Yesterday was an incredible day of shows, kickstarting the day with the Orla Kiely presentation just off Denmark Street near Tottenham Court Road in an intimate attic space that was done up to resemble a safari camp. Although a bit overcrowded, the audience were lined up to witness Tarzan’s Janes saunter through their African abode to the theme tune of “In the Jungle” – we were served Um Bongo and dotted around the room were life size zebras and rhinos. The models wore cutesie dresses in dusty pinks, white, yellow and navy, large gold buttons, straight collars and pockets were dotted around the collection. With berets on their heads, the nod to Africa was in the prints of tiny elephants and children-book-like animal prints on the shorts, skirts and dresses. Very feminine.
I then ran off to the St Martins Lane Hotel where the Alexis Barrell presentation was taking place – here the models splashed down a water-filled catwalk in neoprene and neon t-shirts in a nod to cult-film “Point Break”.
Julien Macdonald was a glorious show of gold sprinkled gowns and razzle dazzle eveningwear. Set in a breathtakingly beautiful ballroom at Goldsmiths, there were chandeliers, a harp and gold leaf on every surface. Bling was the order of the day as the silver, gold and oyster coloured full length dresses paraded down the runway – this was glamour at its best. Unfortunately the catwalk must have been a bit slippery as a few of the models skated and slipped a bit, but this did not distract from a stunning collections which resulted in a standing ovation for the Welsh designer.
On to 1205, where Paula Gerbase delighted the audience with a collection drawing from her Savile Rowe heritage. Masculine silhouettes, heavy-weight fabrics, beautiful tailoring and silk, mohair, cotton and wool suits were the order of the day. There was even some menswear in the collection – gorgeous! 
To conclude my day I popped back to Somerset House to watch the Mark Fast show. In a nod to 90’s rave culture and acid, a woven parade of goth meets glamour skintight dresses and separates stamped down the runway – the atmosphere was electric! And as was the case with Julian Macdonald show, it was inspiring to see that knitwear still has prime place in today’s fashion industry. 
