London Fashion Week: best presentations

The most significant presentations of British designers in our review.

Tom Ford

Tom Ford has no competitors as regards the open demonstration of female sexuality – savored by men’s magazines and underwear brands like Chantal Thomass or Agent Provocateur. Tom Ford collection for Spring-Summer 2016 ideologically overlaps with what has recently been making Hedi Slimane for Saint Laurent with a note that Ford’s models from the podium are not alluring students from the 60’s, but adult mature women who are so comfortable in their body, that they are ready to openly show it – through  mini-skirt with high slits, transparent tops under jackets and dresses with an open top and “precious” pads on the nipples. It is the latter idea in the spirit of the Parisian cabaret Le Crazy Horse that garnered the most attention, and Ford has been called the ‘supporter’ by followers of movements #FreeTheNipple.

Tom Ford, Spring-Summer 2016

Burberry Prorsum

Just before starting preparing this Burberry Prorsum collection, Christopher Bailey has received a significant advancement, taking the position of not only the creative, but also the executive director of the company Burberry. Isn’t this the very moment to realize that you have complete trust and begin to implement your wildest ideas? Bailey allowed himself to abandon all clichés: instead of trench coats on the catwalk – short denim and colored suede jackets, instead of casual dresses – marshmallow evening organza dresses, and instead of heeled shoes – sneakers and sports sandals in a rainbow of colors. Every year the collection of Burberry Prorsum is becoming more youth, bold and mischievous, focusing on street fashion and anticipating it.

Burberry Prorsum, Spring-Summer 2016

Matthew Williamson

Matthew Williamson is the Gauguin from the world of fashion. You never get bored from tropical prints and bright juicy colors in his interpretation as of the contemplation of exotic nature. In this collection, Williamson said “freshness straight from the heart”, but the beautiful expression remained unclear in practice. The color scheme covers again all possible colors from the wild nature, “beach” culottes-pants and sundresses are replaced by casual suits, and completes the whole parti-coloured series, reminiscent of a textbook on botany, the “Flowers” chapter, a series of evening dresses for the red carpet.

Matthew Williamson, SpringSummer2015

Paul Smith

Stripes and uniforms based on the classic suit – these are the season trends, if to judge by the last New York Fashion Week and the key elements of almost every Paul Smith collection. Stripes were always used by Paul Smith but this collection came out surprisingly romantic. The designer finds this explanation: “I wanted to avoid the effect of the squirrel in the wheel and generate new ideas.” Of the “new” in Smith collection could be seen – the most delicate powdery shades jackets, peplum from feathers , transparent chiffon tops (note it was in stripes as well!) and satin bomber jackets.

Paul Smith, Spring-Summer 2016

Mary Katrantzou

In this collection, Mary Katranzou did not use her famous prints but still managed to surprise her fans with her ability to discover her talents even in minimalism. This collection embodies the designers vision of our planet 200 million years ago, when a single continent was bathed by a single ocean. The colors – muted and quiet – do not offend the eye and look natural, while the cut of some items reminds the clash of circuit boards on maps, but the most majestic and difficult of all is the texture of the fabric – Katranzou recreates the flowing sand, the bubbling lava and sea coral reefs right on dresses, while on shirts she puts applications in the spirit of Bosch.

Mary Katrantzou, Spring-Summer 2016

David Koma

The distinguishing feature of David Koma handwriting design is asymmetry in all. Each outfit is characterized not by the cut, but by colors – skirts have ruffles on the bias, dresses are “wrapping” like a wrapper of corrugated paper. Koma carefully uses color in architectural way – black or white shades act as main colors, while yellow, blue and cyan are disclosed in their background.

David Koma, Spring-Summer 2016

Mulberry

For the presentation of his new collection for Spring-Summer 2016, Mulberry choose to create a Lookbook and not a full presentation and this was a successful decision. The main theme of the collection became the allegory of the English garden but that does not mean that every second look was based on the floral theme. The Mulberry distinguishing feature is his ability to make poetic-romantic even the military and sport style. Tunica dresses, parka jackets in coffee shades and mesh leather tops have no limits of age, hence Mulberry can be sure they will conquer all at once.

Mulberry, Spring-Summer 2016

Topshop Unique

The present Topshop Unique collection is full of energy so as the music rhythm, accompanying the walk of models on the catwalk, seems to be heard through photography. All this remind of old summer camp (only the point on the map the designers have designated more or less accurately. Unlike the American Hamptons, the seaside entertainment devoid of glamor – half of the girls went to holiday right out of the gym or the tennis court, the other – from a party in London’s Mayfair, but they both want the same thing – to not show off but to have fun in mini dresses with straps in color block colors, micro skirts-shorts, sweatshirts and colored leather jackets with stripes in the style of Twiggy.

Topshop Unique, Spring-Summer 2016