The Fashion Statement: The Flock Hops the Pond

by Kristin Young (RSS feed)
Sep 23rd 2010 at 9:00AM

New York is still recovering from fashion week and, less than a week later, London fashion week has already come and gone. There's a lot to talk about.

Jude Law sat front row at Sienna Miller's Twenty8Twelve show because he loves her, the actor told WWD. Designer Matthew Williamson also sat front row (Miller returned the favor and warmed the front row for Williamson). Miller, who designs the line with her sister Savannah, sent out lace, embroidery, prints and color designed for a girl on a journey from Mexico to Thailand circa 1950. The collection was inspired by Joni Mitchell's "Don Juan's reckless daughter" album.

For digital master Mary Katrantzou, who staged her first standalone show, print was king. The designer to watch picked up Helmut Newton and Guy Bourdin photographs from the '70s and decided to transform the interiors in the pictures-not the models in them-into cocktail dresses. Oftentimes, the dresses had almost 3D effect to them. For example, a room on a bodice lent background perspective to a dining table on the foreground-on a skirt. Chiffon trim looked like curtains. Truly works of art.

Burberry Prorsum, the British purveyor of the iconic trench coat, reinterpreted the look biker chick style. Trenches were cinched up, shortened and quilted with enough padding one could certainly wear them on a motorcycle road trip. Matthew Williamson was less bohemian than he usually is showing high-waisted sailor pants and sundresses topped with blazers. Vivienne Westwood built her spring collection around Leonard Peltier, an activist for Native Americans, who's been in jail since 1977 for allegedly murdering FBI agents. The Westwood collection was equal parts military and Navajo-inspired prints. Finally, Jonathan Saunders coupled feminine flower prints with austere pencil skirts horizontally marked in one or two sections with a bright orange or baby blue stripe.

Last, but not least Vogue, editrix Anna Wintour (pictured above) wore two dresses yesterday and both of those same dresses made appearances less than a week ago in New York. Picture on the left? Calvin Klein show in New York last Thursday. The image on the right? Burberry in London on Tuesday. She wore another black and red frock at the Isabella Blow book party on Tuesday. Last week, she wore that same dress to Proenza Schouler's show in New York. That's two dresses repeated twice in less than a week by the most powerful fashion editor in the world.

Tags: Anna Wintour, Burberry Prorsum, Jonathan Saunders, London Fashion Week, Mary Kantrantzou, Mathew Williamson, Twenty8Twelve