London Fashion Week, Day 5, Part 2

Miss Magpie may still be in recovery from the excesses of LFW but she isn't going to make you wait any longer to hear about the fab shows she saw yesterday. That's devotion for you!

Show No. 1: Jonathan Saunders

Ohh-la-la, was this a treat or what! Rather than go down the route of reviving the Seventies, which most other designers have opted for, Jonathan Saunders looked further back in time and took his inspiration from the Forties and Fifties.

The dresses were divine creations - some made for the woman in us, others for the girl.

 

You can absolutely see the 1940/50's influence shining through here. I adore this look.

 This dress is simply amazing. I love how the sheer fabric sits against the strapless body underneath. The print is so pretty and is exactly what prevents this dress from being slutty.

 From below the knee to below the bum, the hemlines shot up drastically, bringing out the naughtier side of the collection.

 Back to the longer lengths and a more tranquil colour palette...after this it went black!

As you can see the indications on hemline were not quite clear. They went from the sophisticated calf length to the very youthful mid-thigh. Though this didn't make clear who exactly Jonathan Saunders was appealing too, it made for a delightful collection. And perhaps he's just broadening his appeal?

The colours and prints made for pieces of art - blocked colour looks were separated by picture perfect florals, all of which had me desperate for a piece of Saunders.

Hair was sleek and tied back. Lips were red hot. The overall look was womanly and seductive. I was sold in minutes.

Show No. 2: Ashish

If you have some knowledge of Ashish and if you have been reading this blog for long enough, you'll know that we are a match made in heaven. Ashish's trade mark is his use of sequins, mine is how much I wear them.

This season, Ashish went for a Wild West theme. It was Dolly Parton meets Lily Savage meets the Village People meets a sequin explosion. Camper than anything and it sounds totally bizarre...but I loved it.

The first look got the sequin ball rolling in a very dazzling, high energy way: a simple black sequin dress, with a sequin red bandana scarf and a pair of cowboy boots. The boots. on first glance, are just a pair of cowboy boots, but on closer inspection one shows the MacDonalds logo and the other, a label of a Heinz Baked Beans tin. Social commentary on a pair of boots? Love it.

I'm thinking Pocahontas was one inspiration here, i.e. the feather headpiece and cropped top. The second piece of inspiration, it seems, was a cow. I'd love to be in the mind of Ashish Gupta!

When this headpiece came down, I could only think of doing the Can-Can. That or some kind of American Indian chanting around a campfire. Just goes to show how fun and exciting the show was.

Each piece was a larger-than-life, pailette or fringe covered version of its ancestor. The fringed jeans were clearly a mistake (sorry - was too horrified to take pictures of them) and the headpieces, well they were fabulous...though perhaps better reserved for fancy dress!

Show No. 3: Issa

Now, I must admit that I've always thought of Issa as a bit samey and uninspiring. I was wrong. This collection was just gorgeous...beautiful...magnificent...

Jewel colours ruled the collection and actually managed to look chic rather than tacky.

Elegant and lady-like, with the perfect dose of glamour.

The few prints included in the collection were bold and bright. The trousers looked so incredibly comfortable. I want some!

The inspiration was India - I'm guessing this is where the colours and draped sari-like pieces came from. The wrapped head pieces looked more African and the printed fabric (above) more Cubist  to me. But forgetting that, the collection really was gorgeous and very, very wearable.

Coming next... All the trends from London Fashion Week.