By Guest Editor, Brian James

If fashion reflects the society we live in, London Fashion Week was a pretty accurate barometer of an industry adopting an understandably cautious approach to a period of impending economic uncertainty.

The British Fashion Council espoused the view that a no deal Brexit could cost the industry £900 million pounds, while certain designers chose not to show and we also saw the introduction of a small number of on-schedule pay-to-attend shows. 

Given this backdrop, it’s no surprise that some designers chose to not diverge too far from already critically acclaimed and commercially successful concepts, while still re-imagining them for the upcoming “roaring twenties”. That’s not to say that there was no room for the new, the avant-garde or the genderless. As always, Fashion Week provided enough to keep fans of both ends of the spectrum, and everything in between, satisfied.

As with every season, certain key trends dominated, manifesting themselves across various collections. Some of those which particularly caught my eye were – 

The Puffball

Puffed sleeves and tent like dresses were seen across many collections. Simone Rocha continued her signature puff sleeve, Rejina Pyo gave her dresses a delicate puffball silhouette while Richard Quinn combined a super-sized puffball sleeve with a mini balloon dress. Molly Goddard, who as we all know designed the iconic “Killing Eve” pink trapeze dress, decided on a more pared back aesthetic for SS20 but still included one voluminous yellow tulle confection to satisfy all those still seeking Villanelle vibes.

The Trench

Although the trench has never really gone away it was re-imagined for SS20 by luminaries such as Burberry (obviously I hear you say), JW Anderson, Ports 1961 and new kid on the main schedule Supriya Lele. Making her debut after leaving the Fashion East collective, Supriya’s calf length trench was as innovative as those of the more established brands [see full collection final walk in motion below].  

The Bold Print

Another trend which was taken in even more adventurous direction was the use of bold prints, with oversized misshapen polka dots and giant florals featuring in collections by such as Erdem, Mark Jacobs and Richard Quinn. Bold and clashing prints show no sign of going away anytime soon.

Sheer Layering

Always appealing and eminently flattering designers such as House of Holland, Richard Malone and Supriya Lele used this technique to gorgeous and glamorous effect. Sheer dresses and sheer tops sat on top of bralettes, body suits and vests, an aesthetic that screamed sophisticated sexy.

Images L-R Supriya Lele x 2; Mark Fast; Richard Malone.

Torso Ruching

While you would normally expect to find ruching at the neck or possibly the wrist this season saw an explosion of torso ruching where a simple daytime dress was embellished with ruching across the torso to give it a more glamorous sophisticated look. Seen in collections from Supriya Lele and many others, it’s the perfect look to transition from office day to party night.

Metallic Leather

Our love affair with leather continues and while it abounded across numerous collections, it was the use of metallic leather in the collections by Coach, JW Anderson and Toga which I loved and found particularly novel. Often used to accentuate a piece I reckon it will be everywhere in the next 12 months.

In Motion: Main Schedule Newcomer Supriya Lele’s Final Walk

It can be difficult predicting which trends will translate from the runway to retail and from high end to high street, but these are six that I fully expect to see everywhere over the next twelve months.

London Fashion Week may have been welcomed with caution but it didn’t disappoint and SS20 delivered more than enough to keep us all enchanted with this thing we call fashion.