Fashion Week Snippets

The usual chaos reigned at Somerset House registration where I was told, for the second Fashion Week this year, that I was registered six times!  And yet I still never receive my pass in the post .... hey ho.  The Betty Jackson show  was delightfully commercial and wearable with greiges and lime greens and one tropical print; contrary to general opinion I found the Burberry Prorsum collection far too "Flash Trash" with short short skirts and studded jackets although one tailored trench definitely made the grade and quilted leather trenches will no doubt abound next Spring.  Erdem hit the spot with ladylike lace in prim shapes and shades from white through to brights alongside beautiful floral prints.Fashion's darling, Christopher Kane, missed the mark (for me) with Princess Margaret Argyle check sweaters over sherbert lace print dresses although a dragon kimono print dress stood out.  Newcomer Holly Fulton produced a collection of toned down very wearable graphic prints whilst House of Holland failed to shine with rather dull shirt dresses and purple/green palm prints.
The zeitgeist seems to be with menswear with Men's Day at LFW a sell out success.  James Long's painterly Pollock like prints and layering were not only visually stunning but totally wearable whilst Carolyn Massey's pared down styling (very Japanese) and attention to detail ensure her popularity will grow alongside her reputation for producing winning collections.  In the 'sheds' outside Christopher Raeburn showed his parachute silk poncho's in new combinations and colours and produced a women's trench almost identical to that shown on the catwalk (later!) by Christopher Bailey!  Matthew Miller is an exciting new name to watch for whose collection combined clever tailoring with inset stripes whilst Katie Earie menswear continues to excite.  Watch out women - the boys are definitely making inroads when it comes to design, innovation and style. 

A quick peak at the catwalk shows in Milan show Prada taking Breton to the Brink with massive horizontal stripes in shades from grey to pink worn stripe on stripe or contrsted with bold cut out prints.  Her deceptively simple looking clothing featured clever cuts with grown on sleeves not quite, but almost, raglan giving a contemporary edge to a '50's favourite.