Modern Spirit: The Arrival of London Fashion Week

Artistic designs paired with tailoring heritage brought British fashion to its highest point this week. London Fashion Week is a proven incubator for innovative and young designers. The historical celebration of London’s 25^th year of Fashion Week put public focus on both growing brands and classic houses.

Young designers like Mary Katarantzou, Danielle Scutt, Louise Goldin, and Daniela Helayel, of Issa, showed their confident collections this week.

  Katarantzou took her previous prints, inspired by perfume bottles, to a new swirly level on her silk dresses. The designer moved into the third dimension with the addition of striped fans blooming across models’ upper bodies. New silhouettes like one shoulder and floor length gowns proved Katarantzou has more on her mind than wild prints.

Louise Goldin showed a sea-shell hued collection of layered skirts and rompers. Goldin employed heavy and sheer fabrics to convey her dissected lingerie. Fanned tiers lapped asymmetrically across the body.

Daniela Helayl of Issa picked up where now established designer Matthew Williamson left off with tropical prints in lush colors. Sequined toucans and Pucci-esque prints swayed with full-bodied gusto (helped by show-opener Naomi Campbell).

Above: Looks from Goldin’s Spring Collection, Style.com

Classic fashion houses including Luella, Pringle of Scotland, and Aquascutum showed designs that were both smart and creative.

Luella Bartley explored a more formal aesthetic than her previous cheeky looks. Models wore pastels (a burgeoning spring trend) in solid colors with conservative pointed toe pumps. Voluminous strawberry jackets and rose prints brought a vintage sensibility to the collection. Signature Luella style was found in the floral dresses, bright eye makeup, and the primary colored bows secured on each model’s crown.

Claire Waight Keller for Pringle of Scotland married the fun with the clean in her heavy open-stitched dresses, pin striped textiles, and collared khaki innovation. Keller’s collection was shown in the safe color scheme of grey, white, yellow, and black. She contrasted classic looks with rebellious details like contrast-color netted dresses and winged rainwear.

Michael Herz gave his Aquascutum presentation in the brand’s flagship store. The last minute collection (due to ownership struggles) delighted audiences with blurry prints, ruffle details, and head to toe khaki get ups referencing Aquascutum’s trench coat heritage.

Looks from Aquascutum’s Presentation, Style.com

This season’s shows prove that London will continue to provide the fashion world with young creative talents and houses that combine their historic roots with a fresh perspective.