From Vivienne Westwood's protest march to Burberry's sensorial show, here are the 5 shows to note from London Fashion Week.
(Archived backstage photo of a Mary Katrantzou runway show)
When it comes to fashion, London has always been the new kid in the block, as compared to its New York, Milan and Paris equivalents.
A decade ago, London Fashion Week (LFW) was one that most would skip to make an early touchdown for Milan but now, London is one of the most anticipated fashion weeks and for very good reasons.
From the eccentric to the heritage, London designers and brands continuously push the boundaries with their unique point of view and here are 5 shows from #LFW you need to watch out for.
Burberry wowed the crowd yet again
From the 32-piece orchestra to its trans-seasonal collection, Burberry definitely lived up to its own hype this year. Delivering an idyllic, sensorial fusion of heritage classics and directional whimsical pieces, the collection saw splashes of black, cream, navy and golden tones on weather-proof silk, double-faced cashmere and printed tulle.
Above all, it was the custom initial-embroidered nylon backpack on the lap of Cara Delevingne that made us go weak at the knees. Let's hope it will be debutting in stores soon!
Anya Hindmarch's psychedelic runway
It's always fun and games with Anya Hindmarch when it comes to fashion week. From the traffic-stopping collection last season, the London designer has gone for a more psychedelic approach this year with geometry and mirrors.
From diamond shapes to sleek, straight lines, the models walked on a mirrored runway to highlight the beauty of geometry. Of course, no Anya Hindmarch show would be completed without its magical logomania aesthetics, which included subtle branding of UK's most-loved stores like WH Smith, John Lewis and Boots.
Vivienne Westwood staged protest on runway
Vivienne Westwood transformed her catwalk into a protest march, leading a procession of demonstrators holding placards before she led them onto the catwalk. The rebel-hearted designer sent a series of conservatively pretty dresses down the runway, featuring floral motifs and sweetheart necklines.
There were also heart cutaway details on shirts and William Morris-style motifs on high-waisted trousers made to channel Vivienne Westwood's romantic and eccentric spirit.
Pringle of Scotland celebrates 200th birthday
Along with its ethereal Scottish holiday-inspired runway collection, which saw a series of loosely woven slip dresses and separates, Pringle of Scotland also hosted a special pop-up store at Selfridges to celebrate its 200th birthday.
Titled "Pringle Deconstructed", the pop-up allows patrons to customise their own Pringle of Scotland knitwear with inspirational colours and personalised initials on Scottish cashmere. Colourful and vibrant, these knits make the perfect complement over some of the intarsia knit dresses spotted on the runway.
Mary Katrantzou flies to the future
For Spring 2016, Mary Katrantzou showed a cosmic collection of glittery, folkloric mini dresses cut from delicate, sylphlike fabrics. Delicate perspex heels interjected the collection with a wistful, futuristic vibe.
The gypsy-like dresses on show at Mary Katrantzou were offset by woollen disco tights pulled low over strappy sandals, making a stunning intergalactic collection - definitely one to look out for in the coming spring.
(Source: AFP Relaxnews; Photos: All respective brands)
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