Bohemian luxe at Matthew Williamson as Cara Delevingne hits the catwalk in showstopping beads, feathers and bold Bombay brights Model of ...
Bohemian luxe at Matthew Williamson as Cara Delevingne hits the catwalk in showstopping beads, feathers and bold Bombay brights
Model of the moment Cara Delevingne opened Matthew Williamson's 15th anniversary show in style this afternoon, emerging onto the catwalk in the breathtaking show space with its killer panoramic view over London.
The backdrop from the eighth floor of an airy building in the City of London took in St Paul's cathedral, the Tate Modern and the Millenium bridge complete with tiny people meandering across - like a scene from a modern-day Lowry.
Above the catwalk hung garlands of colourful flowers and strings of lightbulbs, giving the contemporary space the warm, bustling feel of an Indian market place - you could almost smell the jasmine and spices in the air.
Cara Delevingne wore a silk dress printed with a stylised scene from Kerala taken by Matthew Williamson
The collection was as covetable, and as colourful, as one would expect from Williamson - it really felt like celebration of the past 15 years.
His first collection - 1997's Electric Angels, when Kate Moss, Jade Jagger and Helena Christensen walked the runway - was reflected in today's show, which saw the designer go back to his roots to rediscover his love of India.
Inspiration for that cornucopia of colour came courtesy of the Holi Festival - an Indian street party where revellers throw brightly coloured powder over one another - and which provided Williamson with the hypercolourful, playful vibe that runs through his work like a seam.
The Festival of Colour provided inspiration for splashes of bright blue, violet and turquoise to meet in vibrant fabric
Colours were inspired by the Indian Holi street festival, which sees revellers throw brightly coloured powder over one another
The airy Cannon St building location made for the perfect show venue - with floral garlands and strings of bare bulbs lending a market vibe to the room
There was a real sense of the exotic in the beautiful hot pink merged with turquoise on cigarette pants and jackets, the meticulous rainbow dip-dye in violet, magenta and yellow and the clashing pink, orange and red bands on jacquard jackets and shorts.
The intricate design of the Hamsa hand, so culturally important in India as a symbol of protection, was screenprinted onto chiffon blouses, while epic landscapes of Kerala and Tibet, taken from Williamson's own snaps, were printed on to silk shorts, pants and shifts.
There were silk and chiffon gowns in hot pink, deep indigo or a pale jade trimmed with minute golden beads, silk pants, shorts, and vivid jacquard dresses and jackets embellished with hundreds of glittering beads, mirrors and crystals.
Shoes, for the first time, were his own - after collaborating with Manolo Blahnik, Charlotte Olympia and Laurence Dacads, this season Matthew Williamson has launched his own collection - a 12-piece, Italian-manufactured line designed in partnership with new talent Joanne Stoker.
Think platform soles and an oh-so-high heel with sculptural embellishment, as well as leather flats in turmeric yellow, ochre and green.
Alongside Poppy Delevingne, in the house to support her lil' sis, the FROW featured chairman of the BFC, Harold Tillman, as well as fashion's favourite girl-next-door, Olivia Palermo, and D&G model David Gandy.
Gandy, who is sitting on the BFC's menswear council this year, had flown in from a D&G shoot in Capri to watch model girlfriend Sarah Ann Macklin walk in the show - and assured us his tan was all real ('no Fake Bake here!') as he deemed the show a hit.
'It's not really my area of expertise - I don't know what all the things are called,' he mused, miming the hemline of a dress. 'But I liked all the colour, and the green gown with the beading.'
Gandy, star of D&G's Light Blue campaign divulged to us the exclusive nugget that his abs will indeed be on show in the forthcoming ad ('though it's getting harder as I get older,' he says modestly) - but the rest of the details will remain a mystery.
'It's Capri, it's Dolce - you can guess the rest,' he said.
The man of the moment: Matthew Williamson comes to take a bow at the end of the show
David Gandy arrives to watch his girlfriend Sarah Ann Macklin walk in the Williamson show, while RIGHT Poppy Delevingne comes to support her sister Cara
News Source: http://www.dailymail.co.uk
Model of the moment Cara Delevingne opened Matthew Williamson's 15th anniversary show in style this afternoon, emerging onto the catwalk in the breathtaking show space with its killer panoramic view over London.
The backdrop from the eighth floor of an airy building in the City of London took in St Paul's cathedral, the Tate Modern and the Millenium bridge complete with tiny people meandering across - like a scene from a modern-day Lowry.
Above the catwalk hung garlands of colourful flowers and strings of lightbulbs, giving the contemporary space the warm, bustling feel of an Indian market place - you could almost smell the jasmine and spices in the air.
 |  |  |
His first collection - 1997's Electric Angels, when Kate Moss, Jade Jagger and Helena Christensen walked the runway - was reflected in today's show, which saw the designer go back to his roots to rediscover his love of India.
Inspiration for that cornucopia of colour came courtesy of the Holi Festival - an Indian street party where revellers throw brightly coloured powder over one another - and which provided Williamson with the hypercolourful, playful vibe that runs through his work like a seam.
 |  |  |
 |  |
There was a real sense of the exotic in the beautiful hot pink merged with turquoise on cigarette pants and jackets, the meticulous rainbow dip-dye in violet, magenta and yellow and the clashing pink, orange and red bands on jacquard jackets and shorts.
The intricate design of the Hamsa hand, so culturally important in India as a symbol of protection, was screenprinted onto chiffon blouses, while epic landscapes of Kerala and Tibet, taken from Williamson's own snaps, were printed on to silk shorts, pants and shifts.
There were silk and chiffon gowns in hot pink, deep indigo or a pale jade trimmed with minute golden beads, silk pants, shorts, and vivid jacquard dresses and jackets embellished with hundreds of glittering beads, mirrors and crystals.
 |  |
Think platform soles and an oh-so-high heel with sculptural embellishment, as well as leather flats in turmeric yellow, ochre and green.
 |  |
Gandy, who is sitting on the BFC's menswear council this year, had flown in from a D&G shoot in Capri to watch model girlfriend Sarah Ann Macklin walk in the show - and assured us his tan was all real ('no Fake Bake here!') as he deemed the show a hit.
'It's not really my area of expertise - I don't know what all the things are called,' he mused, miming the hemline of a dress. 'But I liked all the colour, and the green gown with the beading.'
Gandy, star of D&G's Light Blue campaign divulged to us the exclusive nugget that his abs will indeed be on show in the forthcoming ad ('though it's getting harder as I get older,' he says modestly) - but the rest of the details will remain a mystery.
'It's Capri, it's Dolce - you can guess the rest,' he said.
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News Source: http://www.dailymail.co.uk
