Catwalk fashion
By Laura Emerald. Photography Anthea Simms
Juxtaposed to much of winter’s hard edged fashion (punks, eighties power dressing and architectural tailoring) emerged a softer side to the season. Easy luxe pieces in the shape of oversize knits, slouchy trousers, the must-have new camel coat and the return of velvet as a catwalk trend for autumn/winter 09.
Sculptural Knits (Vivienne Westwood Red Label)
Vivienne Westwood’s red label in London was all about Slouch Living – in sexy yet comfortable clothes. But never one to shy away from drama Dame Vivienne’s knits are meant to be shown off– not kept for a weekend at home. Cue asymmetric angles on wrap around cardigans, angular necklines and graphic prints.
Velvet made a catwalk comeback for autumn/winter 09. For the festive party season it will be key, never more so than in as a show stopping black number. Needing little else, Ellie Saab kept to clean lines and little adornment – the modern way to wear this rich texture.
Trousers continue to be a fashion must have, and for autumn/winter 09 summer’s essential peg leg and harem pant shapes evolved in to slouchy yet sophisticated strides. DKNY got the proportions of this look just right by teaming the new slouchy bottoms with a fitted jacket, balancing out the volume and creating a slim line silhouette.
The Camel Coat (Max Mara)
The camel coat was the winter coat at the international collections. Understated, luxurious and expensive looking, camel is the new black. It appeared in New York, London and Paris, but it’s most perfect catwalk incarnation was at Max Mara in Milan – the quintessential label for chic, understated luxe.
The Cape (DKNY)
DKNY showed capes to get carried away in. The perfect cover-up for any shape or size, in grey wool this was our favorite cape of the season. A cape is just that little bit darker, edgier than a coat – and this season it’s all about adding a little spike to your look and creating a leaner, meaner silhouette.
The Sharp Shoulder (Balmain)
This is the season of the shoulder - declared most fiercely at Balmain in Paris. Star trek meets Pierre Cardin sums up the look which saw angular shoulders jutting from the runway.
But it was sexy not scary the Balmain way, and your stores have this shape off pat. These bold shoulders are the frame from which the rest of your outfit will hang, elongating the body and slimming the hips, so try in the fitting room and see what you think.
Scaffold Tailoring (Givenchy)
Givenchy’s Creative Director Riccardo Tisci has a dark side. But he uses it to create strikingly beautiful clothes for women. His almost entirely black show (there was only navy, cream, black and white) was, said the designer back stage, ‘all about showing the different forms of woman’. His structured tailoring did this, and then some.
Techno Florals (Nicole Farhi)
Nicole Fahri enjoyed something of a renaissance at London Fashion Week in February. A new design team has injected a modern edge in to the British label. Standing out amongst the new looks were Farhi’s techno florals. Pixilated petal prints are the modern way to wear flowers now, and printed on metallic fabrics hers shone.
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