LONDON -- Christopher Kane and Erdem led a hectic day of catwalk shows at London Fashion Week, with all eyes on a highly-anticipated display later Monday by luxury label Burberry -- the brand's first attempt at merging its women's and menswear designs at a single event.
Some highlights from Day 4 of the five-day event:
ROMANTIC SHIPWRECK AT ERDEM
A shipwreck has never looked so elegant or darkly romantic.
Canada-born designer Erdem Moralioglu always infuses his shows with a sense of drama and haunting beauty, and this time it's no different. Models wore large floppy black hats that obscured their faces, gliding on a weathered boardwalk that appeared to weave in and out of water.
The dreamy clothes reflected the brooding nautical theme, crafted in washed out shades of blue and silvery grey, and all the frocks seemed to be covered in miles of rolling ruffles, lace, frills and velvet ribbons.
As always with Erdem, the devil is in the couture-like level of detail. Little gemstones twinkle on brocade gowns, and some of the embroidery is stunning in its intricacy, especially the rich Oriental-style florals overlaid on sheer delicate fabrics.
For many, Erdem's creations may be too much like costumes for a period drama. But at a time when much of fashion is so disposable, it's pleasing to see a designer insist on making every piece a work of art.
FASHIONISTAS TAKE OVER THE TATE MODERN FOR KANE
Museum goers could be forgiven for wondering where all the odd, funny shoes came from as the fashion crowd descended like a cloud of overdressed locusts at the usually staid Tate Britain on the banks of the River Thames.
With American Vogue editor Anna Wintour presiding in the front row at the Christopher Kane show, guests arrived with an emphasis on sparkly boots and heels, with green and silver sequins predominating. There were mustard-colored thigh-high boots, silver patent leather shoes with tassels, and pointy black and red suede ankle boots with heels shaped like a sailboat's winged keels.
Once the show began, the shoes were quickly overshadowed by Kane's eclectic creations. Known for his edgy designs and his references to modern art, some of the dresses took a Jackson Pollack approach to colour and relied on wildly clashing patterns to carry the look.
Despite the museum setting, there is nothing safe or conventional about Kane's approach. Some of the three-quarter length coats were ripped for impact's sake, and some of the elegant dresses had cutaways and high-tech mesh panels.
Long black gloves were meant to be iconoclastic -- not a nod to ballet days -- and were decorated with colours and cutouts.
The former wunderkind's own label is now 10 years old, but he isn't repeating himself. Some of the multicolored coat designs had a fresh, fevered look, covering dresses that evoked a similar mood if not similar colours or patterns.
Some of the dresses sported dozens of metallic hooks, some closed to keep the ensembles together, others serving no apparent structural purpose. Many were set off by Stephen Jones' distinctive hats, often in solid colours to offset the controlled chaos of the ensembles.
