LONDON — The season may have been short of new trends, but designers showing their fall collections here won praise from buyers for their creative energy and approach to commerce.
Lots of color and cozy tactile fabrics, such as velvet, faux fur and shearling; statement jackets; sturdy, protective outerwear, and metallic shine were among the big themes that emerged.
Deconstruction and asymmetry were also on designers’ minds, while the highlights of the week included Erdem, J.W. Anderson, Simone Rocha, Mary Katrantzou, Peter Pilotto, Christopher Kane and Anya Hindmarch.
“London looked very strong,” said Ken Downing, fashion director and senior vice president at Neiman Marcus. “It looked strongest when designers were true to themselves and continued with an exuberant, eclectic spirit that I look for in London and that I think brings a real joy to the coming season.
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“We’re in an era of emotion,” he added. “I think that eclectic spirit that we always find in collections here brings a very emotional reaction to what the customer is looking for. London designers always deliver on that promise of the unexpected. And I think the unexpected has become the norm for how the customer is shopping.”
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He nodded to Simone Rocha’s femininity and romance with an elegant edge, and said he loved Peter Pilotto’s global view, Aztec embroidery and hand-painted velvet. Sophia Webster, he said, had a girly fun spirit, while Hindmarch’s Scandinavian sojourn, Erdem’s velvet coats and cotton dresses and J.W. Anderson were among his other standouts.
Roopal Patel, senior vice president, fashion at Saks Fifth Avenue, touted the British capital’s artistic spirit. “London continues to have a creative energy and spirit that has become the central foundation to what London fashion is known for,” said Patel. “We were happy with the amount of emerging talent that is being developed and nurtured for the international market. We need designers to tap into their creative space now more than ever. You could feel that creative energy during London Fashion Week.”
She talked about Erdem’s “very elegant and luxe” collection, Preen’s play on color and mixed prints and patterns and Mary Katrantzou’s embellished and embroidered gowns. Patel also called Simone Rocha “beautiful with all of the layers and floral embroidery.”
Young labels that caught Patel’s eye include Michael Halpern, AV Robertson, Alice Archer, Teija and Louis Leeman’s debut collection of women’s shoes.
Lisa Aiken, retail fashion director at Net-a-porter, believes London will always be a hotbed of creative talent. “The designers we once considered emerging are now more established and really honing their aesthetic with great success. We can talk about commerciality versus creativity, however the likes of J.W. Anderson, Roksanda, Simone Rocha and Preen have reached a point where they are able to deliver both without compromise.”
She said that London Fashion Week is a substantial part of Net’s budget and the site consistently sees growth for the designers who show here. In terms of brand performance, the designers’ commercial pieces and runway looks are performing equally well, season-on-season, so much so that in recent years Net has collaborated with Roksanda, Preen and Christopher Kane on exclusive capsules, she said.
Chloe King, fashion content and social media manager of Bergdorf Goodman, praised British designers for their emphasis on heritage. “In a time of uncertainty both here and across the Atlantic, many London designers drew inspiration from English heritage,” said King. “There were riffs on plaid, quilting details, Elizabethan sleeves and Peter Pilotto had his girls styled with wellies.”
King noted that Erdem cited his own great-grandmothers, one Turkish, one English, for his fall inspiration. By contrast, other designers conjured a fantasy world: Christopher Kane’s strongest pieces had a futuristic feel, while Hindmarch sent her chalet girls up and down a space age mountain that resembled a pile-up of sharp-edged prisms.
Katrantzou’s standout looks were velvet suits and beaded fringe dresses with motifs from Disney’s “Fantasia.”
“The strongest moments were when these two concepts — heritage and the extraordinary — played together,” King added. “Like the parade of couture capelets and Elizabethan collars that delighted at the Burberry finale. Simone Rocha, one of the most beautiful shows of the week, cast women of all ages. Dressed in tailored velvet, wool and floral with military undertones, women were strong yet feminine.”
Helen David, chief merchant at Harrods, lauded Pilotto’s clashing colors, Katrantzou’s coats with their bright fur collars, the furs and all the “Fantasia” motifs. She named Roksanda and Erdem among the other standout designers this season, and said she sees them all as “big growth brands” for the store.
Harrods took on new brands including Palmer Harding and Mother of Pearl, and David said that the retailer has been doing a “big business” with Natasha Zinko’s “mini-me” children’s range. She also said she enjoyed Zinko’s fall ready-to-wear show.
“That presentation gets an A-plus plus star,” said David. “It was like a disco — colorful, fun and quirky with lots of loud music. Natasha was an early adopter of street style, and she’s one to watch.”
Anita Barr, fashion buying director at Harvey Nichols said there was a great energy at the shows this season. “Brands were celebrating positivity, with upbeat soundtracks and playful collections,” said Barr. “London was buzzing. A key moment for British fashion was the touching tributes to Richard Nicoll, which was really quite moving. Roksanda and Mary Katrantzou’s live orchestras set a beautiful tone for the shows and offered a moment of reflection.”
She said the retailer has supported British designers and that their shoppers react well to the collections. “We have seen an uplift in sales and demand for our British brands, particularly over the last two seasons,” said Barr.
Laura Larbalestier, buying director at Brownsfashion.com, said her big London takeaway was a re-emergence of glamour. “We’ve seen a real return,” said Larbalestier. “Having seen such a focus on daywear these past few seasons, it’s exciting to see this new mood shine so bright at brands such as Michael Halpern, which was simply fabulous.
“One of the things people look for in London is rising talent,” she added. “It’s always nice to see emerging designers evolve and grow each season.” Halpern, who also designs for Atelier Versace in Milan, showed his first rtw collection with a presentation in London.
Coco Chan, head of women’s wear at Stylebop.com, described the overall mood as “softly” armored. “Designers were keenly aware of these uncertain times,” said Chan. “And their reaction was to retreat into sensitive, poetic clothes that felt protective and reassuring in enveloping proportions and floor-trailing lengths. The magic was in how these were enhanced and transformed by rich, vintage-y fabrics like jacquards, tapestries, velvets and heirloom florals to project something quite beautiful, if almost fragile and slightly undone. It offered an elegant study in contradictions and also a smart reflection of our current moment.”