Top, from left: Ashley Williams, Margaret Howell, Christopher Kane, Burberry Prorsum, JW Anderson
Bottom, from left: Marques’Almeida, Mary Katrantzou, Simone Rocha, Thomas Tait, Versus Versace

By
Alastair McKimm

BEST OF LONDON, SPRING 2016

Season after season, London has always proved itself a city apart, one that doesn’t conform to trends or expectations when it comes to bringing together a diverse vision of the bold and the new, especially in our fashion director Alastair McKimm’s top ten collections. Fresh off their LVMH Prize earlier this year, Marta Marques and Paulo Almeida took their gorgeously deconstructed vision to another level, with frayed ruffles, threadbare seams, and unconventional and exotic fabrics. Simone Rocha added a threatening edge to her otherwise-romantic dresses, binding and wrapping her pieces in bondage-inspired straps. The print master Mary Katranztou brought new weight and texture to her designs, working in sequins and metallic threads for her crazy-quilt floral medleys.

Thomas Tait went for a pared-down approach, with embroidered cutout spots across clean leather pieces and floaty shifts. Christopher Kane’s collection had a winning naïveté, in the highlighter-bright palette, the swinging fringes, and the eclectic graphic prints. Graffiti-esque squiggles, oversized shoulders, and cascading ruffles were among the inspired ideas that came together in JW Anderson’s wide-ranging designs. Ashley Williams demonstrated a similarly all-embracing appetite, bringing together fishnets, graphic prints, and tattered lace with a grunge edge.

Lace was the standout takeaway at Burberry Prorsum, where blouses, dresses, and gowns combined romanticism and provocation to charming effect. Margaret Howell’s pristine outing offered clean black and white with a pop of red in sharp sportswear. The fresh Versus Versace collection, courtesy of Anthony Vaccarello, presented desirable sportswear in smooth leathers, hard-edged florals, and a brash, young attitude that shows the British capital at its best.

Take a look at Alastair’s favorite collections from New York here.

1 /5
Left: Ashley Williams
Right: Margaret Howell
By
Alastair McKimm

Tags

Related

Róisín Pierce Transforms Sustainability Into Luxury

Winner of the inaugural Chanel Prix des Métiers d’Art last year, the rising Irish designer turns the history of “fallen women” into a forceful and provocative collection suffused with details and handicraft underpinned by a foundation of sustainability.

Women in Charge

Gabriela Hearst, Marina Moscone, and Marine Serre are three of the many women taking charge in fashion of late, offering distinctive visions while attempting to slow down the endless churn of the seasons.

Angel Chang Slows Fashion Down

After years of experience at major international brands, the New York-based designer returns with an eponymous sustainable line crafted by artisans in remote China using ancient techniques, reconnecting consumers with handcraft and tradition.

Prabal Gurung's New Book

The Nepalese designer celebrates a decade of championing diversity, inclusion, and a world made “stronger through color” with his vibrant clothing in his first monograph.

Faces by Gregory Harris and Katelyn Gray

Photographer Gregory Harris and our fashion editor Katelyn Gray offer a celebration of individuality and originality with the help of a cast of eleven rising models assembled by The Secret Gallery.

A Love Letter to New York Starring Binx Walton

The cover story of our Fall 2019 issue is a love letter to New York City from photographer Dan Martensen and stylist Clare Richardson starring Binx Walton.

South African Thebe Magugu Is the Winner of the 2019 LVMH Prize

As one of the first-ever LVMH Prize finalists from Africa, the Johannesburg-based designer seeks to share a new side of his homeland through vibrant collections based around university curricula and a zine focused on his city’s new wave of cultural talent.

The 2019 LVMH Prize: Bethany Williams Puts Her Principles Into Every Design

By using upcycled materials and partnering with charitable organizations for every gender-neutral collection, the London-based designer serves as a role model for socially conscious creation, imbuing her streetwear with strong guiding principles and ethics.

The 2019 LVMH Prize: Hed Mayner Designs His Own Body Language

Oversized silhouettes in neutral colors and natural fabrics form the starting point for each collection from the Tel Aviv-based designer, whose pure æsthetic is driven by the dialogue between clothes and the body they embrace.

The 2019 LVMH Prize: Bode Turns the Past Into the Future

A lifelong collector drawn to the emotional qualities of material objects, the winner of this year’s CFDA Award for Emerging Designer looks to an overflowing archive of vintage fabrics and her personal relationships with friends and family for inspiration.

The 2019 LVMH Prize: Kenneth Ize Wants to Slow It Down

Born and raised in Vienna, the Nigerian designer returned to his parents’ hometown of Lagos to launch his namesake label, focusing on creating covetable handmade fabrics meant to connect wearers more intimately to their own clothes and the people who made them.

The 2019 LVMH Prize: Phipps Offers Lessons on Sustainability

Science and sustainability are the two driving forces behind the two-year-old menswear brand that combines environmentally responsible fabrics and “educational clothing” with a slow-and-steady approach to growth.

The 2019 LVMH Prize: Stefan Cooke Makes Old Ideas New

Just two years after graduating with MAs from Central Saint Martins, the London-based duo have established themselves with intricately crafted designs that pull inspiration from the crowded and diverse history of fashion.

The 2019 LVMH Prize: Anrealage's Kunihiko Morinaga Sees the Future

A fascination with the liminal space between the real and the unreal is a hallmark of the Japanese designer’s work, manifesting as a fabric that changes color when exposed to ultraviolet light and garments designed from detail shots blown up by three hundred percent.

Peter Ash Lee's New Magazine 'Burdock' Celebrates Asian-American Talent

Named after a root vegetable common to Asian cuisine, photographer Peter Ash Lee’s new magazine and digital platform celebrates Asian-American culture in an attempt to welcome a more diverse group both in front of and behind the camera.

Spring Cleaning

Bright colors, long lines, and unconventional textures are the hallmarks of Jen Carey and Alexandra Carl’s fashion feature from our Spring 2019 issue starring Lithuanian Giedrė Dukauskaitė.

Tonne Goodman Shares Her 'Point of View'

In her new book, the celebrated former Vogue fashion director shares images from her childhood, her modeling career, and her family life, along with the countless editorials, advertisements, and covers to which she has lent her crisp eye over the years.

Before the Bloom

Emma Summerton and Théophile Hermand find tranquility with Sneha Kaul in London’s Hampstead Heath as the season begins to turn in this fashion feature from our Spring 2019 issue.