London Fashion Week round up: from Soho style to fashion fit for a queen, this season’s catwalks were an homage to the homegrown

Catch up on the emerging trends from a season of shows in the capital
Hannah Rochell|Emma McCarthy19 September 2017

Check Republic

When you have an archive as iconic as Burberry, why seek inspiration from anywhere else? And so it transpired that for his latest collection, Christopher Bailey looked forward by looking back.

“The Burberry check is a big part of who we are and it’s fundamental to the iconography of the brand,” he said backstage. “I wanted to have pride in it.”

As a result, the Burberry check staged its biggest comeback since it reached its unfashionable peak around 2002.

It was splashed across classic trenchcoats, rain macs and giant shoppers in an east London showcase which brought grime artist Stormzy to the front row.

Burberry "September 2017" - celebrity guests

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But without doubt the most exciting revelation is that the infamous Burberry cap made a triumphant return to the catwalk. And with this being the brand’s see-now, buy-now September collection they’re already available in store. Accept no imitations.

Burberry "September 2017" at LFW

Wet wet wet

If there’s one thing Londoners do well it’s rainwear. And so, intent on ensuring next spring is no damp squib, designers offered a deluge of haute wet weather wear which sought to give your North Face windbreaker a run for its money.

Mary Katrantzou SS18 at LFW

At Mary Katrantzou, vinyl macs in punchy shades of daffodil, lime and tangerine were gathered at the waist and worn with scuba tops and pool-inflatable handbags.

Meanwhile at Anya Hindmarch, floral jacquard anoraks and transparent raincoats with 3D floral embellished collars was among the chicest dog-walking attire around.

Hankies at the ready

Welcome to the Noughties everyone, because the handkerchief hem is back. But fear not — Roland Mouret’s offering had a far more demure vibe than the turn-of-the-century crop tops we all remember, with longer length tunics and midi-dresses that won’t require a pair of ‘I Was Born To Make You Happy’ era Britney low slung jeans to set them off.

Roland Mouret SS18 at LFW

Crowning glory

Erdem Moralioglu isn’t just excited about the launch of his H&M collaboration this November — judging by yesterday’s collection, he’ll be tuning in to watch season two of The Crown. He used some of Her Majesty’s favourite pastel shades, as well as regal ribbons on the shoulders of dresses and Argyle cardigans.

Erdem SS18 at LFW

Giorgio Armani had a similar idea. “The Queen can wear whatever,” he said at a preview of his Emporio Armani show. “It’s her attitude that’s most important.”

Disco ball silver

“It’s about showing your personality in a fun and free way,” said Donatella Versace, ahead of her Versus show on Saturday. “You need to be yourself.” For the queen of Italian fashion, that meant rodeo cowgirls, a lot of skin and lashings of magpie sparkle.

Versus Versace SS18 at LFW
Catwalking.com

Glitter ball silver also featured in Topshop’s made-for-dancing line, while Anya Hindmarch went full D-I-S-C-O by suspending a mirror ball of ginormous proportions from the ceiling of a makeshift house for her show’s finale.

The cuff ‘n’ cascade

If you were preparing to pack away your statement cuffs in favour of a more streamlined, soup-friendly sleeve next season, think again.

Roksanda SS18 at LFW
Rex Features

Roksanda has decreed that hands shall remain unseen next spring as she unveiled a new take on the enduring trend. Featuring on appliquéd organza evening tops and bright silk tunic dresses worn over contrasting trousers, the style — which we’re dubbing the cuff ’n’ cascade — puffs out at the wrist before tumbling down into a fluid waterfall ruffle.

Je suis Anglaise

If anyone can take the twee connotations of the classic fabric broderie Anglaise and spin it into something altogether more contemporary, it’s Simone Rocha, whose collections — and venues — always have a distinct undercurrent of Goth.

Simone Rocha SS18 at LFW

Rocha’s fabric came with oversized floral holes and was fashioned into tulip-shaped skirts and heavily layered dresses with huge frills. Antonio Berardi also showcased next level broderie Anglaise; his spin was to make it into trouser suits.

Pirate radio

Trust Henry Holland to provide London Fashion Week with the LOLs. There were pirate hats, seaweed-sequin sandals and starfish-print suits in a show which put swashbuckling fun firmly on the agenda. But, this being House of Holland, the opportunity for a good party was not to be missed.

House of Holland SS18 at LFW

With the addition of wavy rainbow prints and oversized bum bags, the result was more Original Pirate Material than it was Long John Silver — and we definitely want to join his crew.

Curl up with a good book

A welcome thought for fashion editors who are only halfway through fashion month — it’s not over until October, with Milan and Paris still to come — is the idea of popping on some slippers and snuggling down on the sofa with a nice cuppa.

Ports 1961 SS18 at LFW

Ports 1961 delivered the dream, with checked silk pyjama sets and oversized dressing gowns, blue and white willow pattern-esque prints that would have looked at home on a china tea set, and hems that actually embodied the relaxation mood by curling up at the edges.

Slips and knits

Slip dresses were everywhere this LFW but how to wear them in London’s lessthantemperate climes, where spaghetti straps alone don’t really cut it? Meet Preen by Thornton Bregazzi’s knit-slip — a silky dress with a built-in jumper arrangement and added bling.

Christopher Kane SS18 at LFW
Catwalking.com

The design duo stepped away from the grungy, ugly-pretty direction they’ve followed in recent seasons, instead brazenly embracing the girliest of sugar pinks and lashings of lace.

West End girls

Citing the legendary venues Madam Jojo’s and Soho Revuebar as inspiration, and with a Pet Shop Boys soundtrack (music trend klaxon: Burberry also used the electronic tunes of Neil and Chris), Topshop had a Soho showgirl spirit.

Topshop "September 2017" at LFW

Magpies will be drawn to the “Iggy-skinny” silver trousers, and while a marabou mini might not make the ideal 18-hour dress, it’s the party-girl customer that the high street giant is more interested in. Accordingly, it has dropped the prices to boot.

Tea towel trousers

Sometimes the most ordinary of objects can inspire the most extraordinary things. For Jonathan Anderson, it was the tea towel. “I liked the idea of the normality of something that you touch on a daily basis,” said Anderson backstage, who also cited “the ease of the everyday” as a key motivation.

JW Anderson SS18 at LFW
Rex Features

The result was trousers trimmed with a JW Anderson branded strip made to resemble the classic linens from his Irish upbringing. Totally brilliant, and definitely not made for mopping up split milk.

Stay puft

A surprise hit at this week’s shows was the puffball skirt. Once the reserve of girls with corkscrew perms and a penchant for leg warmers, this voluminous eye-catcher — which first enjoyed success after Princess Diana wore one at the Cannes film festival in 1987 — was given a revamp at Mary Katrantzou, Erdem and Emilia Wickstead.

Emilia Wickstead SS18 at LFW

The latter designer, whose label is favoured the Duchess of Cambridge, created a demure floral dress that was definitely more charity fundraiser than school disco.

Domestic bliss

For his latest collection, Christopher Kane’s infatuation with the suburban housewife reached its peak. “I have always been obsessed by that pristine woman; so clean, so proper, yet having an emotional breakdown inside,” said Kane.

Christopher Kane SS18 at LFW
Catwalking.com

In fetishising household objects, the designer presented laundry bag lace gowns, loop mop knits and wash- cloth cocktail dresses in a palette of bleach bottle blue and marigold yellow. “Clean and kinky” was how he described it. We’d also like to add “ingenious”.

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