The long parade of women in glamorous gowns and expensive jewelry that starts in January at the Critics Choice, Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild awards finally ends with the Oscars. The best looks, experts say, have been saved for last.

Colorful gowns that show some skin and classical looks from Hollywood’s Golden Age will again be de rigueur, with perhaps a white dress or two. Recent fashion shows in New York and Paris will bring out fresh looks, and while eyes will be on Angelina Jolie, as always, new fashions are in town with names like Rooney Mara and Viola Davis.

“The Oscars are the biggest fashion show on the planet,” said designer Marc Bouwer.

His is no understatement. Unlike catwalks in New York and Paris, Oscar’s red carpet walk-up to the world’s top movie honors is televised live and seen by tens of millions of people around the world. Photographs and videos of the celebrities appear in newspapers, magazines, the Web and are sent on mobile phones to fans and friends. One slip up, and it’s curtains for the stars.

“If you’re wearing bright colors, you’ll pop more and that’s important in a photograph,” said designer David Meister. “This is the night where the cosmetic and jewelry companies are looking for their next women, their next big contracts. You want to look beautiful, pretty and sexy.”

While some gowns this year on Hollywood red carpets have featured long, luxurious sleeves, actresses need to exhibit sex appeal, too, and show a touch of skin, “a bare back or plunging neckline,” he said.

Bouwer sees more white, ivory and silver.

At last month’s Golden Globes, Angelina Jolie showed up in a white satin Versace dress with a slash of red for color, and it made a splash with fashions everywhere.

“It sort of shocked everybody into realizing that white can look so well on the red carpet if it’s done right,” said Bouwer.

FRESH OFF THE RUNWAY

Old Hollywood glamour has been showcased this season, but In Style Magazine’s Hal Rubenstein said designs at Paris’ couture shows in January and New York’s recent Fashion Week could creep onto the carpet because they have not yet shown up elsewhere.

And the right dress can certainly make all the difference.

“A dress can make the celebrity, but the celebrity cannot make the dress,” said fashion designer Allen B. Schwartz. “An ugly dress will be ugly on anyone. A gorgeous dress will make that actress look that much more exciting.”

The normally stylish Gwyneth Paltrow learned her lesson in 2002 in an embarrassingly sheer black Alexander McQueen gown. On the other side, risk taker Cate Blanchett will always be remembered for her 1999 Oscar Jean Paul Gaultier sheath dress whose back was embroidered with flowers and a hummingbird.

While Angelina Jolie has been flawless on the carpet all season, Rooney Mara has been turning heads, too, with an often dark look that seems fitting for her Oscar-nominated role as Lisbeth Salander in “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.” Bouwer is a fan of Mara, calling her “major fashion player” this season.

But Mara is not the only one who has been a standout this season. Rubenstein says the “The Help” stars Viola Davis and Octavia Spencer – nominated in the best actress and best supporting actress categories, respectively – have emerged as unexpected fashion plates.

“You don’t normally think of Viola and Octavia as fashion girls,” Rubenstein said. “But Viola has both an extraordinary fashion presence on and off the screen. She radiates womanliness and power. And Octavia proved beauty is not about being a size 2, it’s about looking your best and she’s been looking her best for every single red carpet occasion.”

(Reporting By Zorianna Kit; Editing by Bob Tourtellotte)

Article source: http://news.yahoo.com/designers-save-few-fashion-surprises-oscars-133657284.html

On the final day of womenswear shows at the weeklong style extravaganza, two talented female designers, each with their own distinctive visions of femininity, delivered some of the most covetable clothes seen during the week.

Fluid silk-dipped back gowns, fur-trimmed pencil skirts and beaded satin shifts in rich berry reds, turquoise and vivid purple at Roksanda Ilincic painted a picture of refined, aristocratic allure, but this season the Serbian designer decided to mix things up a bit by adding a sporty, urban theme.

Ilincic, who is best known for her glamorous evening wear and has dressed the likes of Michelle Obama, said she used parkas, hoodies and leisure wear because she didn’t like how women always feel that they have to look immaculate.

The clothes may be casual, but they are far from slovenly looking. Sweatshirts had fur hoods and silk panels, while the printed puffer jacket, seen at other shows this week including Christopher Kane, was white with artistic, hand painted black ink stripes.

