House of Fraser Blog

With so many designers and so many fabulous looks, we can already feel the bruised and battered bank account. Here’s our run down of the rest of the shows from day two of London Fashion Week:

Mark Fast has jumped from fashion obscurity to controversial designer, within the last two seasons. The controversy comes from Fast’s decision to use ‘plus’ or should we say ‘normal’ size models. But we are not here to judge the models. Mark Fast is all about sexy body con knits, and this season was no exception, however his draped cashmere silk pieces were a gorgeous addition. The palette was divine; mushroom, dove grey and midnight blue. This season was really strong, although still very tight, the dresses felt less revealing and much more wearable. A good show.

Mary Katrantzou followed with her colourful array of graphic prints. Firstly, her prints are gorgeous, they’re bold and they’re abstract, and the cuts are really strong. But, it feels like we’ve seen this all before. Graphic prints on structured dresses seem to be everywhere, and after a while they all blend into one. Katrantzou certainly has skill, but her designs have become famous because they fulfil the current zeitgeist, which could in turn end up being a hindrance.

Up next was fashion journalist turned designer Henry Holland, designer of House of Holland. You may remember the trend for slogan t-shirts a few years ago, that was him, and since then he has been creating fashion collections loved by an army of celebrity followers. Last season the theme was Pantone colour cards, this season it was all abit strange. The purple leather dress pictured was the strongest look of the show. The collection consisted of a sketch paisley print and lots of stripes, some of them fluffy. The mint green and purple colour palette was nice, but the overall look wasn’t very strong. It didn’t feel consistent or exciting.

Back to the Topshop show space, and Ann Sofie Back took to the catwalks once more. Her style has a deconstructed feel, and this show was no exception. Lots of holes and rips, and a surprising amount of bare midriffs for a winter collection. This will please Ann Sofie Back fans, but for the average fashion lover it failed to impress.

PPQ was all about black and gold. PPQ has a strong celebrity following which can often make you question whether it’s the celebrities or the designs, which have made the brand what it is. This season had more structure to the designs and the whole look was stronger. We weren’t completely taken with the fringing detail but the little and long black dresses looked chic and wearable. The logo print cardigan is sure to please fans, but it’s the tux playsuit (pictured) that we want.

Holly Fulton was one of the surprise hits of the day. She’s a newcomer to the fashion set and is already causing quite a buzz. Her look consists of strong shapes, and architectural prints. Imagine a geometry book filled with doodles and you’ve got the Holly Fulton vibe. Her clothes are fun, wearable and she’s definitely one to watch.

What a day…

Key looks:

• Pale shades: mint, nude, apricot, grey
• Long lengths: maxi and knee lengths
• Prints: graphic prints

Check back for more fashion week coverage and part two. If you want up to the minute coverage then follow us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/Hotathof