Best of London Fashion Week AW16 collections

Where New York fashion week focused on commercial, urban and street style elements of fashion, London brought a sense of direction and distinct flavour. Taking a cue from the men's catwalk shows in January, there was a 70s, 80s and utilitarian influence, but where the creativity truly shone, was in ITS tailoring, which could almost have been mistaken for couture.

Alexander McQueen

Sarah Burton may have been in the final stages of pregnancy, but she presented one of her most exquisite collections to date.She described her woman as “almost sleepwalking, in a state where reality and dreams become blurred”, culminating in the most ethereal of silhouettes. The spell was cast from the first handcrafted leather coat, embellished and hand-painted with surreal motifs such as pocket watches, lips, and butterflies, to ruffles cascading over and around décolletés and sylph-like sheer silk and knit dresses.

Mary Katrantzou

Mary Katrantzou referenced a child’s passion for dressing up when talking about her beautifully engineered collection. Inspiration from American 1950s styling appeared with cowboy shirt detailing appliquéd onto jackets, trousers and dresses, all crafted in menswear materials. Glamorous tulle gowns provided the princess aspect. What set this line-up apart from previous presentations was the totally wearable element throughout.

Simone Rocha

Simone Rocha’s enchanting collection was inspired by her recent motherhood. Cocooning shapes were seen in long, Linton tweed coats, with hems left somewhat metaphorically “falling apart at the seams”. Cloud-like chiffon dresses came embellished at the breast while tulle bows were tied around the necks of Victorian-inspired puritanical black dresses, looking both romantic and eerie. A heartfelt and darkly beautiful collection.

Preen

Justin Thornton and Thea Bregazzi presented a beautiful line-up full of innuendo and edgy juxtapositions. Charming, retrospective and glamorous, the designers said the idea of their muse was a “poetry groupie... she’s a bit like a rock-star groupie, but she is obsessed with poetry and Edith Sitwell is her heroine”. The characteristics of Sitwell’s times appeared in the painterly melancholy florals that pervaded this edgy, artistic collection.

Burberry

Christopher Bailey's collection for Burberry was aptly named Patchwork, referencing "patterns and textures from British artists, musicians and history", along with military details and a quintessential English eclecticism. Sending out a myriad of youthful looks, Bailey added quirky details to coats, while jackets appeared with python piping and sequinned dresses were resplendent in colourful patterns. Just the right amount of polish and glitter.

Christopher Kane

Perhaps it was the tragic loss of Christopher Kane’s mother that inspired the use of old-timey rain bonnets, but Kane went even further, explaining after the show that his woman was somebody living behind her own psychological barriers, with a Grey Gardens sensibility. Weaving his own intricate web throughout, Kane presented tailored suits trimmed with ostrich feathers, embellished sylphlike dresses and covetable oversized sweaters and scarves.

Mulberry

Johnny Coca, the new creative director for Mulberry, rose to the challenge of instilling a fresh perspective into the brand, serving up a collection that was absolutely up to the moment. Wool coats with military-inspired details were a juxtaposition to feminine dresses and graphically coloured structured pieces. A variety of bags from purses to holdalls underscored the heritage of Mulberry and exemplified the future of Coca’s design strength.

Images:Alexander McQueen, Mulberry, Burberry, Christopher Kane AW16