If you’ve been living in your trusty Mom jeans for the last twelve months, we’d like to take your hand and shake it as a symbol of our solidarity. We too have been unable to squeeze ourselves out of our vintage Levi 501s- call it the Vetements effect, call in the Calvin Klein effect, call it whatever you like, but we’re ready for some alternatives to our seat-worn denim.
If the AW16 London shows, that are now behind us, would suggest anything, it’s that trousers won’t be in this winter, rather, we’ll all be parading around in dresses. If the idea of putting on a dress every morning makes you feel a little faint, take a seat – we’re not talking girly prairie dresses here. We’re talking well over the knee, tomboy-friendly, pretty darn tough dresses that will have you rethinking your aversion to getting your ankles out past August-time. From Molly Goddard’s renaissance whimsy to Christopher Kane’s hardcore leather gowns, it’s time to redress the dress.
Caitlin Price
Fashion East's jewel in their streetwear crown, Caitlin Price, showed a collection that was all about young, sweet female attitude. Forever inspired by her younger sister Emily's Friday night routine and the noughties garage scene in London, Caitlin's girl is unlatched, up for anything and most importantly after a good time. Her final look, a cheeky nod to the traditional bridal dress, was in fact a white split maxi skirt with matching puffer jacket and Nike trainers. A proper modern Cinders.
Alexander McQueen
For the first time in over a decade, the McQueen show headed home to London. McQueen's women have always been emotionally complex, tumultuous, armoured but vulnerable and the AW16 collection paid homage to the brand's heritage. Sheer pastel-pink gowns that glittered were so ethereal and delicate they rendered the models almost translucent, and black lingerie-inspired ball gowns were undone and deconstructed.
Cosmic motifs punctuated the collection- moons, stars and mythical creatures were a nod to the midnight hours and women's connection to the moon and in turn the moon's own lunatic mythologies. Models glided down the catwalk in velvet slippers and bedtime capes – “she’s sleepwalking” explained Sarah Burton. Shhhhh....
Mary Katrantzou
Drawing inspiration from a men's Western shirt, Mary's cocktail dress got mannish this time around with leather detailing appliquéd across the shoulders and a boxy cut. Her pretty party dresses got a gothic overhaul this season with fluffy off-the-shoulder embellished numbers, patent leather sleeves and platform snakeskin Mary-Janes.
Molly Goddard
Yes, they're frilly, yes they're tulle, and, yes, they're pink, but boy have Molly's dresses got some attitude. Think Caravaggio's Judith mid slicing a sleeping Holofernes' head off meets Lydia Deetz via Heathers. If that helps. If it doesn't just take a look at Molly's heaven-spun creations; delicate black tulle that covers the form in twists and ties, Jacobean tights in devil-red, pink gathered skirts that whisper Prom Queen gone bad and white trapeze gowns that have more than a touch of the rotting Miss Havisham.
Simone Rocha
Ok, ready for this, Simone was inspired by the trauma of childbirth for her AW16 collection. Deep breaths. Having only given birth to her daughter three months ago, Simone took inspiration from Victorian matrons' gowns in sanguine reds and anaemic pinks. Despite the pussy bows and sheer organzas, oversized puffy pockets and Christmas tree silhouettes made Rocha's dresses her most impactful and assured to date. Motherhood becomes her, evidently.
Erdem
Erdem's a gown connoisseur so there was hardly a raised brow when a troop of dresses skimmed his catwalk show this season. Yes, there were florals again, but this time around they had a faded glamour – a former childhood Hollywood star with more than a few skeletons in the closet. The vintage velvets, frilly bibs and doily-collared midi dresses, with tinsel skirts, had a melancholy elegance. He told the Financial Times, "I imagined old Hollywood and a girl getting ready to go to an audition who might pick up a 1920s shift dress and mix it with 1940s tailoring or a 1930s bias dress... It was all about these women putting their best foot forward for this moment in their lives.”
Christopher Kane
This season we went down to the farm with Kane. Sort of. Maybe down Kate Moss' place in the Cotswolds for a jolly good knees up, but to the countryside no less. The sexiest of Kane's gowns came in nude and black leather, were sleeveless, and featured panels of black lace that entirely exposed the skin underneath. Other highlights were stringy merlot satin slips and ostrich-feather lined flapper gowns.
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