With the courtyard of Somerset House still awash with camel hues, the skies still clear and the spirits still high, swarms of international fashionistas regroup for the start of the weekend shows. Having opted for presentation in recent seasons, the Miller sisters return to the catwalk for Spring Summer 2011. Charmingly, the notorious on-again, off-again, on-again beau of Ms Miller sat up front with the gal’s best gay pal, Matthew Williamson. The collection itself was fun, bright and wearable. The Miller sisters know their customer and oh boy, have they again delivered for Spring.
Weekend shows present the perfect opportunity for the front row to bring their flawlessly attired offspring. This forces the question; “are they struggling to find childcare on a date they’ve had in their Smythson diaries since February or is it simply a chance to flaunt their fertility?” Dressed as fashionably as their mothers and as perfectly formed as the models strutting before them, these little darlings attract as much of the attention as the clothes-horses themselves. Sarcasm aside, they do further add to the laid-back coolness of London Fashion Week, as compared to its fierce European sisters, and that is definitely something to celebrate.
Next up, the fashion coaches (yes, wonderfully, some of the world’s best shod are piled into coaches) pull up outside the old Eurostar terminal at Waterloo station for the Unique show. The Topshop Venue is seasonally a Mecca for the hot young things and more crucially a chance to re-fuel. Pre-show we indulged in whole sides of salmon, cucumber salads and a particularly tasty butternut squash soup with the likes of Olivia Palermo, Pixie Geldof and a pregnant Lily Allen to feast our eyes on.
Sunday saw in Margaret Howell (this fashionista’s favourite show each and every season), Mulberry, Julian MacDonald, Vivienne Westwood and Matthew Williamson. The latter was the most memorable: Williamson hosted his S/S2011 collection at a very hip and very dusty showspace at the Battersea Power Station. Sienna Miller, fresh from her previous day’s success, set the front row aglow with her scarlet red lips and celebrity friends.
Monday will undoubtedly go down as the hot ticket for London this season. Erdem was the loveliest collection of S/S2011 to date. “It was all about the Ballets Russes” mused Erdem Moralioglu after his show. Floral dresses, pretty doll-like shapes and delicate lace overlays made up the bulk of his collection with a spectacular floor-length, slit to the thigh, summery gown performing the final bow.
A mere two hours later, Christopher Kane perfectly juxtaposed Erdem’s romanticism with a fluro attack on traditional tailoring. His collection of boxy jackets and neat just-below-the-knee skirts were inspired by, as his sister so aptly summed up, a sense of “Princess Margaret on acid”. Kane is worshipped by it-girls and fashion editors alike for making something very ladylike very contemporary. This collection is sure to adorn the prestigious pages of every credible international glossy and I, for one, certainly can’t wait to strut some of the highlighter hued skirt suits around my fashion cupboard.
After witnessing the legendary Veruschka close Giles Deacon’s return-to-London show, the fashion pack herded in their hoards to Browns Focus on South Molten Street to sip on margaritas and munch on nachos, before bopping the small hours away at the exclusive Morton’s private members club on Berkeley Square, to celebrate none other than this year’s star, Erdem himself.
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