Retro night for fashion in London
The pop star has said it was a “dream come true” to design a line of clothes and accessories for the high street chain River Island, which had its worldwide first outing on Saturday night and will hit the shops next month.
Earlier, the achingly cool House of Holland took over the third floor of a car park in Soho, laid out some drab brown carpet as a catwalk and let rip the retro funk in what designer Henry Holland described as a “70s meets 90s nostalgic homage”.
London’s current ‘it’ crowd of models, actresses, singers and DJs packed the front row to view an autumn/winter collection of 1970s-style prints in oranges and greens, parkas, denim jackets and sweatshirts embellished with jewels, wool and neon zips.
Here were clubbers dressed to dance, stand outside in the cold queuing and even get up the next day and sway elegantly into a late lunch.
They might have bumped into the punk ladies of Moschino Cheap and Chic, the Italian label’s lively little sister which rocked the normally elegant ballroom at the Savoy Hotel by the River Thames.
The collection was a mix of girly pink mini-skirts, suits and dresses with black leather and multiple ear piercings; monochrome and leopard prints matched against bare legs; and towering black shoes with silver heels.
Across town, Jasper Conran maintained the retro vibe by invoking the spirit of the 1960s with straight skirts and mannish shirts reminiscent of the Mod girls but updated with a spectacular palette of oranges, pinks, reds and blues.
The shapes were simple, echoed by neat hair in low ponytails under oversized cloche hats, sheer tights and low-heeled patents, and embellished with square pockets and the occasional burst of sequins glittering in the spotlights.
