London Fashion Week AW13 Round-Up

London Fashion Week article by Emily Wassell.

Note: The author's views are entirely his or her own and may not reflect the views of RetoxMagazine.com

London Fashion Week Autumn/Winter 2013 Round-Up

So after another season's catwalks, it's time for the traditional run-down of new trends and things to expect in the shops over the next few months. The autumn/winter style is full of small but subtle updates to previous seasons, and you can start looking for the perfect pieces now with the help of our handy list.

Pattern

Pattern is always a hit in London, but this season was a bonanza of patterns and prints. At the small and simple end of the scale were the polka dots at Erdem, and the small white love hearts at Burberry Prorsum. In the geometric camp, neat, black and gold zigzags featured at Richard Nicoll, while wide zigzags and stripes came to the fore at Matthew Williamson.

Tartan was also a big feature this season, clashing in red and pink at Clements Ribeiro. At Mulberry it ranged from simple black and grey lines to thick, tweedy jackets and coats with textured tartan stripes. At Ashish, the tartan was large-scale, with white and red or yellow lines dividing up black dresses. Meanwhile, black tartan hatchings, zigzags and wide stripes with clean lines took over at Temperley London.

As for more out-there patterns, they are never hard to come across in London. Busy psychedelic patterns ruled the catwalk at Peter Pilotto, mostly in monochrome with brighter base tones. Large-print kaleidoscope patterns in oranges, greens and bright blues featured at House of Holland, while boxy repetitive prints including cubes, gemstones and lipstick tubes modernised a red and black 80s vibe at Holly Fulton.

Finally, crazy, funky pop art patterns in a bright mix of colours jazzed up dresses and skirts at PPQ, while over at Moschino Cheap and Chic black graffiti in huge letters was scrawled over white and pink dresses, jackets and jumpers. The look is bold, but then that’s what London is all about.

Florals

Yes, perhaps floral is a pattern, but this is a new look, and was so ubiquitous that it deserves its own category. In the small and delicate camp was Mulberry, with intricate white flowers and vines winding over simple black coats and trousers. Erdem went with simple flowers in purple and yellow over a black base or small patches of flowers that didn’t overwhelm the clothes.

At the other end of the scale were the oversized florals, including Matthew Williamson’s huge red, pink and blue roses printed over floaty skirts and shirts, and gold-edged roses and other giant blooms in pinks and blues at Tom Ford. Christopher Kane appliquéd red and blue three-dimensional flowers onto jumpers and skirts, while oversized flowers were grouped into pairs or threes and spaced out across all the clothes at Clements Ribeiro. Finally, Topshop Unique included pieces with black floral outlines on thick cream fabrics, somewhat reminiscent of the Bayeux Tapestry. Florals are going to be this season’s big news.

Feminine

The feminine look has been around for a few seasons now, and continues to be a fail-safe for the foreseeable future. If in doubt, remember to nip in the waist. At Jonathon Saunders, the dresses were figure hugging or with an A-line skirt, in baby pink or heavy lace, and taken in at the waist by little built-in corsets. At L’Wren Scott, the body conscious dress was here to stay, with a modest hemline finishing just above the knee. Finally, peplum tops, pencil skirts in florals or lace and full-skirted 50s style dresses brought the feminine look bang up-to-date. It should also be noted that these looks work well with this season’s craze for low-heeled shoes.

Rounded Shoulders

This trend is a backlash against the structured shoulders of the last few seasons, and results in a dropped-shoulder silhouette. At Emilio de la Morena, the soft shoulders were exaggerated by wide-cut coats and sleeve detailing. At Peter Pilotto and Antonio Berardi, the shoulders sloped out to make the widest point around the upper arm, before tapering back in towards the cuffs, giving a cocoon structure to jackets and coats. For high-street inspiration, try Topshop Unique, which featured plenty of rounded shoulders, including an oversized dusty pink coat with soft tailoring. The trend works best with soft fabrics like wool or satin, to stop it looking too rigid.

