‘Braver’ Costelloe hits the streets with ‘joyous colour and optimistic shapes’
LONDON Fashion Week is about pushing boundaries and creating newness and it’s been happening in abundance on the designer SS19 catwalks and with the kooky street fashion outside.
JW Anderson got crafty with bib fronts, crocheted shoulder shawls and swinging fringing. Victoria Beckham marked 10 years in business with a confident collection featuring narrow trousers split at the ankle, lace negligees worn as daywear, sliced knits and floor-sweeping microscopic florals.
Preen delivered a masterclass in rich surface detailing, from ruching and swags to knotting, splicing florals and decorating diaphanous lace.
Meanwhile, strong shoulders, feminine curves and futuristic tailoring are at the heart of Paul Costelloe’s ‘Joy’ collection, which he brought onto the streets of London yesterday with a point to prove.
“It is a joyous collection in an array of rainbow colours and optimistic silhouettes, powerful enough to stop the traffic in Piccadilly, Dublin or Manhattan,” said Paul, who was up at dawn this morning for a super early catwalk slot at LFW.
Acknowledging himself as “one of the longest-running statesman of the fashion week”, he said: “Tailoring, it’s my heritage and therefore I feel I have an advantage over some people who step into tailoring and out of it again. I’ve never done that but I have, in recent seasons, included statement tailored dresses. I’ve become a lot braver in the dresses I’m doing and I’ve enjoyed that challenge.”
Paul’s latest innovation lies beneath and he has created inner structures with crinoline, a centuries old fabric, using it for structure and volume in very modern shapes.
He used jacquards from Como and graphic print silks from Lyon to create modern florals with off-the-shoulder and scooped necklines.