One of the most exciting things about London Fashion Week is that you never quite know what you're going to get.
So it was with Hakaan, a little-heard of name who managed to pull in fashion royalty to his first London show: Kate Moss, Emanuelle Alt and Carine Roitfeld, the editor of French Vogue.
The Turkish-born designer also bagged American Vogue contributor Edward Enninful to style his show, plus a roster of top-flight names to model: Natalia Vodianova, Lara Stone, Natasha Poly and Mariacarla Boscono. The verdict? Knitty good, actually.
From the other shows, here are my pick of the standout looks to save for:
The longer length
Jersey hobble skirts and satin maxi-skirts provided interesting new proportions to play with next season.
The belted trench
Deluxe or hi-tech fabrics — silk gazar, Spanish lace, high-shine patent — lend a new spin to this autumn classic.
Velvet
The fabric of choice for many of the long skirts, unstructured jackets and fluid evening dresses in moody colours such as kingfisher and slate.
The aviator jacket
Aviator jackets, usually cropped and in sheepskin or marbled leather, came topped with fluffy shearling collars.
Embroidery
Whimsical embroidery flowers, butterflies and birds replace sparkly embellishment as a means of adding texture and interest to a garment.
Asymmetric shoulders
The new one-shouldered dresses looked strong and dramatic, providing an off-kilter glamour that could prove popular on Oscar night.
The paper-bag waist
Looser shapes are back. The waist is a focus, with trousers worn with a border of fabric running above the belt line, in paper-bag-waist style.
Leather revisited
Soft, unstructured jackets, motocross trousers with padded knees and, crucially, dresses with lace or satin insets gave leather a lighter new look.
