LFW day 5: Mary Katrantzou

Mary Katrantzou, London’s very own queen of prints was easily one of our fashion week highlights. Hosted at Old Billingsgate Market, the catwalk home of Topshop for whom she has just designed a third capsule collection, the show was initially tarred with a 9am start. Luckily the whiff of fresh coffee, miniature bacon sarnies and banana muffins on offer kept a smile on our faces.
Alexa Chung was in high spirits too, beaming away from the front row where she sat next to fashion progeny Tallulah Harlech. They were joined by Susie Bubble, Hilary Alexander, Colin McDowell and Anna Wintour, who we all know loves a good print.
She should be pleased as punch with this collection- a kaleidoscope of colour and digitally enhanced imagery, including guitars, keyboards, phone dials, white horses, gift boxes, teapots, and even embroidered yellow pencils, featured on Katrantzou’s trademark stiffened and sculpted cocktail dresses, as well as flared trousers and long gowns with slits up the back. Tops were structured and corseted while skirts were lampshade in shape and ruffled and layered which added depth to the prints.
Hats off to Katrantzou for providing the proof that prints are here to stay for another season. The designer, who has enchanted both Anna Wintour and Dello Russo with her eccentric and elegant aesthetic certainly gets our approval.

TIME OUT at LONDON FASHION WEEK S/S12: BASSO & BROOKE

With all things printed dominating the collections on and off schedule for two seasons now, Basso & Brooke are very much in their comfort zone. Their show at the Sorting Office had bags of what we’ve come to know and love them for – riots of colour, and masses of dauby prints. This year, they’ve laughed in the face of the complimentary colour chart and paired up every colour imaginable on beautifully exotic silky sheaths and maxis. New for the duo is a batch of sharp tailoring in their signature prints, which looks surprisingly wearable considering they have much of the jungle book sketched out on their bodices. They also get bonus points for the bass-throbbing party tunes which  got everyone toe tapping in preparation for the evening’s misadventures. Party on Bruno, party on Chris. Katie Dailey

PHOTO via http://qinatthedisco.tumblr.com/