Matthew Williamson made a triumphant return from New York to London Fashion Week yesterday with a spectacular show held in a marquee in Eaton Square that got off to a rocking start with a surprise live performance from Prince, complete with back-up dancers, singers and musicians.
London's shiny set turned out in force with guests including Trudie Styler, India Hicks and Zandra Rhodes.
The designer, who has shown in New York for the past five years, is to be subject of a solo exhibition next month marking his 10 years in fashion at London's Design Museum.
Thanks to cash injections from investment companies, his business is rapidly expanding and he is to open a second store in Manhattan next spring and launch his first full accessories business in February. Shops in Los Angeles and Paris are to follow.
Known as much for his love of glamour and colour as his high-profile celebrity friends, the designer presented a collection that remained true to his essentially summery sensibility with lots of beaded silk and georgette dresses with decorative native Indian-style sequined embroidery.
Navajo patterns glittered in banana-coloured bands across the muslin hems of tea dresses, ran in sunburst colours across tunics or were lavishly encrusted on little waistcoats.
It was certainly high-voltage stuff to go down well in Ibiza, but fresh and beautiful nonetheless, with some of the sparkle kept in check under sleeveless linen safari jackets.
"It's very contemporary with a hippy l970s vibe" was the opinion of Harvey Nichols buyer Averyl Oates afterwards.
Another colourist with a more subtle and painterly approach is industry stalwart Betty Jackson who was awarded a CBE in June. Known for keeping practical considerations of stylish working women uppermost in her collections, she has a considerable and longstanding following in Ireland.
Her new collection, influenced by the conceptual US artist Elizabeth Peyton, was cool and comfortable with loose and airy shapes like smocks and shirt dresses in sophisticated shades of almond, stone or caramel.
Neat Peter Pan collars, needle-thin pants and slim pleated skirts were chic details while long dresses in bold patterns were worn Indian-style over baggy pants. London Fashion Week, one of the most energetic and eventful in years, ends tomorrow.
