Trends London Fashion

Harriet Quick, Sarah Harris and Emma Elwick tell you the latest from the third day of catwalks at London Fashion Week, Sunday 20th September. All photographs by Chris Moore.

Peter Jensen S/S 06


Entitled "Sissy", Peter Jensen"s show was centred around pretty, preppy looks. Navy shorts were sensibly high waisted (so too were light blue jeans) and shown with neat white frilly-bibbed t-shirts tucked in. There were blousey tops with corsage-decorated necklines and others appliqued with a cartoon childlike scene depicting a house, tree and fluffy white clouds. Jensen"s summer dresses were particularly good - there was one Peruvian Aztec print and a pillar box red pinafore, otherwise they came in simple breezy shapes with spaghetti straps or neatly tailored more structured styles, with wider straps and softly formed tulip skirts. SH
Paul Smith S/S 06


Sir Paul Smith made a tribute to the England cricket team -Freddie Flinthoff and buddies - in his thoroughly English summer fest. Or perhaps we should say to what Freddie and crew would like their gilrfriends and fans too look like. He did loosely tailored shorts - still a keeper trend for summer - with fresh cotton shirts and slung with oversize cricket v necks and tanks. Lines were kept clean and wholesome with many reworkings of classic mens attire which of course is Smith"s speciality for women. Trousers came with a new neat peg line, in colours like salmon and duck egg blue. By contrast, there were some super pretty dresses inspired by vintage lingerie in silk, lace and simple sheer voile - slips, camis and french knicker shorts in scarlet emerald and peach wrapped in - you guessed it - a cricket cardigan. HQ

Emma Cook S/S 06





There is new feel for fine leisurewear for the new season, replacing the Sienna Miller boho mood that swamped this season. Emma Cook hit on that leisure note with her easy jersey pieces and sporty sexy shorts. She opened with a pair - long velour shorts triimed in print with her signature appliqe tops in fine cotton. She followed through with pretty bell shaped skirts in a graphic print jersey and sexy bustier dresses in denim, hugging tight over stripy t"s. Cook"s denim was great and had more than a touch of Jodie Foster in Pretty Baby about it - like her cute high waister shorts in dark indigo. Her signature pretty dresses work day and night: one of the standouts was a kingfisher blue silk wrap dress with appiqued top featuring butterflies. HQ



Ashish S/S 06


Baby oiled up and to a theme tune of "Lets Get Physical" it was hard to tell whether Ashish"s girls had come straight from the gym or straight off the dance floor. Indeed, the clothes that followed were suitable for both occasions. It was Eighties sport glamour, and some. Tapered tracksuit bottoms came with zipped seams that revealed sequin panels and were teamed with sequinned neon pink and black striped rugby shirts. Blouson bomber jackets were also sequin embellished and featured chunky hardware "biker" zips and epaulettes. Meanwhile his Miami Vice suiting - with sleeves pushed up and collars firmly popped came in a soft, brushed cotton in faded turquoise and white geometric print and yes, more sequins. SH



Aquascutum S/S 06


Anyone who finds themselves shipwrecked with one wish next summer should wish for Aquascutum"s Graeme Fidler and Michael Herz to fashion them up something suitable. Following from their successful debut earlier this year in February, Fidler and Herz based their collection on a washed-up-on-the-shore aesthetic. Ultra soft cotton trenches in pink coral and stonewashed blue were made to look like they had been crafted from a boat"s sail and left to fade in the sun (or rather enzyme washed to love-worn effect). There were also breezy romantic muslin while blouses, porcelain print and gold brocade neatly tailored sundresses with bikini style tops and English countryside floral printed shorts, (apparently to remind our island-stricken muse of home). Details were charming - one shirt came with two whistles dangling from the collar (from a discarded life jacket of course). There were also shell-strung necklaces and barrel shaped wicker bags. SH



