London designers never fail to deliver what the city is known for in the fashion industry - the weird and wonderful. Distinguishable trends that were picked out amongst the myriad of designers include distressed knits, cosy fur and classic lace. Commonalities with New York in terms of trends include oceanic blues, shocking reds, artistic patterns and knee-high boots. Besides J.W. Anderson, Mary Katrantzou, Christopher Kane and House of Holland, who have always kept to their acquired taste, designers such as Preen by Thornton Bregazzi and the iconic Burberry Prorsum displayed their ability to produce artistic ready-to-wear garments.
Justin and Thea from Preen have once again proven their ability to fuse the sophisticated without hindering on the punk heritage of London. The colour palette of black, red and white have always been signature to the label, and combining these with geometric patterns and futurist fabric choice is applaudable. As a sci-fi geek, what won me over was of course, the Star Wars motif. You can't go wrong with a Darth Vader mask smack bang in the centre of your outfit.
Mary Katrantzou has been recognized as a woman who starts trends - especially with her famous kaleidoscopic creations. Over the years, her aesthetic has altered, but remains true to the puzzling pizzazz to the eye which she pulls off. This season, she has mixed Art Nouveau patchwork and modern British signage into dresses, sweaters and evening wear. Despite this bold move, its much more subtle than her previous collections, but the occasional odd toilet signage creeps its way into the garments, which is camouflaged well by the expert technique shown by the designer.
Christopher Kane is a favourite amongst the artistic fashion enthusiasts. For this collection, Mr. Kane has somewhat reduced the abundance of the ornamental and focused on materials. The most interesting details of his latest collection is the pvc leather detailing which is consistent throughout, even spreading to shoes and bags, fabric layering and the laser cut sleeve details that resemble the presence of ruffles, throughout the evening wear. In contrast to this, fluid lace has replaced the daring prints Christopher is known for, but is nonetheless executed well. An abrupt change of aesthetic for Christopher Kane, but a welcomed one.
Burberry Prorsum was highly anticipated, and the hype was certainly to no disappointment. The flurry of notable socialites attended the show didn't overshadow the outstanding artwear on offer. With the overly exposed Cara Delevingne leading the runway, timeless dresses, scarves, shoes and bags were emblazoned with painted floral prints. Comfortable custom designed capes were what captured the audience's attention during the finale, accompanied by Paloma Faith's powerful singing, proving that Burberry is still a fashion force to be reckoned with.
View the collections at www.fashionising.com
Images courtesy of Jamie Stoker, Dazed and Confused, Lea Colombo, Burberry, Fashionising