“As a designer you can’t do the same thing over and over again,” Ilincic said after the show. “It’s about keeping it fresh and evolving.”

While Ilincic’s beloved jewel tones — worn with clashing lemon court shoes — made up the collection’s rich color palette, the designer closed her show with a series of pristine white outfits. The last model, who wore a slim, long white wool dress with a frill hem and luxe fur hood, looked like a regal snow queen.

“It’s quite wintry,” Ilincic said of the white designs. “It’s like a breath of fresh air.”

Greece-born Mary Katrantzou was the other show that wowed the crowds Tuesday — though her aesthetic could not have been more different.

For her keenly awaited new collection, Katrantzou displayed experimental silhouettes, opulent rainbow colors, and crazy prints of pencils, spoons and typewriters.

Her admirers wouldn’t expect anything less. Since her debut at the capital’s fashion week in 2008, Katrantzou has gained a wide following with her unique flair for artsy design, extraordinary prints and architectural cutting.

Inspired by the colors of a crayon box and Victoriana, the designer opened with a series of garments that played with exaggerated structure: These included the designer’s signature stiff lampshade-shaped skirts, ruffled waistlines, and babydoll shaped dresses that had ruffled chiffon skirt layers billowing dramatically from the chest down.

Then there was an eruption of intricate, all-over prints, which included hyper-real bows, clocks and spoons. One of the models wore a red dress incorporating a print of an old typewriter, while another sported a long-sleeved, high-necked maxi dress that was covered with a green garden maze print. A third wore a witty pair of yellow trousers with a pinkish waistline — the trousers resembled a giant pencil with eraser.

If that wasn’t enough, one skirt was composed of dozens of actual pencils. She closed her show with a series of dresses with Victorian-inspired details including corsets and high collars.

While Katrantzou’s show was wild, but also admirably creative, fun and different — design duo Meadham Kirchoff went even further.

The pair — Edward Meadham, who is English, and Benjamin Kirchhoff, who is French — threw trends and seriousness to the air and delivered a totally fun, outrageously styled show full of glitter, tinsel and a 70s disco vibe.

Circus-style face paint, psychedelic rainbow colors and sequined, flared-leg trouser suits were paraded out in a feel-good finale to ABBA’s “Dancing Queen,” which made the usually somber fashion crowd erupt in grins and giggles.

Tuesday’s catwalk shows followed more established, mainstream productions by regulars such as Burberry Prorsum, Mulberry, Paul Smith and Matthew Williamson.

It was one of the biggest London fashion weeks yet, with Stella McCartney and McQ by Alexander McQueen both debuting in the capital.

The week closes Wednesday, which showcases menswear collections — before the fashion crowd head to Italy as Milan Fashion Week begins.

__

Online:

London Fashion Week: http://www.londonfashionweek.co.uk

Sylvia Hui can be reached at: http://twitter.com/sylviahui

Article source: http://news.yahoo.com/eclectic-shows-london-fashion-week-winds-down-192436122.html

“The consumer is much more likely to engage with independent editorial content than with conventional, purely product-focused advertising,” said Max Vallot, marketing director of BLK DNM, which introduced the jeans brand and a magazine at the same time last May. “It’s much harder to differentiate a brand through product than through advertising today, which is why we’re investing in new ways of ‘advertising.”’

The publication, a black-and-white tabloid called Gazette, includes several art and photo spreads, a narrative on a dinner with the photographers Peter Lindbergh and Jerry Schatzberg — and almost no denim. It is distributed free with online orders, while customers at the brand’s New York boutique are invited to pay whatever they like, with proceeds going to charity.

This publication approach “indirectly gives texture to a brand, creates a feeling, an environment,” said Johan Lindeberg, the brand’s creative director and the founder of the clothing brand J. Lindeberg.

On a practical note, the publication, at 5,000 copies, was a “more cost-efficient communication tool for us than a comprehensive seasonal advertising campaign at this point,” Mr. Vallot added.

The Swedish brand Acne took a similar approach in 2006 and says it has paid off. The company never advertised, instead investing in Acne Paper, a twice-yearly publication that doesn’t mention its men’s and women’s collections at all. Instead, the editors say, it communicates the company’s general values through its choice of cultural content and its clean-cut appearance.

