Retro glamour, flowing florals
Kane mixes it up, Erdem sparkles at London Fashion Week
London Fashion Week roared into its fourth day on Monday with Christopher Kane showing his signature sexy style, Erdem emphasising retro glamour and Emilia Wickstead giving modern women outfits meant for dancing, nightlife and fun.
In previous days, the spring-summer 2018 womenswear shows in the British capital saw the return of Giorgio Armani, Burberry reviving and emphasising its traditional plaid and Versace pushing the edge of its rock chick look.
Christopher Kane mixed it all up, showing a wide array of outfits, with some emphasising florals to others that were sheer, lacy and revealing.
He described the show as built on “ideas of the prime and the perverse” — referencing 1940s housecoats, using lingerie as outerwear and creating a new silhouette that blended the 1940s with the 1970s.
The outfits used strong colours — reds, pinks and yellows, among other hues — and showed off whimsical touches, including ones that seemed to be held together by metallic clothes pins.
The celebrity filled audience loved it. “I loved it being so English, being about washing machines and clothes pegs and everything like that,” top hatmaker Stephen Jones said. “British. Domestic.’’
Actress Salma Hayek called Kane’s new collection sexy and appreciated the “slip dresses that were so feminine”.
“It was great,” she said. “It was glittery romantic, but at the same time it had drama and sophistication and not too sweet, sweet, sweet. You know, it has a little bit of a punch. And sexy, sexy.”
Canada-born designer Erdem Moralioglu has turned the Old Selfridges Hotel into a glamorous speakeasy for his London Fashion Week show.
With song classics Stormy Monday and My Funny Valentine playing in the background, the Erdem fashion house displayed glamorous, full-length evening gowns with long jewelled gloves and sparkly accessories.
Many outfits had floral themes and remarkable detailing, adding to the show’s exuberance and opulence. Some even had feathers carefully attached. The palette embraced bold greens, pale pinks and yellow, strongly using colours throughout. There was no hiding behind solid black for Erdem.
While many designers are showing more and more skin, Erdem opted for a subtle celebration of feminine beauty. There were some sheer and lacy outfits, but most were more modest, with either high necklines or sweetheart ones.
The effect was entrancing. Nostalgia was in the air, the programme featured a photograph of Queen Elizabeth II meeting Duke Ellington in 1958, and the dramatic presentation artfully evoked the Big Band era.
Emilia Wickstead’s show was high on romance and freedom, a celebration of femininity and possibility.
It opened with beautiful black-andwhite ensembles with white tops that were almost completely sheer. Later outfits included elegantly draped, almost classical gowns that evoked ancient Greece.
Wickstead set off her signature ultrahigh waisted trousers with a white quilted mini-dress, a floral playsuit and oversized white hats. Several looks were asymmetrical and the entire show had a dreamy, fantasy feel.
“It was all about the bows and the ties and just kind of a happy, elated feeling,” Wickstead said backstage after the show. “I like to keep things very pretty. That’s what I love to do. The trousers were quintessential high-waisted, they were loose. It felt you could dance, you could play, you could have a great time. That’s my modern woman.”
It was glittery romantic, but at the same time it had drama and sophistication