London Fashion Week: Glamour and drama

London Fashion Week entered Day 2 on Saturday, featuring dozens of new designs - from dramatic, conceptual creations by Gareth Pugh, to more wearable pieces by Julien Macdonald and Emilia Wickstead

CROWN JEWELS AT JULIEN MACDONALD

Julien Macdonald isn’t one to skimp on glamour, but this season he’s dialled up the glitz even more with inspiration from some of Britain’s most celebrated treasures.

The designer, who sent his army of models down the runway in dozens of slinky, brazenly sexy gowns and evening dresses, said he took inspiration from a trip to the Tower of London and its collection of crown jewels.

“There’s diamonds, rubies, amethyst, gorgeous jewels covered in very rich, saturated colours,” he said after the show.

The barely-there dresses came in emerald green, peacock blue, hot fuchsia and silver - all skin-tight and adorned with lace, sequins and tassels. The outfits were accessorised with long, shiny black gloves, gladiator heels and mules, as well as lips lacquered in a fierce shade of purple.

Show-stopping looks included a silver fishtail gown dripping in sequins and a lipstick red silk jacket, loosely wrapped around a sheer cocktail dress.

That pop of red may be inspired by the theatrical art display of poppies surrounding the Tower of London last year to mark the centenary of World War I. Like many others, Macdonald was impressed by the hundreds of thousands of handmade red poppies planted in the tower’s moat, each representing a soldier who died. 

A DARK TRIBUTE TO ENGLAND FROM GARETH PUGH

A model chops off her hair, dabs herself with thick red paint. She stretches out her arms to simulate St. George’s Cross, and is swiftly engulfed by flames.

That short, unsettling film is just for starters at the show by Gareth Pugh, who was bringing his dark and thrillingly theatrical aesthetic back to London’s roster for the first time in years.

Pugh has gained a cult following with his sculptural designs — he is fond of distorting the body’s shape with bizarre inflated constructions. He treated his guests to a thought-provoking display of all-black military wear offset by red war paint.

The models, who all had red crosses painted on their faces, marched in shiny cavalry boots, hard armour-like shells and giant headgear with chains around their faces. Others were swathed in big padded and hooded capes and floor-sweeping skirts, like sinister medieval monks.

It was a refreshingly different show for London, which hasn’t seen anything like it for some time. 

EMILIA WICKSTEAD DOES RETRO ELEGANCE

Emilia Wickstead’s catwalk was all prim and buttoned-up, its muted pastels, calf-length skirts and gowns with trains evoking a bygone era of elegance and romance.

The designer opened with demure outfits in cream, dusty pastel blue, and the palest shade of pink: Simple dresses with gently fluted sleeves, belted wool coats and pleated tweed skirts. Then came dresses in a bold geometric diamond pattern, though the lavender and mauve tones kept things soft and perfectly feminine.

Her final number, a red evening gown with a high gathered waist and full sweeping skirt, is made for the red carpet.

Wickstead, who began showing at London Fashion Week in 2012, has quickly proven a hit with the city’s well-coiffed, well-heeled fashion set. Her classic, quietly glamorous designs are favored by the likes of the former Kate Middleton, Duchess of Cambridge, and are gaining popularity in Hollywood too: Diane Kruger chose a silver gown from her spring collection for the Golden Globes.

Wickstead threw in a few pieces with a different feel — a powder blue halter-neck jumpsuit with a plunging neckline and a dress ensemble in stiff, shiny black PVC — but it’s clear she excels at a more understated ladylike look.