Harriet Quick, Sarah Harris and Emma Elwick tell you the latest from the second day of catwalks at London Fashion Week, Sunday 19th September. All photographs by Chris Moore.

Nicole Farhi S/S 06


There was a touch of dolce vita at Nicole Farhi's show with neat slim sexy lines inspired by a young Bardot. Flower print t's and loose tops were belted into pencil skirts; disc decorated edge to edge coats in terra cotta over pretty cotton dresses which knotted at the shoulder in little rosettes. In fact the belts which nipped in everything were the leit motif bringing new attention to the waist. Stars like Kate Moss and Kiera Knightley have been working this look for a while - it is the heart of the womanly look which Farhi was playing well. Pure white - a major trend for the new season - featured in fit and flare dresses that had that charm of innocence. HQ

Ghost S/S 06


Who said Boho was dead? Ghost's Tanya Sarne and her design trio, Amy Roberts, Sophia Malig and Yong Fong took the Sienna Miller style in a fresh new direction for summer '06. Their gentle gypsy girl flirted with a sorbet colour palette of peppermint, lilac, pink crush, primrose and cornflower in prairie-inspired cotton sundresses that boasted puffed frilly short sleeves and frayed hemlines that with every step gave view to bustling petticoats. Also on offer were cropped Edwardian style blousy jackets, knee length shorts, loose fitting camisole tops with lace panelling and drawstring scooped necks. Everything looked like it had been faded in the sun and washed a thousand times (many pieces came crinkled too for love-worn, hung-out-to-dry effect).

Margaret Howell S/S 06


'It ain't what you do, it's the way that you do it' sang Bananarama and Fun Boy Three, capturing the spirit that is Margaret Howell. Margaret Howell remains impressively impervious to trends, concentrating on cultivating a style that has endeared her to her many fans. Howell does not set out to surprise, but continues to offer the chicest in gamine basics. With floor-skimming linen and stripy palazzos fit for Kate Hepburn, orca fine merino knits, sportif tracksuit shorts and gauzy blouses paired with cropped trousers. Dresses were simply cut but cheerfully patterned with geometric prints. Amid the mannish sensibility there were playful boyish elements- displaced bow-ties, cropped skater- style baggy denim trousers and tousled ponytails tied up with oh-so-sweet scarves. EE

Betty Jackson S/S 06


For Betty Jackson, summer '06 is all about relaxed dressing and who better to sing her soundtrack than soul star Ray Charles? Aside from her bronzed spangle linen suiting, her clothes were free-flowing with empire lines and flared silhouettes. Even her tailoring was free spirited. ?Red on ivory lacey skirts were gathered and voluminous, while matching jackets were cropped and swingy or given extra movement with box pleat trims. Her summer sundresses came in smocked or sweet baby doll shapes in smudgy raspberry laser and paisley prints, or were just eye-popping red with broderie anglaise detail. Meanwhile Jackson's oyster nightie-inspired dresses looked like they had stepped straight from the boudoir; they came with matching short-sleeved romantic robes, left untied in keeping with her breezy mood. SH

Jessica Ogden S/S 06


It was just another typical day at the beach for Jessica Ogden. In her world her shore comes set with multi-coloured patchwork parasol and quilted sun-lounger, and gigantic stuffed giraffe, mouse, apple and a pink swooping bird that hung suspended from the ceiling; it was inspired by the surreal style writing of Haruki Murakami who creates a dreamlike state where time stands still. But onto the beachwear?: Sun tops and dresses in gingham and crinkled cotton came fitted at the top with pretty square and sweetheart necklines, but soon fluted out into voluminous trapeze shapes. Shorts too were wide; many were shaped like boxers for that borrowing from the boyfriend aesthetic. Ogden's detail in this charmingly quirky collection was key. Belts and clutch bags were based on the shapes of shells while bows that were tied to string and worn as sashes (like a kite's tail) ranged from the tiny to the exaggerated. SH

