COLLECTIONS

PAUL SMITH – LONDON FASHION WEEK AW12 WOMENSWEAR/ 19.02.12

Old-skool reggae tunes eased the wait at the beginning of the Paul Smith show that ran about 25 minutes behind schedule. Music is always an important factor at the theatre of Paul Smith, previous shows have started with pop icons Patti Smith and the Velvet Underground, and this show was no exception as it ended to the riotous blast of PJ Harvey’s ‘This is Love.’ In the interim a collection was presented that did exactly what the brand does best; translating traditional menswear into wearable, eclectic pieces for women.

The show opened with a fitting homage to the pyjama dressing trend – a motif that was repeated throughout the show – in the form of a dressing gown-style coat in brown with full lapels. It was followed by staples such as cigarette pants in woodland green, a modified, cropped tails coat and grey woollen slouch pants all of which had a definite ‘country squire’ air to them.

His signature stripes were updated in a print that had a touch of Mary Katrantzou to it; adorning dresses and separates in a burst of greens, blues, yellows, reds and purples they looked fantastic, and were especially wearable on a high-waist tulip skirt. This harmonised perfectly with the Paul Smith brand; he is well known for exporting a particularly British form of humour across the world through his designs. Slinky jackets with piping that somewhat resembled smoking jackets combined with his use of plaid (in a full suit with matching gloves at one point) did just this. A couple of jumpsuits that resembled Winston Churchill’s Siren Suit also playfully illustrated this point, especially when rendered in crushed velvet.

 

Images by: Emilia Frances Cross

Posted by: Amber Jane Butchart