British fashion heavyweight Burberry Prorsum summoned a biker spirit as it presented the Spring/Summer 2016 collection at London Fashion Week on Monday.
Models wearing leather jackets over fine lace dresses paraded in front of a star-studded audience, in a marriage of the delicate and the powerful.
Burberry's chief creative officer Christopher Bailey had treated fans to a sneak preview of the collection on "Snapchat" on Sunday, ahead of the show at Kensington Gardens, close to the iconic Royal Albert Hall.
Among the hundreds of guests in the church-like glass venue were actress Sienna Miller, supermodels Kate Moss and Cara Delevingne and Vogue chief Anna Wintour.
Soul singer Alison Moyet -- accompanied by a symphony orchestra -- kicked off the ambitious and eclectic show with four songs live from the catwalk.
The lambskin biker jackets -- made at a British factory famed for creating army uniforms since the 18th century -- featured ornate goldwork cording and metal detailing and were "influenced by twentieth century motoring styles", according to the company.
They covered dresses made of lace, one of Bailey's favoured fabrics that he used extensively during the most recent men's collection in June.
The designer returned to another classic with a slim fit adaptation of the Burberry trench coat, whose combination mesh and macrame lace hinted at Bailey's penchant for juggling fabrics.
"It's not so much about the trend, it's more about an emotion and an attitude," he explained to the press.
'A ticket for the ballet'
Nautical influences were explored through double-faced cashmere pea coats with crested buttons and rounded shoulders and the Royal Navy-inspired wooden toggles on the collection's silk satin duffel coats.
Moving to the accessories, the design house presented flexible nylon backpacks with leather fastenings carried by models wearing semi-transparent lace dresses and light coats.
Earlier in the day, Serbian designer Roksanda Ilincic helped transform Marylebone's Seymour Leisure Centre into a dream world of geometric shapes.
Her show was marked by long, fluid dresses that glided down to the ankles in soft, almost pastel tones of blue, white and purple.
The soft-cut designs, which included jumpsuits and a transparent coat with black bands, were conceived with comfort in mind, giving both freedom of movement and of expression.
"I started with references from the modern ballet, from contemporary ballet, but also ballets from 1930s, 40s, 50s, 60s... all the way through to our time," the designer told AFP.
"I was particularly influenced by female dancers and artists who had such beautiful strong bodies, who moved in a very liquid way," she added.
Her show also attracted the rich and famous, with Samantha Cameron, wife of Prime Minister David Cameron and a fashion-week regular, securing a front-row seat.
'Autumnal drama'
There were surprises in store on Monday evening in an arresting show by British designer Giles, held in a sumptuous reception in the Banqueting House, part of the Palace of Whitehall with ceilings painted by Peter Paul Rubens.
A star-studded cast included Eva Herzigova, Poppy Delevingne and Georgia May Jagger, daughter of Mick Jagger and Jerry Hall, who accompanied the model backstage at the show.
The designer invited guests to discover a world of magic in his show, which featured dramatic dark evening gowns and rich patterns of plant and animal motifs.
The show was based on an autumnal palette of silver, grey and earthy colours, with occasional details in teal and red.
In contrast, the collection unveiled by brand Joseph was minimalist and uncluttered, with long and flowing dresses in white, yellow and black that wrapped around the body.
Based this year in the edgy central London neighbourhood of Soho, London Fashion Week will showcase the work of more than 150 designers and host dozens of fashion shows and presentations throughout the city before it ends on Tuesday.
AFP
Tue Sep 22 2015
Models present creations during the Burberry Prorsum spring / summer 2016 collection show at London Fashion Week in London on September 21, 2015. - AFP Photo/Justin Tallis
Jokowi ke Abu Dhabi untuk perbincangan dengan Presiden UAE mengenai kerjasama
Presiden Jokowi dijadual bertemu rakan sejawatannya dari UAE pada 17 Julai.
Tiga jurusolek lelaki berperwatakan wanita didakwa rompak rakan
Kesemua mereka dakwa mengikut Seksyen 395 Kanun Keseksaan yang membawa hukuman penjara maksimum 20 tahun dan boleh dikenakan denda dan sebat, jika sabit kesalahan.
Agong berkenan berangkat ke pra-Mesyuarat Majlis Raja-Raja ke-266
Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Ibrahim berkenan berangkat ke pra-Mesyuarat Majlis Raja-Raja (MRR) ke-266 di Istana Negarahari ini.
Status ADUN Rembia: DUN Melaka tunggu surat rasmi
Speaker DUN Melaka, Datuk Ibrahim Durum berkata, setakat ini pihaknya belum dimaklumkan secara rasmi dan perbincangan berhubung perkara itu akan diadakan.
Warga emas bersalah bunuh abang, kakak ipar
Mahkamah Tinggi di sini hari ini mensabitkan kesalahan seorang warga emas atas dua pertuduhan pindaan membunuh abang dan kakak iparnya dua tahun lalu.
PAC beri tempoh tiga bulan kepada HRD Corp kemuka laporan tindakan susulan
Mas Ermieyati Samsudin berkata tempoh itu diberikan susulan laporan audit berkaitan, baru dibentangkan pada minggu lepas.
Buli siber: Beberapa kementerian bincang perketat undang-undang - Fahmi
Penambahbaikan aspek perundangan akan diteliti kerajaan, termasuk mengadakan perbincangan dengan beberapa kementerian berkaitan dalam masa terdekat.
Kementerian Digital sedia bantu PKS dalam pelaksanaan e-invois - Gobind
Beliau menegaskan bahawa pelaksanaan e-Invois itu akan memberi manfaat, termasuk meningkatkan pendapatan PKS.
Kim Pan-gon akan ke Ulsan Hyundai?
Bekas pengendali skuad negara itu dilaporkan sedang menjadi calon utama untuk mengisi jawatan pengurus kelab gergasi Korea Selatan, Ulsan Hyundai.
Lebih 2,300 hektar kawasan lapang di ibu negara diperuntukkan kawasan hijau
Daripada keluasan itu, sebanyak 977.55 hektar tanah telah diwartakan, manakala 1,416.24 hektar tanah lapang yang berpotensi akan dan sedang dalam proses diwartakan.