“We meet people from various fields who know of the Paper and not of the clothes, which is the best result one could hope for,” said Mikael Schiller, the company’s chairman.

Thomas Persson, editor in chief of the Paper, said, “Think of what the return is for Cartier to do the Cartier Foundation or Prada and their foundation.”

Mr. Persson sees Acne as akin to a patron of the arts and says the publication has proved itself to be a more organic and efficient mode of communication than traditional advertising. Paper sells for €10, or about $13, at selected locations and generally exhausts its 25,000-copy press run in two months.

“We are doing this in the format of this magazine to spend money on a project that helps build great creative relationships and at the same time sends out a message that people all over the world respond very positively to,” Mr. Persson said.

The publication’s next step is online. Mr. Persson said a “Web presence” was still being developed and, while the content was being discussed, it may be different from that of the magazine and would include a lot of video.

In the same online universe, Nowness, the cybermagazine begun by LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton in 2010, has positioned itself as a virtual publication that hardly mentions its owner’s name.

“It is perceived as an independent media, and addresses the world of luxury in a nonpromotional way,” said Kamel Ouadi, its executive vice president.

Nowness says that its user figures — more than 300,000 registered users, and some videos reaching one million or more hits — are proof of its success.

While customers and potential customers are always an important audience, some companies say their publications have proved to have internal benefits as well.

For example, the retailer COS, a division of the Swedish company Hennes Mauritz, says its free, tabloid-sized fashion-and-lifestyle publication and blog have inspired executives and employees.

“It works as a really strong branding tool internally,” said Mary Honda, who is in charge of the company’s brand development. “It helps us maintain a discussion about the evolution of the brand.”

In the case of Net-a-Porter, an online magazine and retail Web site, and Mr. Porter, its men’s wear magazine and retail site, the marketing clues that the sites produce have been invaluable.

“The Web offers advantages simply impossible with print: We can see how much a reader lingered on a page, what he skipped, and then what he bought,” said Jeremy Langmead, Mr. Porter’s editor in chief, who had held the same position at British Esquire but said he longed for the nimbleness of the digital world.

“We write about what we stock, but we stock what we like,” allowing for fluidity between editorial and commerce, he said. “This way, we can write what we believe about rather than what advertisers believe.”

Article source: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/22/fashion/22iht-rbrand22.html

The fourth day of the weeklong fashion extravaganza saw a futuristic punk aesthetic marry beaded florals at Kane, the hottest young designer showing in the British capital, while Burberry’s design chief Christopher Bailey dished up a luxurious collection of English tweed, herringbone and corduroys.

Observers said Kane’s autumn and winter show, one of the most eagerly anticipated of the week, highlighted the unorthodox creativity and emphasis on craft that set London’s young designers apart from those in other fashion capitals.

“Young British designers these days are reaching ever stronger heights with digital printing,” said Hilary Alexander, a veteran British fashion writer. “The emphasis on arts and crafts, the embellishment of fabric — they’re not afraid to experiment.”

Kane, who is known to pair traditionally feminine details with tough futuristic touches, delivered a memorable collection that featured purple leopard prints, intricately beaded floral separates and sheer purple and red dresses embroidered with oversized velvet flowers. Black leather detailing kept the look modern and edgy: Thick leather piping adorned most garments, and some of the dresses also had black leather shirt collars and sleeves.

One of the standout outfits was fire-engine red from head to toe: A long red fluffy turtleneck, paired with red wide-leg trousers with a black leather trim down the side.

“I liked the colors, the beading — it was so lovely,” said television presenter Alexa Chung, who sat in the front row along with model Yasmin Le Bon, American Vogue’s Anna Wintour and Samantha Cameron, the wife of British Prime Minister David Cameron.

Over at Burberry, the emphasis was on classic Englishness. There were riding jackets galore, as well as velvet quilting, herringbone wool and tweed caps — and of course incarnations of the brand’s most famous garment, the trench coat.

Bailey, who has been at the helm of Burberry for more than a decade and is credited with revitalizing the once-fusty brand, said he wanted to merge city style and country living.

“I like the idea of celebrating the country, celebrating the town,” he said.

