The Irish designer's new look is elegant, polished and innovative, writes Deirdre McQuillanFashion Editor, in London
LONDON FASHION Week opened yesterday previewing spring/summer '09 collections amid continuing speculation that it may have to bow to pressure from New York to curtail the event to four rather than six days next season.
Powerful US global brands controlling hefty advertising and marketing budgets want to move New York Fashion Week forward because it comes so soon after the end of August and are putting pressure on London to change or compromise.
"If we are forced to [do this] we need to work harder to make London viable," Hilary Riva, chief executive of the British Fashion Council, told a reporter. "It could see two-tier schedules for on and off schedule designers," she said.
Plans for February's fashion week will be made after the Paris shows in October.
The city's much-vaunted reputation as the hothouse of emerging talent means that nine of the 52 catwalk shows taking place this week will be from sponsored New Generation and Fashion Forward young designers.
They will present their collections alongside established successful industry names such as Paul Smith, Betty Jackson and Jasper Conran along with revamped heritage brands such as Aquascutum and Jaeger.
London-based designer Paul Costelloe, who along with John Rocha is the only Irish name on the catwalk schedule, opened the week yesterday morning to the strains of the South African national anthem with a collection inspired by l9th-century British colonialism in Africa "invoking great conquests and colourful extravagance" according to his press release.
It contrasted linear tailoring with feminine puff-skirted dresses many with scoop- or bib-fronted necklines while military details like gold buttons, epaulettes and braid were never overplayed.
The look was elegant, polished and in many ways quite innovative, with some conquering numbers such as a gold-buttoned metallic black trench and a hooded grey and silver print dress. Shifts and tailored jackets in sunbleached linen, some discreetly edged with leopard print, showed his assured way with that fabric.
"The look is more aggressive than Out of Africa," he said.
A very different crowd, London's hip set, turned out in force for TopShop Unique where the fish 'n' chips and champagne reception beforehand set the mood of a sporty collection that mixed workmanlike but sexy denims suggestive of Norman Rockwell's iconic Rosie the Riveter with zany printed jackets, luxury zippered suede dresses and Pucci-style leggings. Floppy hair bows, blue sunglasses and high heels added a cheeky Lolita touch to a show that delivered a strong look.