around a palette of bold colours in hot pinks, oranges, reds and some vibrant patterns. He played with different textures from Mongolian wool, rabbit fur to slouchy silk trousers, giving the fashion savvy woman a collection to lust after.



Jonathan Saunders

Johnathan Saunders delivered an ultra elegant, ladylike silhouette, which was given a modern twist with the use of bold flash of colour and vibrant prints. The collection was more mature than previous collections with its retro feel, pencil skirts and belted blazers.

The colours were experimental with genius combinations of burgundy, navy, emerald green, nudes, pinks, peach, cobalt blue and scarlet, with a display of strong prints from graphic weaves to baroque to tropical birds. Overall, it was a beautiful and wearable collection which highlighted simple cuts, luxurious fabrics, interesting but not outlandish colour combinations.



Mulberry

This season, the prestigious presentation was inspired by traditional English countryside past times. Sports such as hunting and fishing seemed to play a key role. The colour palette of the collection displayed a lot of staples such as khakis and grey’s with a lot of utility detailing such as big pockets, shooting jackets and duffel coats. There was also elegant and sophisticated evening-wear in the form of pleated silk chiffon maxis cinched at the waist and demure longer hemlines covered with boxy jackets. The collection was all about understated luxury with an injection of autumn in plums and olive tones mixed together with emerald and fuscia.



Burberry

Under the expert direction of Christopher Bailey, Burberry has gone from antiquated British fashion house to beloved brand of the fashion A list. Burberry Prorsum is always one of the most in-demand shows of London Fashion Week and this season, famous faces travelled from far and wide to take up their places on the front row. Bailey wowed his star-studded audience with  covetable coats and deliciously girly dresses in eye-catching shades of red, orange, olive and blue.



Julien Macdonald

Once again Julien Macdonald delivered a spectacular collection to fit another magnificent venue. Full length and fabulous was the theme of the show. Glamorous, gothic inspired pieces were showcased in different textures with fabrics combined with black lace and killer heels. Extravagant embellishment played a central theme at the show in sparkle, beading, sequin and lace on silk cocktail dresses. There were a plenty of red carpet-worthy gowns in full length. Chiffon numbers with long trails and form-fitting, perfect for attention grabbing.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 28^th, 2011.