Here is your guide to what's going to be HOT for Summer...
THE DECADES:
There were two main historical influences at odds on the catwalk, namely the 1950s and the 1970s. Both eras were heavily referenced for the sophisticated A/W looks around at the moment, and this continues though the S/S collections, all be it with a younger, fresher vibe. The question is whether come spring you'll opt for prom princess and go for the ladylike silhouette seen at Jasper Conran and Caroline Charles or be a disco diva a la House of Holland and Topshop Unique?
THE COLOURS:
There was a surprising amount of black around for saying that these were collections for the season of folly and fancy. Designers including John Rocha, Mark Fast, David Koma and Richard Nicoll all featured a lot of black and white pieces.
Neutral tones also stay firmly on the radar for S/S. Amanda Wakeley showed a beautifully wearable collection in nude and earthy tones. However, there was the usual array of Summer brights in other quarters. Who could fail to notice Christopher Kane's collection of acid brights? The designer's sister Tammy hit the nail on the head when she described it as 'Princess Margaret on acid'. Shockingly bright pink, green and yellow were used against a ladylike silhouette . It is this bright canary yellow that has been seen absolutely everywhere over the course of the week. Although, I have to say that I prefer how Maria Grachvogel combined it with neutrals - making the colour stand out without appearing garish.
Another popular colour choice was a delicious shade of mint green. Olivia Palermo was responsible for what had to be the worst quote of the week - when she told next.com that it was 'so refreshing' to see mint green without the slightest hint of irony in her voice.
THE PRINTS:
I'm a girl who loves prints. I say why by something plain when you can get something beautifully patterned? Animal prints ruled the day on the Burberry Prorsum catwalk, but it was the tribal prints seen at Holly Fulton that caught my interest. These bold, graphic prints are bound to be a huge hit for S/S.
THE STRUCTURE:
There have been a lot of very structured shoulder lines around - perfectly exemplified by the dresses shown by Hannah Marshall and Mary Katrantzou. Once again, the boys will be locking their wardrobes as the borrowed from my boyfriend look continues to thrive - as seen in Paul Smith's collection of oversized shirts, chinos and ties.
THE FABRICS:
Sheer silk chiffon was a very popular choice - especially when used to contrast against a more weighty fabric. I loved how Hannah Marshall layered an opaque mini dress underneath a sheer maxi so that the models legs were clearly visible.
Leather played a big part in Burberry's extreme biker look - whether in traditional black, or metallic silver.
A few months back fringing was named as one of the top ten trends men hate - but they had better get used to it. Mark Fast, Henry Holland and Betty Jackson all used fringing to great effect in their collections.
FASHION FOOTNOTE:
Over the past couple of years London Fashion Week has made more headlines for the tantrums, scandals and debates over the health and size of models than the actual talent on display. So this year I was waiting to see what would kick-off this time around. I am pleased to report that fashion was quite rightly the order of the day. However, if there was anything negative to grab headlines it would be the inappropriate footwear on display - from the parade of platform clad models at Alexander McQueen's memorial (where Daphne Guinness stumbled), to the model falling on the Burberry catwalk. Then there was the publication of Northumbria University's findings that men don't even notice what shoes adorn the fairer sex. It was no wonder then that for many shows the models stepped out in flats. This gave the collections a young, playful look - plus it was a welcome change to see smiles rather than grimaces of heel-induced pain.
