London Fashion Week AW20: The Beckhams come out in support for Victoria while Roland Mouret champions ‘values not trends’
Day three brought defiance and drama to the runways, reports Olivia Petter
Nothing can rain on London Fashion Week’s parade – not even a sprightly storm named Dennis. The downpour might have raged on as editors, celebrities and buyers darted between shows in Westminster and Whitechapel, but designers including Margaret Howell and Roland Mouret ensured nobody’s spirits were dampened, with autumn/winter 2020 collections that enlivened and brightened in equal measure.
Defiance was a common theme – and not just against the weather. At Victoria Beckham, the collection was intended to reflect, “the tension between refinement and rebellion” and Beckham urged her customers to follow their instincts, to twist the codes of femininity and to “be spirited”, all of which gave way to Beckham’s boldest collection to date.
The mood was no less lively over at Preen by Thornton Bregazzi, which was just a hop, skip and a puddle-jump away. Models stomped down the runway in wrinkled knee-high boots whose grit was offset by sculptural sequin gowns and glistening sheets of gold leaf that illuminated their faces. Even at Margaret Howell, where the aesthetic is famously English heritage and the palette is neutral, there was something transgressive in the air as women went bare-legged under cropped trench coats and tucked their hair into bucket hats that lent the aesthetic a more androgynous feel.
Roland Mouret went one step further by dressing his male and female models in tight-fitting headgear so that it was almost impossible to distinguish between genders at his show, where the overriding theme was “values over trends”.
Meanwhile, MM6 Maison Margiela eschewed a traditional runway show and instead invited guests to walk through four underground disused rooms behind The Strand as models roamed around in neon pink poloneck tops and zebra print capes. If the bizarre experiential setup wasn’t disorientating enough, attendees could also see into the next room before entering it thanks to large projections on the concrete walls. That combined with the techno music and series of record players strapped to chairs made it all seem very Black Mirror meets immersive theatre. As part of a collaboration with North Face, the clothes faded somewhat into the background behind the theatrical concept. Here was a fashion show that defied being defined as a fashion show, so it seemed.
Read on for our highlights from day three of London Fashion Week autumn/winter 2020.
Victoria Beckham
Victoria Beckham’s autumn/winter 2020 show was punchy from the get-go. The location, Banqueting House in Whitehall, set an opulent tone, with regency pillars lining either side and the famous Peter Paul Rubens ceiling (the only surviving in-situ ceiling painting by the Flemish master) above.
As guests gradually began to fill their allocated seats, a spotlight shone on the gaping space between British Vogue editor Edward Enninful and American Vogue editor Anna Wintour, both of whom sidled (separately) onto the Frow from backstage. It wasn’t until the Beckham clan – David, Romeo, Harper and Cruz – proceeded to fill said space that everyone breathed a sigh of relief and the tension subsided. But onto the clothes, which, ostensibly is what fashion shows are all about.
According to the show notes, “gentle rebellion” was the overriding theme for the collection. But there was nothing gentle about those structural go-go boots and plunging necklines, which guests ogled at while an expletive-laden soundtrack blared from the speakers. The models stormed down the runway in double-breasted velvet coats, high-neck patterned frocks and fluted skirts that came in heavy tweeds, whimsical checks and vivid scarlet shades (a perennial favourite in Beckham’s collections). Elsewhere, Beckham played with silhouettes, adding bulbous puff sleeves to classic white shirts and elbow cutouts to knitwear. The overriding sentiment, according to Beckham, was that women “don’t have to follow the rules” next season. Let’s hope it’s a mantra that sticks.
Preen by Thornton Bregazzi
As guests filed into the oppulent rotunda of Westminster Church House no one could help but wonder why the room was soaked in a deep red light, one that had people squinting after about 15 minutes and longing for the show to begin. At least there was coffee though, something of a rarity at fashion shows today, where you’re lucky to get so much as a glass of tap water let alone a complimentary caffeinated beverage.
After what seemed like an age of wondering what the world would look like painted red, the lights lifted, pumping music blasted from the speakers and we were suddenly ejected into Preen by Thornton Bregazzi’s glitter-soaked realm, where everything, from the gowns to the models’ ears, sparkled.
Gold sequins were slathered on ruffled frocks, tucked into tiered skirts and scattered on sleeves while harlequin prints enlivened shirt dresses and skirts. There were various nods to the 1980s, too, by way of taffeta scarlet frocks, aqua blue pussy-bow blouses and one retro fuchsia dress worthy of any thrill-seeking prom queen. There was a lot going on here, but by resisting a cohesive theme, Preen by Thornton Bregazzi’s autumn/winter 2020 collection stimulated the imagination and provided a joyous and glittering distraction from the drab drizzle outside.
Roland Mouret
The brutalist National Theatre is not exactly the kind of venue one would associate with the glitz and glamour of London Fashion Week. Nonetheless, it proved the perfect venue for Roland Mouret, whose front row was filled with models (Arizona Muse), emerging actors (Ella-Rae Smith) and thespians (Sheila Atim). But all eyes were on Fleabag’s Sian Clifford, who looked slick and sophisticated in a navy blue shirt and pinstripe skirt with hair neatly tied back in a style that was certainly a far cry from the famous “pencil” haircut she sported in the BBC series.
According to the show notes, this would be Roland Mouret’s most political collection yet, carrying the tagline: Values over trends. Like at Preen, the key looks – wide-shouldered blazers, form-fitting skirts and punkish brooches – harked back to the 1980s. But Mouret delved deeper, tapping into the defiance of anti-Thatcherites that occupied the era via shawls inscribed with “your lies are not my dreams. The phrase was also concealed in pinstripes on suits.
Sustainability was another “value” espoused by Mouret, with shoes provided by sustainable brand Dear Frances and upcycled accessories, like a chainmail handbag created by London-based label Bottletop. The French designer went one step further by casting models of varying body shapes in the show, an all too rare thing at London Fashion Week, when the homogenised model body is tall and slim. Let’s hope others follow in Mouret’s progressive footsteps.
Margaret Howell
Famed for its neutral palettes masterful suiting, Margaret Howell isn’t exactly a brand you’d expect to get experimental at Fashion Week. That said, the British house does its classic tropes well, putting women in the grey slouchy suits it typically designs for men, and giving pleated skirts a whimsical feel by pairing them with brogues and knee-high socks. Outerwear was spruced up, too, with men wearing their stiff trench coats over glistening (and enviably rain-free) vinyl waterproofs for extra pizazz.
Some of the key looks – khaki shirts and wool blazers – were modernised with waist-cinching belts and buckled flats. But it was the accessories that helped characterise Howell’s collection and give it flair. Given that many of the models came down the runway wearing bucket hats and neck ties, items that typically worn on expeditions rather than on runways, one couldn’t help but think of Wes Anderson film’s Moonrise Kingdom, a paean to childlike nostalgia and, indeed, the kitsch camping garb Howell’s collection favoured.
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