SPRING in their STEP

From Beckham to Burberry and all the news from next year’s spring/summer collections, Katie Wright gives us the lowdown on London Fashion Week

THE catwalks have been dismantled and the giant blow-up Burberry bear that’s been seated at Marble Arch is deflated. The world’s most in-demand models, make-up artists, editors and buyers are all packed up, which means London Fashion Week is officially done and dusted for another season. And what a season it’s been. We’ve seen much-anticipated debuts, the return of established names and the revamp of one very famous brand, all in the space of five action-packed days. So what does all this tell us about what’s in the store for spring/summer 2019? Here’s all the news you might have missed from the biggest shows at the British-style extravaganza...

1. ALEXA CHUNG

STYLE icon turned designer Chung has long been a regular on the fashion week front row, but this season she was behind the scenes, holding the first ever show for her eponymous clothing brand.

The 34-year-old was on a flight of fancy for spring, calling the collection ‘Arrivals and Departures’, which meant a holiday wardrobe of floaty midi dresses, safari style tailoring and travel-friendly jumpsuits, all in a muted 1970s’ colour palette.

While other designers try to - and need to - grab headlines with zany clothing and make-up, Chung kept it simple and played to her major strength: Knowing exactly what women want to wear.

2. VICTORIA BECKHAM

CELEBRATING 10 years of her own eponymous brand, Victoria Beckham showed in London for the first time after a decade on the New York schedule, but insisted the collection wasn’t a retrospective. Of course, there were the signatures Beckham has become known for - breezy silk midi dresses, sharp tailored jackets and bodycon knitwear for instance - while there was also a freshness in the use of colour and the sexiness of it all. Spaghetti strap and racer back slip dresses were as revealing as we’ve seen on the VB catwalk in some time, and flashes of scarlet packed a punch. It was the skinny ankle-split trousers, however, which Beckham herself wore, that we think will be the big hit of SS19.