GREAT EXPECTATIONS

How considerate of the Duchess of Cambridge to announce her pregnancy a fortnight ahead of fashion week, giving designers enough time to whip up some bump-friendly options. Here’s hoping Kate has a clutch of evening dos in the diary so that she can add Emilia Wickstead’s divine billowing yolk-yellow gown, Molly Goddard’s rose tulle and silver sequined baby doll creation or Mary Katrantzou’s hibiscus-print, bubbleskirted dress to her wardrobe.

But perhaps these elegantly expansive silhouettes were already on their agenda? The V&A’S latest fashion exhibition, Balenciaga: Shaping Fashion, showcases the master couturier’s voluminous signatures and will undoubtedly have been the number one extracurricular activity for fashion types this summer. Bethan Holt