Bridle leather straps, shearling parkas and quilting were evocative of the horse-riding country lifestyle of the English upper class, while cute owl drawings and appliques on some of the collection’s T-shirts and sweaters, as well as gold metal fox belt buckles, were a fun and quirky take on the “country” theme.

A huge range of coats and jackets made up much of the collection. Some were cinched in with candy-colored belts with bows, while others had masculine tailored shoulders and large pouches. Cropped, down-filled puffer jackets were paired with tweed ruffled pencil skirts, giving the ladylike look a sporty twist.

Colors were rich and autumnal, with mustard, burgundy, blackcurrant and forest green, while wide horizontal stripes in gray, navy and honey kept the look young and vibrant.

Bailey likes to put on an entertaining show. This season he closed his display with a clap of thunder, a realistic torrent of rain falling on the show tent’s glass windows and a finale of umbrella-toting models walking down the catwalk to clear confetti.

What could be more British?

“I quite like celebrating rain,” said Bailey. “I like the romance. I quite like the melancholy.”

There was also an autumnal feel at the debut of the McQ line, a new offering from the fashion house of the late Alexander McQueen, now headed by Sarah Burton, who gained worldwide fame last year for her design of Kate Middleton’s wedding gown.

The McQ line is designed to be a more affordable range for a younger, less affluent crowd. The prospect at a first look at Burton’s legendary handiwork drew a frenzied crowd Monday night, and they arrived to find the catwalk — in fact the entire stage — thick with fallen leaves. One end of the hall was transformed into dark woods, giving the entire set a forested feel.

Most of the models had strange, saucer-like hairstyles, giving them a space-age, inhuman feel, and many wore military-style coat dresses embellished with beading and embroidery. Thigh-high lace boots and long trench coats added to the look. A Scottish influence was felt throughout, with some of the male models dressed in kilts.

Some of the black flared dresses with color bursts on the front were dramatic, but overall the line lacked the imaginative spark long associated with the McQueen house.

Other designers showing Monday included Erdem, Pringle of Scotland, Osman and Peter Pilotto, whose slim-line colorful dresses drawing on Japanese and Chinese traditions drew an impressive response.

________

Associated Press writer Raphael Satter contributed to this report.

___

Online:

London Fashion Week: http://www.londonfashionweek.co.uk

Sylvia Hui can be reached at: http://twitter.com/sylviahui

Article source: http://news.yahoo.com/burberry-headlines-busy-day-london-fashion-week-214116807.html

Day 4 of the weeklong fashion extravaganza saw a futuristic punk esthetic marry beaded florals at Kane, the hottest young designer showing in the British capital, while Burberry’s design chief Christopher Bailey dished up a luxurious collection of English tweed, herringbone and corduroys.

Observers said Kane’s autumn and winter show, one of the most eagerly anticipated of the week, highlighted the unorthodox creativity and emphasis on craft that set London’s young designers apart from those in other fashion capitals.

“Young British designers these days are reaching ever stronger heights with digital printing,” said Hilary Alexander, a veteran British fashion writer. “The emphasis on arts and crafts, the embellishment of fabric — they’re not afraid to experiment.”

Kane, who is known to pair traditionally feminine details with tough futuristic touches, delivered a memorable collection that featured purple leopard prints, intricately beaded floral separates and sheer purple and red dresses embroidered with oversized velvet flowers. Black leather detailing kept the look modern and edgy: Thick leather piping adorned most garments, and some of the dresses also had black leather shirt collars and sleeves.

One of the standout outfits was fire-engine red from head to toe: A long red fluffy turtleneck, paired with red wide-leg trousers with a black leather trim down the side.

“I liked the colours, the beading — it was so lovely,” said television presenter Alexa Chung, who sat in the front row along with model Yasmin Le Bon, American Vogue’s Anna Wintour and Samantha Cameron, the wife of British Prime Minister David Cameron.

Over at Burberry, the emphasis was on classic Englishness. There were riding jackets galore, as well as velvet quilting, herringbone wool and tweed caps — and of course incarnations of the brand’s most famous garment, the trench coat.

Bailey, who has been at the helm of Burberry for more than a decade and is credited with revitalizing the once-fusty brand, said he wanted to merge city style and country living.

“I like the idea of celebrating the country, celebrating the town,” he said.

