London Fashion Week has shaken off the last remnants of its reputation as a destination for experimental design that is difficult to wear.
The capital is a breeding ground for commercially savvy designers who have shrewd understanding of precisely what British women want - as demonstrated by the Hackney-based Richard Nicoll, who was among the last on the catwalk yesterday.
While Milan's fashion week has overt glamour and New York's straightforward dresses, London has its own signature - a masculine breed of elegance that is catching the attention of buyers across the globe.
Taking the catwalk in Tate Modern’s Turbine Hall, Nicoll unveiled an offering dominated by a boyish silhouette. Coats crafted from herringbone and cashmere in shades of powder blue and grey served as high points in a series of daywear that also featured fine cotton shirting and boiler suits.
Toying with the notion of masculine glamour, the designer teamed a neatly cut pencil skirt with an Oxford shirt and an oversized angora knit sweater, and unveiled slouchy wide-leg tomato-red trousers in soft viscose satin.
Even the dresses - silk and fluid in shape - were lent a toughness by biker jackets in patent leather.
Nicoll, who also designs a successful menswear line, is a master at catering for a modern woman who wants to avoid fashion that is over the top or overtly feminine. His autumn/winter show was watched by an audience that included supermodel Arizona Muse.
Also unveiled yesterday was the latest collection from Topshop's design-led Unique line, a show which also explored a masculine aesthetic. Among the highlights from the chain's autumn/winter offering is a candy-floss pink oversized woollen coat and a backless beaded jumpsuit, worn by London-born model Jourdan Dunn.
