LONDON —London Fashion Week rolled out the big guns Monday, with British design powerhouse Burberry hosting the glitziest catwalk show of the season. Hunter, the maker of the classic Wellington boots, evoked the wild Scottish countryside with indoor waterfalls, while Christopher Kane seduced with clothes featuring nude life drawings.
Here are some highlights from Day 4.
Fashionably late — or not?
The fashion industry is notorious for its lax timekeeping — a half-hour delay is normal — but unusually strict showtimes at Burberry meant that one very late guest almost didn’t get to see the show.
Supermodel Naomi Campbell, sporting a fluffy white fur coat and dark glasses, arrived well after the catwalk display began and had to push through the crowds to get to her seat in the front.
She didn’t seem fazed, though, settling quickly down next to celebrity photographer Mario Testino. Fellow guests swiftly whipped out their smartphones to photograph Campbell, though on the catwalk no one batted an eyelid at the disruption.
With the Oscars clashing with London Fashion Week, the past few days have seen a dearth of big names gracing catwalk front rows. Not so at Burberry. Actress Maggie Gyllenhaal squeezed in with Grammy-winning musician Sam Smith, and all the top British models were here: Kate Moss, Cara Delevingne and Jourdan Dunn. Campbell and Moss were clearly having a good time, singing along to the music under a shower of confetti.
Burberry goes retro
Reinforcing fashion’s current fling with all things retro, Burberry showed off a collection rich in patchworks of floral embroidery, bohemian ponchos and quilt-like textures.
The first look, a cozy turquoise and grass-green printed poncho laden with long suede fringes, set the tone. Then came folksy, tiered, paisley dresses and hippie versions of the brand’s best-selling trench coats, all tan suede and adorned with tassels.
A tan suede cape-dress, covered all over with tiers of fringes and worn with tasseled shoe-boots won approving nods from the stars and models gathered in the front row. Backstage, design chief Christopher Bailey said he wanted to explore “all the different crafts that we have in the British Isles.”
Burberry is the most successful British brand at London Fashion Week; it’s a fairly safe bet that whatever Bailey sends down the catwalk will be copied in a store near you.
Sensuality by Kane
For some designers, seduction may be manifest in a low neckline or a thigh-high slit. But this is Christopher Kane, and his version of sensuality is nothing one would expect.
Kane, known for his creative and kooky designs, created dresses that featured sketches of nude bodies — taken from life drawing classes. The shapes appear abstract from afar, but on scrutiny one can make out a hand here, entwined limbs there.
The designer said desire was a central theme, and he was aiming for “something sexual but not grotesque.”
Online: See more London Fashion Week photos.