Bridle leather straps, shearling parkas and quilting were evocative of the horse-riding country lifestyle of the English upper class, while cute owl drawings and appliques on some of the collection’s T-shirts and sweaters, as well as gold metal fox belt buckles, were a fun and quirky take on the “country” theme.

A huge range of coats and jackets made up much of the collection. Some were cinched in with candy-colored belts with bows, while others had masculine tailored shoulders and large pouches. Cropped, down-filled puffer jackets were paired with tweed ruffled pencil skirts, giving the ladylike look a sporty twist.

Colours were rich and autumnal, with mustard, burgundy, blackcurrant and forest green, while wide horizontal stripes in grey, navy and honey kept the look young and vibrant.

Bailey likes to put on an entertaining show. This season he closed his display with a clap of thunder, a realistic torrent of rain falling on the show tent’s glass windows and a finale of umbrella-toting models walking down the catwalk to clear confetti.

What could be more British?

“I quite like celebrating rain,” said Bailey. “I like the romance. I quite like the melancholy.”

Burberry’s show, housed in its own temporary Hyde Park tent, is the biggest and glitziest production during London Fashion Week. Monday’s event drew stars such as Hollywood actress Kate Bosworth, celebrity photographer Mario Testino and Korean pop group Girls’ Generation.

Also showing Monday were Erdem, Pringle of Scotland, Osman and Peter Pilotto.

___

Online:

London Fashion Week: http://www.londonfashionweek.co.uk

Sylvia Hui can be reached at: http://twitter.com/sylviahui

Article source: http://news.yahoo.com/burberry-christopher-kane-mcq-bring-london-fashion-week-220014792.html

The young designer wowed the crowds again Monday with his collection of sheer embroidered dresses, leather detailing and purple animal prints.

“I liked the colors, the beading — it was so lovely,” said television presenter Alexa Chung.

Kane, who is known to pair traditionally feminine details with tough futuristic touches, opened his show with a series of black coats, jackets and silk trousers all printed with thin, widely spaced white pinstripes.

The all-black ensembles soon gave way to colors — and this season, it was all about purple and red — even the catwalk and the seats were covered with a lilac carpet.

A purple leopard print appeared on various separates in different materials, including a semi-matte PVC coat. Then came a sheer short-sleeve purple dress, loosely cut, embroidered with oversized black velvet flowers. The huge velvet flowers appeared later on another dress — in that case, red flowers on a red sheer dress.

One of the more memorable outfits was fire-engine red from head to toe: A long red fluffy turtleneck, paired with red wide-leg trousers with a black leather trim down the side.

Thick and solid black leather trims were used prominently throughout, appearing at pockets, collars, and hemlines to toughen up and modernize the look. Beaded floral and animal print separates were paired with black leather shirt collars or leather sleeves.

The show closed with beaded dresses in a vintage style floral pattern in lilac and red, with models wearing the outfits with matching box clutches.

The show, one of the most eagerly anticipated at the fashion week, drew American Vogue’s Anna Wintour, Samantha Cameron — stylish wife of British Prime Minister David Cameron — and model Yasmin le Bon to its front row.

Hilary Alexander, a veteran British fashion writer, called the show “extraordinary,” saying it highlighted the fabric embellishment, printing and arts and crafts that set London’s young designers apart from those showing in other fashion capitals.

“Young British designers these days are reaching ever stronger heights with digital printing,” she said. “They’re not afraid to experiment.”

Article source: http://news.yahoo.com/london-fashion-darling-christopher-kane-wows-152306489.html

Instead of a traditional catwalk show, McCartney invited 100 or so of her closest friends for dinner — she was flanked by Vogue editor Anna Wintour and the singer Rihanna, with model Kate Moss close by — and sat at her table applauding when the models emerged unannounced from the dinner crowd dressed in gorgeous evening wear.

They danced on tables, were passed around on chairs held high — almost as if it was a traditional Jewish wedding — and gyrated to raucous music for a brief six or seven minutes, then went up on stage to be joined by the designer.

It was an impressive break with tradition, with the models following a magic show that saw TV personality Alexa Chung apparently suspended in mid-air. The festivities followed a hoity-toity sitdown dinner that featured a live band in tuxedos playing traditional jazz tunes.

