London Fashion Week trends round up: best moments from the AW17 f'row

As the curtain falls on the capital’s style march, we pick our favourite moments  
Karen Dacre|Emma McCarthy21 February 2017

1. An industrial revolution is nigh

The revered designer who puts Crocs on the catwalk and chose to advertise in The Sun last weekend looks to “keep it real” again next season - this time with a collection inspired by factory girls.

Combining Velcro attachments, taffeta overalls and a silhouette inspired by lab coats, Christopher Kane gave us “craft and work”.

For your wardrobe this means a jarring of contemporary fabrics and retrospective shapes - think sponge-trimmed stilettos, metallic twinsets and futuristic dinner ladies.

Christopher Kane at LFW AW17 
Catwalking.com

2. Nicoll blue is the warmest colour

Richard Nicoll lives on in Technicolor. In a poignant tribute to the late designer, created by his closest friends including Roksanda Ilincic and Jonathan Saunders, Nicoll blue - a colour created to signify “his collections, the shirts he used to wear, the funny anorak he wore at college, the sky and of course, his eyes” - shone brightly this week.

Richard Nicoll - A Fashion Timeline

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Now officially recognised by Pantone, the shade made its catwalk debut at Roksanda’s spectacle on Monday via the diaphanous-cut dress that opened the show.

It was the perfect prologue to a collection of sumptuous claret silks and long flowing overcoats - and the perfect tribute to a man British fashion should never forget.

Roksanda at LFW AW17
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3. Call for security

The events of late - see Brexit, Trump and the proposed demise of McDonald’s beloved apple pies - has led to a collective desire to protect ourselves from the evils of the world.

In fashion terms, this has resulted in a host of styles offering to be your own personal security blanket.

At Preen, models were swaddled in flower-strewn duvet coats and padded wraps, while Mulberry’s quilted ankle-length equestrian blankets are among the chicest shields next season.

Preen at LFW AW17

4. London’s where the trench belongs

Much like gin, red buses and irrational Tube rage, the trench coat is a London icon.

It is to the capital what the beret is to Paris and the burger is to New York. So in a fitting tribute to the rainy- day staple, the trench ruled both on the catwalk and the streets outside this LFW.

And while there were many to choose from - see Burberry and #LFWstreetstyle on Instagram - we’re crowning J.W.Anderson’s double-breasted incarnation as our best of British.

J.W.Anderson at LFW AW17 
Getty Images

5. Fashion’s for sheep

If AW17 could be summed up by a fabric it would be sheepskin.

From coats (Topshop Unique) and capes (Anya Hindmarch) to tunics (JW Anderson) and trims (Preen), spongy shearling provided next season with its cuddliest incarnations.

If you want to cosy up to this trend before the rest of the flock, Topshop’s “see now, buy now” offering has you covered.

Topshop Unique at LFW AW17 
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6. Cartoons are credible

Fashion is a serious business. But that doesn’t mean we can’t indulge in a few LOLs along the way.

Cartoon characters played a starring role on the catwalks.

At House of Holland, Woody the Woodpecker adorned denim jackets, while Mary Katrantzou delved into the wonderful world of Disney’s Fantasia for her collection.

The result was among the most sophisticated offerings at London Fashion Week, with a series of crystal-encrusted gowns and velvet trouser suits depicting the film’s Centaurettes, providing a fairy-tale ending.

Mary Katrantzou at LFW AW17

7. The shirt is still king

In Christopher Bailey’s wearable tribute to Henry Moore, work shirts reigned supreme.

Burberry February 2017 at London Fashion Week

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Included to reflect the cotton butcher’s apron Moore wore to create his sculptures, the best on offer were crisp, lightweight and at times abstract in structure.

Elsewhere, oversized cuffs remained as crucial to your autumn/winter looks as the right pair of shoes.

In Antonio Berardi’s latest showcase this meant men’s shirts worn layered under sloppy ribbed knits, while in Roksanda’s showcase cotton poplin was transformed into evening gowns.

Burberry at LFW AW17
Catwalking.com

8. English roses are blooming lovely

Those foraging for next season’s ubiquitous print need look no further than their own back garden. Or in the case of most Londoners, their local M&S flower shop.

The classic English rose took root across the catwalks, notably at Emilia Wickstead, who planted the bloom on pretty evening gowns.

Roses by other names - which incidentally, smelled just as sweet - included Topshop Unique, Mulberry and Preen.

Emilia Wickstead at LFW AW17
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9. Here’s to clothes for grown-ups

The people called for catwalk fashion for which age is just a number - and Simone Rocha answered.

The designer, who chose to celebrate timeless style over youth culture, recruited a roster of modelling veterans to showcase her beautifully crafted collection.

Among them were 73-year-old Italian model Benedetta Barzini (pictured) and Ohio-born Jan Ward de Villeneuve, 69.

British supermodel Erin O’Connor, 39, also made a rare catwalk appearance for Gareth Pugh and Erdem.

Simone Rocha at LFW AW17 
AFP/Getty Images

10. Sex still sells

Pared-back minimalism and couldn’t-give-a-s**t bed head may be all the rage among the style fraternity but when it comes to the clothes flying off rails in the city’s department stores there’s no denying the fact that aphrodisiac fashion still has its place.

Roland Mouret’s return to UK soil saw draped-back dresses and transparency on the catwalk.

The headline: no one knows their way around the female form like Monsieur Mouret.

Roland Mouret at LFW AW17
Getty Images

11. Estate chic is everything

In contrast to the style world’s recent preoccupation with prefab-approved hoodies, sweatshirts and track pants comes country-estate chic, an aesthetic that requires we look to the National Trust for inspiration.

Interiors fabrics and ornate wallpaper prints have decorated the LFW’s catwalks.

At Erdem, this saw Turkish influences combine with traditional British motifs on quilted gowns and lilac devoré. Mulberry was equally off the wall with its choice of print.

Erdem at LFW AW17 
Catwalking.com

12. Cowboy boots are back

Holy cow! Cowboy boots are hot! At least, so says Henry Holland, who turned his showcase into a fashion rodeo complete with star-print Stetsons, fringed Western shirts and of course, a host of saddle-up shoes.

True to his knack for keeping his tongue firmly in his cheek, Holland’s options came splashed with guitar, flame and cherry motifs to give London’s It-girls an It-boot worth shouting about.

House of Holland at LFW AW17
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13. The queen rules

On his hunt for a take on Britishness that looks at home in contemporary times, Mulberry’s Johnny Coca turned to the country’s leading lady. Specifically, her off-duty wardrobe.

Accordingly, tweed suits, tartan skirts and checked farmer shirts found their way on to his catwalk on Sunday.

Teamed with cosy tights and thigh-high, slip-on boots, the look was one part Elizabeth Regina two parts vampy club kid.

In Preen’s latest collection, the tweed two-piece found form as a fail-safe item for metropolitan power-dressers.

Mulberry at LFW AW17
Catwalking

14. Big sweater + slip of a thing = uniform wares

The answer to all your dressing (and packing) woes next season is a daily practice that consists of two well- selected items: a big old jumper and an itsy-bitsy slip.

Ports 1961 offered a masterclass in the equation, unveiling sloppy knits over lightweight silk dresses.

The look also prevailed at Topshop, where an oversized sweatshirt made a declaration of love to the slip in shimmer champagne, and at House of Holland where a sweeping gown found a friend in a jacquard mohair knit.

Ports 1961 at LFW AW17 
Getty Images

Head to standard/fashion to catch up on individual show reports from London Fashion Week

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