Metallic Embellishment

Embellishment has gone metallic this season, so why buy jewellery to go with an outfit when it comes built-in? Gold ruled at Giles, including some Grecian Goddess dresses made entirely of gold leaves, which while not practical for the commute would make great statement party outfits. There was also plenty of long gold fringing running from the waist to the ground, swishing around model’s legs.

Metallic touches brought Burberry Prorsum’s trench coats up to date, with metal belts and pocket edging, and one camel-coloured coat with gold metal appliquéd leopard print spots. Expect everyone to be wearing a metal waist belt this time next year, so we’re giving you a heads up so you can get in there first!

Autumn Colours

By this, we mean anything warm and autumnal. Tiny blobs of rich reds, oranges and gold melted together on satin dresses and skirts and Michael van der Ham, but in general the darker tones owned the day. At Mulberry the colour was a crossover between burgundy and brown that glowed in satin fabrics, while a burgundy and mahogany mix had a plush feel at Marios Schwab. The fabrics were satin and velvet, down to the boots, and the colour was generally worn alone or with smart monochrome touches. Another style tip from Marios: crimp your hair and then tie it up; the two trends fitted together perfectly.

Oriental Influences

This trend has been creeping in for a few seasons now, but the thing to look for is elegant prints on rich, satin fabrics. At Clements Ribeiro, oriental birds and flowers in gold, pale greens and oranges were printed onto black shirts and dresses, while Tom Ford decorated blue and purple silk coats with oriental storks and flowers. The patterns were delicate but ornate.

For something a little more out-there, look no further than print-queen Mary Katrantzou, who printed silk fabrics with cityscape and country scenes which had a distinct, and quite eerie, oriental feel. Wintry black tree branches were printed over moonlit lakes and skies, and fabric was draped, cut, and tucked like kimonos. The collection was like moving Japanese artwork.

Androgyny

Another trend that just keeps coming back for more; the difference this time is in the feminine alterations. At Richard Nicoll, the grey mannish suits and oversized blazers were offset with pencil skirts cut with a flare swishing around the knee. Meanwhile, wide-legged trousers were updated by sleeveless tunic coats over thick jumpers at Emilio de la Morena. Slim-cut tailored trousers offered a masculine option at Antonio Berardi, but the country estate look is still going strong with thick, tweed jackets and simple grey dresses.

For a feminine-masculine mix, Paul Smith is the place to go. Silk tailoring in a range of bold colours was a feast for androgynous lovers. The trousers were tapered in at the ankle, and had a high-waistline with wide pockets. The shirts were all done-up and in floaty, more feminine fabrics. While the look is inherently office-friendly, masculine tailoring is becoming an evening option amongst those in the know. We’re just saying...

Monochrome

This was most pronounced at Nicole Farhi, where thick tweed textures in black and white gave a rough, mannish silhouette, but the look was also given a tailoring makeover with more elegant, tuxedo-style pieces.

However, the simple monochrome look was most strongly updated with small flashes of a single bold colour mixed in. At Preen, modern black and white pieces were offset with blood-red trims, collars and shoes, and one floor-length black skirt had red silk billowing out of the slit up the front. Meanwhile, at Sass & Bide masculine monochrome tailoring was complemented by sunshine yellow touches. If you don’t want to buy new, copy the designers and bring in a bold coloured envelope clutch or court shoes.

Blue Tones

The most ubiquitous microtrend out there was blue, which has been absent for a while and therefore, as always happens in fashion, is experiencing a revival. At Vivienne Westwood, touches of sky-blue on tights and shoes brightened up the deep autumn tones in the collection, while royal blue coats and skirts complemented the wintry black at Temperley London. Meanwhile, the Paul Smith collection was a masterclass in colour blocking, with royal blue and aquamarine pieces, often in silk, contrasted with reds, pinks oranges and purples. If you’d rather do only blue, he showed a silk minidress in a range of blue and black swirly stripes. Note: navy is now dead. Sorry about that.