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Mixed style

Designers showcased their latest autumn and winter collections at London Fashion Week on Sunday, and the diversity meant there was something for every woman.

Preen, by designer duo Justin Thornton and Thea Bregazzi, opened day three of the five-day event with sleek, clean tailoring combined with biker-style zips.

The punk references returned later, when iconic designer Vivienne Westwood brought her eccentric mix of fashion and politics to the tartan and flamboyant outfits on her catwalk.

The flame-haired Westwood, 71, known as much for her designs as her activism marched down her Red Label catwalk dressed in a T-shirt printed with a giant image of her face and the slogan “I’m Julian Assange.”

The designer has been selling the T-shirts to support the founder of WikiLeaks, whom she has called a “real hero.”

Meanwhile, Alice Temperley, whose elegant designs are favoured by the Duchess of Cambridge, offered Hitchcock-inspired full skirts, jewel-print jacquard separates, and decadently embellished evening gowns.

VIVIENNE WESTWOOD RED LABEL

The grand dame of British fashion not only caused a stir with her catwalk activism; she also divided opinion with her outrageous makeup looks for the models.

Chalky white faces were paired with eyes and lips outlined in stark, cartoonish lines, a look that got everyone talking.

Still, it’s the clothes that most people came for, and Westwood didn’t fail to wow. A metallic zebra-stripe was printed on coats and a striking prom style dress with stiff underskirts, and an iridescent foil-like tight biker jacket that shimmered purple and green was paired with harem pants dripping in sequins.

Drama aside, a plum trouser suit, a simple cardigan and skirt ensemble in the same colour, and a tartan blazer were among some of the more wearable pieces.

Re-wear your clothes...

The Duchess of Cambridge Kate Middleton should re-wear her outfits to help the environment, British fashion designer Vivienne Westwood said.

The designer advised Middleton, the wife of Britain’s Prince William and the country’s future Queen, that she should recycle her outfits if she puts a lot of effort into her appearance.

“I don’t have any advice to her, except I think it would be great if she wore the same clothes over and again, because that’s very good for the environment and it would send out a very nice message,” Westwood said before her Red Label fashion show at London Fashion Week.

“If you’re going to all that trouble to get an outfit that suits you, then you should keep on wearing it,” she said.

Middleton, who married Prince William in 2011, enjoys a following by fashion fans who keep tabs on her style choices.

But the Duchess has also turned heads for stepping out in the same outfit more than once, stirring debate in the British media over whether the thrifty behaviour was praiseworthy or a fashion faux-pas. Reuters

TEMPERLEY LONDON

Alice Temperley has based her latest womenswear collection on the classic style of The Birds actress Tippi Hedren.

The British designer, who admitted that she is obsessed with the romance and glamour of old movies, showed high-waisted full skirts paired with simple cashmere jumpers, swing coats, sheer blouses, illusion necklines and bejewelled evening gowns.

“It’s from a bygone era but we all secretly want to look like that,” Temperley said backstage after the show.

MULBERRY

Mulberry played to its strengths — traditional English design themes with a whimsical twist.

The latest collection by the heritage brand, best known for its leather handbags, featured rich leather capes and coats in mohair, wool or luxurious sheepskin. Some of the outerwear was adorned with high furry collars, and many sported pretty — if not very practical — bell sleeves that end just above the elbow.

Checks were used in many forms, including supersized, sequined, and on panel details on shoulders and sleeves.

Deep, autumnal shades dominating the collection, and even the floral prints were muted and dark.

Silhouettes tended to hide the waistline, and layering was a key look — especially box-pleated or swing skirts layered over calf-length trousers.

PREEN

Sophisticated and sleek with a little bit of punk: Preen’s latest collection for autumn and winter hints at an edgy biker girl, but any rebelliousness is tamed by a minimalist aesthetic and clean modern tailoring.

The label unveiled long-line, mannish jackets, leather and fur bikers, and short dresses with open backs or plunging V-necks.

Everything was designed in a strict colour palette of black, red and white, though leopard prints (in those same colours) helped to break up the monotony. Biker zips were definitely a theme — they were everywhere, on jackets, on the front and back of the hips, and up the side of a leather skirt.