London (AFP) - British fashion heavyweight Burberry Prorsum summoned a
biker spirit as it presented the Spring/Summer 2016 collection at London
Fashion Week.Models wearing leather jackets over fine lace dresses paraded in front
of a star-studded audience, in a marriage of the delicate and the
powerful.Burberry's chief creative officer Christopher Bailey had treated fans to
a sneak preview of the collection on "Snapchat" on Sunday, ahead of the
show at Kensington Gardens, close to the iconic Royal Albert Hall.
Among the hundreds of guests in
the church-like glass venue were actress Sienna Miller, supermodels Kate
Moss and Cara Delevingne and Vogue chief Anna Wintour.
Soul
singer Alison Moyet -- accompanied by a symphony orchestra -- kicked
off the ambitious and eclectic show with four songs live from the
catwalk.
The lambskin biker
jackets -- made at a British factory famed for creating army uniforms
since the 18th century -- featured ornate goldwork cording and metal
detailing and were "influenced by twentieth century motoring styles",
according to the company.
They covered dresses made of
lace, one of Bailey's favoured fabrics that he used extensively during
the most recent men's collection in June.
The
designer returned to another classic with a slim fit adaptation of the
Burberry trench coat, whose combination mesh and macrame lace hinted at
Bailey's penchant for juggling fabrics.
"It's not so much about the trend, it's more about an emotion and an attitude," he explained to the press.
- A ticket for the ballet -
Nautical
influences were explored through double-faced cashmere pea coats with
crested buttons and rounded shoulders and the Royal Navy-inspired wooden
toggles on the collection's silk satin duffel coats.
Moving to the accessories, the
design house presented flexible nylon backpacks with leather fastenings
carried by models wearing semi-transparent lace dresses and light coats.
Earlier
in the day, Serbian designer Roksanda Ilincic helped transform
Marylebone's Seymour Leisure Centre into a dream world of geometric
shapes.
Her show was marked
by long, fluid dresses that glided down to the ankles in soft, almost
pastel tones of blue, white and purple.
The
soft-cut designs, which included jumpsuits and a transparent coat with
black bands, were conceived with comfort in mind, giving both freedom of
movement and of expression.
"I
started with references from the modern ballet, from contemporary
ballet, but also ballets from 1930s, 40s, 50s, 60s... all the way
through to our time," the designer told AFP.
"I was particularly influenced
by female dancers and artists who had such beautiful strong bodies, who
moved in a very liquid way," she added.
Her
show also attracted the rich and famous, with Samantha Cameron, wife of
Prime Minister David Cameron and a fashion-week regular, securing a
front-row seat.
- Autumnal drama -
There
were surprises in store on Monday evening in an arresting show by
British designer Giles, held in a sumptuous reception in the Banqueting
House, part of the Palace of Whitehall with ceilings painted by Peter
Paul Rubens.
A star-studded
cast included Eva Herzigova, Poppy Delevingne and Georgia May Jagger,
daughter of Mick Jagger and Jerry Hall, who accompanied the model
backstage at the show.
The
designer invited guests to discover a world of magic in his show, which
featured dramatic dark evening gowns and rich patterns of plant and
animal motifs.
The show was based on an autumnal palette of silver, grey and earthy colours, with occasional details in teal and red.
In
contrast, the collection unveiled by brand Joseph was minimalist and
uncluttered, with long and flowing dresses in white, yellow and black
that wrapped around the body.
Based
this year in the edgy central London neighbourhood of Soho, London
Fashion Week will showcase the work of more than 150 designers and host
dozens of fashion shows and presentations throughout the city before it
ends on Tuesday.
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