McCartney’s unorthodox contribution to London Fashion Week seemed to strike a chord, even if it was hard to gauge the sexy, lacy and tight evening wear her models were wearing for their brief spotlight stint. The dresses looked beautifully made and colorful, but it was difficult to judge each one as they swirled by.

“It was a good idea, and she made it work,” said former model Bianca Jagger, wearing a signature white suit. “It was nice to see something different, something dramatic. The clothes looked great. And the food was delicious.”

The menu included duck with black truffles, chestnuts and Jerusalem artichokes, beetroots with Sicilian blood oranges, saffron risotto, and Wigmore cheese with still more black truffles, along with a variety of wines and Veuve Clicquot champagne.

It was a rare London appearance for McCartney, who usually shows her designs in Paris. She was joined at the head table by Rihanna, wearing a dramatic dark green full-length gown with a deeply plunging neckline, and Wintour, who wore a more demure dark dress.

Rihanna’s many admirers said she had styled herself after the young Tina Turner.

After the show, an exuberant McCartney declined to give any details about her designs for Britain’s Olympic team uniforms, which have not yet been revealed.

“It’s a big secret,” she said.

Why would she turn to sports gear after a successful career selling gowns, cocktail dresses, lingerie and perfume?

“Because I’m British and it’s a huge honor for me,” she said.

Article source: http://news.yahoo.com/stella-mccartney-shakes-fashion-show-003543883.html

This year is also the celebration of a decade of support from Topshop, which has done so much to nurture young talent.

It is the kooky side of London style that charms and inspires, from the mad outfits put together by creative fashionistas on the streets to the originality on the runways.

That the Stella McCartney
catwalk was nonexistent was part of the charm. The designer called on her friend Rihanna to drum up excitement for that coming Hollywood moment: the Academy Awards next Sunday.

Oscar-worthy dresses included last season’s black dress with curving inserts of sheer chiffon, as worn by Kate Moss; and the colorful outfits from jumpsuits to printed dresses that prove Ms. McCartney’s once sporty touch to be strong for after dark.

A balloon fest of inflated gilded “padlocks” and two beast-like creatures greeted guests at Mulberry
’s show Sunday. Add the American singer-sensation Lana Del Rey, sitting front row to publicize not her “Video Games” music but a namesake handbag.

Almost every outfit had a bag — Mulberry’s forte — but the designer Emma Hill created a fun collection of Mongolian lamb coats and vests and other hairy separates inspired by Maurice Sendak’s book “Where the Wild Things Are.”

London also has a quiet and considered style. Marios Schwab
called his woman “a voyeur,” an observer half- concealed behind a hat and half-revealed in dresses where a tracery of stitches at the waist focused on the sinuous shape.

The curving, chiaroscuro effect of the spring season developed for fall into more definite colors and textures: lace, perhaps embellished with iridescent sparkles; textured velvet with leather pockets; and a flash of green at the hem, developing later as pale shades of pistachio.

The grace and gentility — so different from London’s more raucous side — puts Mr. Schwab into a class of his own.

Spiky hair, with upstanding cap peaks and mixes of lace with shiny silver leather, brought a touch of the wild from Simone Rocha
. Her fusion of craftsmanship and cool, of dainty lace with hairy fur and curly wool, made her show a standout for originality and attitude.

Founded on neo-romantic knitwear and original prints, Clements Ribeiro
riffed on those same subjects but with more subdued patterns and a tougher attitude. A lean line, with slim skirts or pants, was part of a graphic style that included geometric blocks of vivid color, especially effective as intarsia patterns on sweaters.

Big hair, a Russian vibe with Moscow’s onion domes as prints — Issa London
’s collection took a bold, sexy step away from the wrap dresses favored by the Duchess of Cambridge, the former Kate Middleton. Jumpsuits and caftans, as well as sensual body-clinging dresses, suggested that the designer Daniella Helayel was looking more to her native Brazil than to winter in London — or Moscow.

The rodeo is calling! In cowboy hats and bucking bronco horses, the America West galloped through Kinder Aggugini
’s show. His horsey people were taken from a wallpaper print, part of what the designer called “appropriation” of culture and image. But used intelligently as a front panel or just as a patch of pattern at the shoulders, it made for a well-balanced look.

Todd Lynn
was first known for his lean tailoring. But the designer is now branching out — not from his narrow silhouette but to slim dresses. He also added colors like rust, olive green and blue to warm up his chic severity.

