Crystal Renn on the catwalk for Mark Fast, Topshop Unique's woodland animals and PPQ's metallics. photos: PA
He's done it again. For the second season in a row, Mark Fast has put size 16 models on the catwalk (four to be exact), including the popular Crystal Renn, with the PM's wife, Sarah Brown, on hand in the front row. We wonder if doing it a second time around will incite the same media frenzy it did last year, or if this is just a sign of things to come? Fast showed in the same time slot as Mary Katrantzou, who once again displayed her signature vivid trompe d'oeil prints, this time with more embellishment - if you're desperate to get your hands on something of hers like we are, her range for Topshop is currently in stores.
Speaking of Topshop, furry woodland creatures were all the rage at their Unique show Saturday, as models (who looked wonderfully cozy in cuddly sheepskin and leather coats) made their way down a runway covered in leaves wearing headpieces resembling foxes, bears and wolves, complete with antlers. At Ann-Sofie Back, it looked like animals were also on the agenda as models walked down the runway in outfits evocative of bats - one model even sported wings. And at Nasir Mazhar's show (part of Fashion East), furry, animal-inspired hats and jungle-print painted models graced the runways. Welcome to fashion's wild side.
The usual suspects - Pixie, Peaches, Alexa, Julia Restoin Roitfeld, Nicola Roberts and Olivia Palermo - went from Unique to Henry Holland (who is all about the bandana next season, turning the former US symbol of gang warfare/country living into skirts, dresses and even earrings for autumn) to PPQ, where singers Pixie Lott, Dionne Bromfield and Marina Diamandis were spotted front row. We loved Lott's turquoise metallic dress, which was perfectly in keeping with the gold metallics that PPQ designers Amy Molyneaux and Percy Parker sent down the runway. We were also super excited to see the ever-glam Bianca Jagger at Kinder Aggugini's show, which celebrated the bold 19th century saloniere Mme. Récamier. "I want to show that London has luxury and everything else at the level of a Parisian show," the designer said. "This season, I wanted to throw a curve ball and do something completely different, so I'm bringing it back to tailoring."
There was other significant fashion news outside of LFW: Sonia Rykiel hit H&M! It couldn't be a better time to stock up on chic knitwear this brisk weather. And in some crazy twist of fate, the Baftas air tonight, so the worlds of fashion and film are truly colliding.