Luella Bartley
Luella always manages to draw in the celeb crowds because her shows are always so watchable, fun and full of energy and she proved yesterday was no exception, showing her AW09 to a packed audience at London Fashion Week.
Having been crowned Designer Of The Year in November, expectations were undoubtedly high, so did the British designer deliver? Of course she did, and what's more her signature design style has been refined, updated and is bang on target for an autumn collection.
After the bright florals and tweed we saw from her last season, this collection was all about modern punk, with a hint of military thrown in for good measure.
All of her models were given a unique look with which to strut the runway, which ranged from extreme quiffs to elegant quaffed up-dos. At one point we had Pippy Longstocking style plaits, followed by pink bunches and blonde curly Afros showcased on the models.
In addition to all the fun on the catwalk, we were treated to some signature Luella style, which included her perfect prom dresses and military influences brought to life on the runway.
Lots of detail had gone into ordinary looks to make them standout, such as added zips and brass buttons attached to coats, skirts and tops to really give the impression of military punk.
We adored her new tweed skirt teamed with gold lurex tights and a white and blue printed cardigan; it was a clash which worked well and it's wearablity will prove its success, especially in these hard financial times.
There was some masculine tailoring in places that gave the impression of a country heritage look, which Luella briefly flirted with last season. The egg shell blue colour she used was gorgeous, and a nice contrast to all the darker colours being shown on stage.
We loved a long grey jumper dress, which was very military inspired with the shoulder lapels similar to those worn by soldiers, updated of course with a signature Luella detail- large zipped pockets.
There was a slight diversion from the military theme at one point by including some naval influences, which included a gorgeous navy blue jacket with red trim and metallic brass buttons. We can see this being a wardrobe staple at the end of the year, so get your orders in now!
The cream silk ruffle dress with black military detail was stunning, as was the dress modelled by a grey haired, pink lipped Pixie Geldof.
Combining a strapless puffball dress with a lurex black jumper underneath was a nice update into winter, after all the bright sunny looks Luella showed last season.
So, after the Witchy theme last Autumn has Luella delivered another masterpiece in fashion? Well, we loved her look for this year, but we have to admit her collection last AW08 was stronger visually.
The Witch theme was inspired and kick started the trend for grown up goth last winter, and her SS09 range gave us flirty florals and one-shoulder wonders, so to be fair it was a hard act to follow, and we do rate this collection, just not as strongly as her previous ranges.
FemaleFirst- Laura Terry