Preen S/S 06


What a treat the Preen show turned out to be, not just because of the location (although that was breathtaking; set in City Hall the huge glass fa�ade looked out onto the Thames and across to the Gherkin and Tower of London) but the collection was perhaps their best yet. Opening the show was a series of pale pink silk jersey dresses that draped and enveloped the body sensuously in the manner that a Sophia Kokosalaki dress does. Trousers, in pale pink and oyster were equally good, straight legged and high-waisted, they were paired with colour co-ordinated silky outsize blouses. Next came dusty pink cropped trench coats and cuffed shorts, which took the palette to a new tone of soft dove grey - in this hue came delicately twisted t-shirt dresses and others made from bandaged boob-tube tops and deflated puff ball silk skirts that had been softly reined in. Stellar. SH

Gharani Strok S/S 06


The Gharani Strok woman refuses to compromise on glamour, be it day or evening. Hinting at a eighties moment- think Robert Palmer's 'Addicted to love' video - high maintenance vixens paraded in body-con jersey mini dresses in bold tangerine or black , toughened up with punky silver and gold chains, were perfect for the beach or club. Dresses were also rouched and twisted and sprinkled with diamente.Halterneck cascades of chains were paired with cheeky black denim drainpipes and hopants. Taking a lighter turn, slouchy metallic linen tailoring teamed with cool optic white and dove grey chiffon spelt daytime precious, as did slinky sexy secretary knit dresses. The glamour intensified with Grecian goddess gowns in the softest shades of cafe creme and latte, to show off that tan to perfection. EE

Clements Ribiero S/S 06


This season Clements Ribeiro showed a shorter, simpler and perhaps more sombre show in mood, but it still managed to execute perfectly what the duo do best; surprise combinations. Instead of their usual parade of colourful clashes depicting circus scenes and suchlike, this season it was mixing an elaborate Art Nouveau print with sketchy stripes and a circular black ring print on white. Shapes took inspiration from the Sixties with collarless 3/4 sleeve macs, swingy circle skirts or wrap around tennis-style minis, cropped trousers and fuss-free mod shifts that came in white with a feathered print necklace, or appliqued black daisies. SH

Unique S/S 06


Only a month ago the great and the glamorous gathered in Berkeley Square for the re-instated ball. and they rejoined for TopShop's premier presentation of its fashion forward Unique line. Set designer Simon Costin did the stage which took the shape of a chip board catwalk flanked by multiple TV's. Erin O'Connor, Donna Air and Liberty Ross were amongst the guests to view the line up of chic urban fashion. There were flavours of Lanvin in the belted swing dresses, a memory of Helmut Lang in the vest and peg trouser outfits and a touch of Balenciaga in the bib brace pencil skirts. Lots of hits for the girls about town - the jumpsuits , micro shorts and crop jackets will not be on shelves for very long. HQ

Basso & Brooke S/S 06


Welcome to the carnival... Last Year's Fashion Fringe winners did not disappoint with an explosion of vivid colours and kitsch accessories that captivated the fashion crowd, who smiled at the multi-printed high campery. Opening with a theatrical whoosh of the enormous Elnett spray, exuberant Latin colour, theatrically exaggerated silhouettes (vast hats, flounces, and burlesque posturings), sashayed sassily down the runway. The show, entitled Vanity Affair, is inspired by "disenchanted housewives ... for whom bridge parties and coffee mornings have been superceded by pills and pitchers of cocktails before noon,' - simultaneously teasing fashion's vanity (with mirror prints and oversized shades) whilst celebrating it with Galliano-esque gusto. Piling on reference upon reference, they mixed it up with psychedelic computer-printed fifties prom dresses, hobbled Vegas gowns, and spray-on eighties leggings with flowers, technicolour polka dots and Metropolis modernist prints. More is definitely more. EE

� London Fashion Week

Publisher: london fashion week
The British Fashion Council owns and organises London Fashion Week and the British Fashion Awards. It also seeks to help British designers to develop their businesses and has published Designer Fact File, a guide to setting up a designer fashion business and the Designer Manufacturing Handbook.
Web: www.londonfashionweek.co.uk
Published: september 18 2005
Market: mens womens
Region: england
Industry: apparel accessories

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