Eley Kishimoto S/S 06


Ever wondered what a cosmic girl might wear when she lands on earth? Take a peek inside Eley Kishimoto"s summer "06 wardrobe. Their show, "Cosmic dolls on earth," was bursting with kaleidoscopic colour. Flirty chiffon halter neck dresses came printed in cartoon style love hearts, red lips, stars, rainbows, clouds and butterflies, If not fluid, silhouettes were Sixties inspired with structured mod shifts, hotpants and secretary style cheeky skirt suits in primrose, red and paint box orange broderie anglaise. Trenches came in mesmerizing black and white diagonal stripes. Patent belts and platforms, jaunty berets and white framed sunglasses proved the ideal accessories for these acid chicks. SH



Sinha-Stanic S/S 06


With airy white shirts with smocked back, reed thin papery pants and chalky strap sandals, Sinha-Stanic delivered their peaceful otherworldly aesthetic. Jersey dresses were elegantly wrapped into empire shapes in latte tulle and sepia-tinged floral prints. Fifties inspired voluminous circle skirts and structured bra tops were kept modern in a charcoal linen, with metal shantung style taffeta. Artfully simplistic, full trenches were nipped in and belted, enveloping the body, and spaghetti-strap summer dresses breezed summer cool. The look was feminine, but kept clean with simple colours - white, black, dove grey and flashes of pastel lemon and tomato red. Young designers in London are famed for their brand of irreverent style, whereas Fiona Sinha and Alexander Stanic are whispering their grown-up minimalist message- with equal potency. EE









Jonathan Saunders S/S 06


Jonathan Saunders brought his explosion of colour to the cavernous white-washed location of Brick Lane"s Truman Brewery. Hungry fashion students and devoted Saunders-bedecked fans bustled to see the latest from the prints charming. Saunders did not disappoint with his individualistic fluid femininity. Mini dresses with a subtle sixties feel either dazzled with rectangular sequin fringing and Swarovski crystals, or fluttered with layered chiffon squares. Wispy chiffon prints were laser-cut and sewn on to sophisticated shifts and bandeaus for a fresh take on the LBD, and red-carpet worthy silk chiffon gowns were basket woven in a Hockney-style palette of pink, aqua, teal and elephant. Saunders proved that there is more to his work than innovative graphics, with bold block colour pieces, testcode stripes and contrasting "ladder" trim slinky silk knitwear. EE



Michiko Koshino S/S 06


Over at Michiko Koshino, it was prairie-girl meets Twenties flapper. There were diaphanous chiffon 3/4 length dresses featuring delicate cobwebbed crochet tops and gathered, bustling petticoat-skirts that flicked with every step as models marched their way down Koshino"s runway. The tea-stained and blush variety were prettiest, progressing to acid yellow and tangerine orange. Other gowns were crafted from a slither of chiffon and came decorated in ostrich feathers or long silky tassels. Koshino championed a confident, wide silhouette that translated into generously cut trousers and drawstring hemmed blouses that boasted voluminous, billowing balloon sleeves. Topping it all off were crochet skull caps, worn over neat precision cut Twenties bobs. SH



Ann-Sofie Back S/S 06


Ann-Sofie Back took a step back in time to circa 1985. To the sounds of George Michael and Rod Stewart"s "Do ya think I"m sexy?" models with slicked back plaited ponytails and red lips stepped out in mini black t shirt dresses, cycling shorts and off the shoulder white denim jackets with flared hems. She quickly progressed to the early Nineties which brought on a series of beige minimalist suiting, cupped ribbed jersey bodysuits (they also came in silver velour) and classic white shirts. Other hits included black skirted raincoats and maxi tube skirts featuring double-breasted buttons. SH

© London Fashion WeekPublisher: london fashion week
The British Fashion Council owns and organises London Fashion Week and the British Fashion Awards. It also seeks to help British designers to develop their businesses and has published Designer Fact File, a guide to setting up a designer fashion business and the Designer Manufacturing Handbook.
Web: www.londonfashionweek.co.uk
Published: september 18 2005
Market: mens womens
Region: england
Industry: apparel accessories