McCartneys and wellies wow London Fashion Week

Hunter Original, best known for its rubber wellington boots, showed it could do glamour with a swimming pool-themed show that drew Paul and Stella McCartney to its front row.

The sun’s out, and so are the celebrities, style mavens and paparazzi. London Fashion Week turned up the heat on its second day, with a hectic schedule of catwalk shows that drew stars to the front rows and had editors scurrying from one end of London to the other to see the latest trends.

Hunter Original, best known for its rubber wellington boots, showed it could do glamour with a swimming pool-themed show that drew Paul and Stella McCartney to its front row. Marchesa, the New York-based brand synonymous with red carpet style, brought its sumptuous dresses to London for the first time. Emilia Wickstead did pared-down elegance with a collection of modern ball gowns. AP

Julien Macdonald

The designer wowed the crowd with a wedding dress embroidered with diamonds and pearls that he said was worth more than 4 million ($6.5 million, 1.3 million euros).

It was the finale of a collection of slim-fitting dresses with bold patterns incorporating flower and tattoo shapes, showcased in the conservatory of the Royal Opera House.

“My bride is a mermaid that swims in the sea, covered in treasure,” Macdonald said, explaining the inspiration for the wedding gown.

“She takes the buried treasure and translates it into her dream ethereal wedding dress — diamonds, pearls, expense, lace, glamour.

“It’s the most important day of a woman’s life and why not have the most expensive dress in the world?”

Marchesa

Forget less is more. London’s fashionistas, usually all for cool and edgy chic, indulged in Marchesa’s elaborate, luxuriously detailed creations as the U.S. brand made its London debut to mark its 10^th anniversary.

Designers Georgina Chapman and Keren Craig showed off cocktail dresses and floor-sweeping gowns in their signature feminine style. There were sheer black numbers with pink floral embellishments, romantic slip dresses, sensual fringe skirts, and miles of lace, silk and tulle. The collection featured more than a touch of Bohemian chic too, with the off-shoulder necklines, puffed up sleeves and tier detailing.

An ethereal, bridal-like tulle ball gown that looked like a cloud of candy floss floating down the catwalk had guests swooning, while the closing number, a sheer confection studded with dozens of realistic looking flowers and topped with a floral crown, wouldn’t look out of place in A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

Emilia Wickstead

For her new spring and summer collection, Wickstead has created elegant, understated ball gowns fit for a modern princess.

The young designer, who boasts a glitzy client list including the Duchess of Cambridge and Hollywood actress Diane Kruger, is known for her feminine and prim evening wear. It’s little wonder she is so popular. Many of the gowns on display were showstoppers, with unfussy lines and minimal detail that let the cut and the block colors - sunshine yellow, tangerine, nude and orange sorbet - speak for themselves.

Wickstead said she took inspiration from the “glitzy ‘80s,” but there’s little sign of the excesses from that decade in the collection. One model floated down the dramatic staircase in a canary yellow full skirt, made casual by its pockets and a simple white sleeveless top. There were voluminous evening gowns, made cool with subtle nautical stripes, and shimmering silver column dresses that looked structural and clean.

Fashion week regulars Alexa Chung and Olivia Palermo were among those in the front row.