Quantcast
London at its best – Metro US

London at its best

Famous faces, fabulous frocks and fête-happy fashionistas flooded London this past week in search of the swankiest shows. We honour five of London Fashion Week’s greatest hits.

Best take on sporty: Nicole Farhi

Spring’s biggest trend has looked a bit young and junior at some shows. But Farhi made it look clean, polished and cool for 9-to-5ers who can’t necessarily get away with wearing see-through mesh jerseys and patchwork leggings in the office. Her clean, crisp, minimalist shorts, blouses and dresses in white- and lemon-coloured cotton made a strong case for simplicity.

Best party atmosphere: Topshop Unique

Philip Green’s high street extravaganza feels like a hotter and hotter ticket with each season. A pre-show cocktail hour filled with snacks, bubbly and famous faces (Anna Wintour, Naomi Campbell and Kelis) set the stage for what ended up feeling like one big party. The clothes were a clever mix of urban street wear and opulent Egyptian references.

New name to know: J.W. Anderson

The Brit has only been designing women’s wear for a little over a year, but is already on the tongues of nearly every major editor. The biggest selling point: Unusually constructed clothing that boasts rarefied craftsmanship, at affordable prices. Keep an eye out for his patchworked leather, mesh and cotton jackets and trousers.

Biggest crowd pleaser: Christopher Kane

He showed a subversive take on those lady-like, A-line brocade dresses that dominated the ’60s by slicing them and inserting sheer panels, tricking them out with crystal embroidery and plastering them with plastic flowers (kind of like your grandmother’s old shower curtains.) They were expertly constructed and looked unlike anything else shown in the past two weeks.

Most surprising: Burberry

It was a bit of a shock to see models walk down Burberry Prorsum’s runway in wild wax prints and traditional African shapes. This is Burberry, after all, a brand that waves its old English heritage around like the friend you have who never misses a chance to remind you that she’s a descendant of [insert name of old, titled, moneyed family here.] That said, the new look breathed some life into the house’s repertoire.