Hip? Check. Fun? Check! Colorful? Check! Fatal attraction for the princess of cool, Alexa Chung? Check.

Henry Holland’s House of Holland
collection of body-conscious clothes in vivid stripes, zigzag and enlarged houndstooth checks is as “London” as it gets. Jumpsuits, military overalls, skinny dresses and flared pants made up a dizzy array of clothes. Not to be taken too seriously. But fun.

Article source: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/20/fashion/20iht-rstella20.html

Day Three of London Fashion Week saw a new strategy for leather pants: instead of the skintight Jim Morrison look, both Mulberry and Top Shop showcased wide-legged, baggy leather pants.

Others turned to velvet for a showy, festive look.

Much of the attention focused on Westwood, once England’s high priestess of punk, now a heritage brand unto herself, a designer whose vast experience and detailed archives can be mined whenever it’s time to whip up another collection.

This time it was her Red Label look, which often depends on being able to put a fresh twist of the designs of recent decades.

This time, the twist was body paint (in some cases it looked like temporary tattoos) applied to the models’ skin before they hit the stage. Many had symbols or words painted on their necks, arms or chests before they strutted onto the catwalk; others had their legs painted.

It added aura and mystery to Westwood’s show, which featured some beautifully shaped dresses, most in simple solid colors, as well as some less successful ensembles. It was a playful and picturesque show. Westwood called it a British collection, citing Savile Row tailors and the shirtmakers of Jermyn Street, but it had an international feel, helped by the body paint.

“I thought this collection was absolutely great,” said semiretired model Jo Wood, who made a star turn as a Westwood model three years ago. “Fab trousers, lovely little pleated skirts, really cool.”

Would the collection, or the chance to be among the first to sample Westwood’s next effort, lure her back to the pressures of a catwalk show?

“Without a doubt,” Wood said.

The mood was quite different at the luxury band Mulberry show. Taking inspiration from the monsters in Maurice Sendak’s children’s book “Where the Wild Things Are,” Mulberry sent models swathed in oversized, shaggy fur coats and gilets down the catwalk Sunday for its whimsical show.

Creative director Emma Hill said she was inspired both by Sendak’s beloved book and by Spike Jonze’s movie adaptation — and the playful tone was set with a few roars on the soundtrack as the show began. Some of the cartoon owlish creatures even found their way onto a model’s printed sweater, and at one point the catwalk was invaded by a particularly shaggy dog, dressed in a tiger-striped canine-sized sweater.

“The rustic colors, furry textures and dark woody atmosphere (of the movie) felt like a natural fit for Mulberry, but with a enchanted and childlike twist,” Hill told the Associated Press in an email.

Overall, however, she kept things sophisticated and wearable.

That included thin leather belts cinched in loose outerwear, made in black rabbit fur or brown sheepskin and adorned with exaggerated fur trimmings at the shoulders. And beneath the thick layers of fur, wool and fleece, the silhouette was kept romantic and delicate: Ethereal silk and lace nightie dresses and pencil skirts clung to the body, emphasizing feminine movement.

One of the standout dresses featured the sheerest tie-dyed silk in ink blue and dark red, so that the colors looked almost as if they were tattooed onto the skin.

Paul Smith’s show was more sober-minded. Long one of Britain’s most commercially successful designers, he stuck to his favorite slim, androgynous silhouette for his autumn and winter collection Sunday.

Models wore fitted blazers, skinny trousers, narrowly cut, high-necked sweaters, and had mannish, boyfriend coats draped nonchalantly over their shoulders. Colors were muted, with grays, mustard, jade and burgundy dominating. There was a lot of velvet and tweed, and the designer also played with contrasting fabrics, pairing a smoking jacket with brocade trousers.

There’s subtle sex appeal in the modest clothing, Smith said.

“I don’t think you need to see skin necessarily to respect the female form,” he told reporters backstage after the show.

The most feminine look of the collection featured a sheer top that’s made of a see-through, shimmery black material, with a man’s white dress shirt collar. Worn under an evening suit, the effect was elegant but daring.

At Unique by Topshop, the new collection was all about utility dressing gone glam: Leather dungarees, velvet boiler suits, and full-length military coats. Unique, the design-led offshoot of Britain