There were a lot of social and political messages behind the Grande Dame's spring/summer'16 show yesterday: a full riot in paper party hats held up placards protesting against austerity, fracking, war and climate change. The soundtrack was a series of fashion's talking (air)heads obsessively chattering about blogging, having tonnes of followers, the importance of updating Twitter, Pinterest and the other engulfing ways of the Internet and its relationship with this style business has become the norm. Funnily enough this aggressive visual and sonic experience didn't stop the audience from snapping away (guilty!), especially when the front row includes a rarely spotted Lily Allen alongside the standard eclectic VW bunch: Miss J, Sadie Frost, Phoebe Collings James, Harriet Verney and Foxes.
So it was very easy to be distracted away from the clothes - which were a solid showing of Vivienne Westwood classics updated and very worthy of investment. But - as her manifesto states in regards to buying less and buying better - when are they not?
Cotton sundresses, silk drapery, tomboyish suiting and marl knits all vyed for our attention. No one print or shape - whether brocade or ditsy, full of frothy tutu or hugging the body - could dominate, leaving the loyal Westwood consumer with their pick of the bunch. We particularly liked the rose printed lace creations - ruched here and there for ultimate flattery - and the outsized patchworked Oxford button ups that were turned into skimpy morning-after-the-night-before mini dresses.
Vivienne said in her shownotes that these are protestors having a good time and looking great - and who are we say to say that such things are mutually exclusive? Get your rebel hat on, times are a-changing.
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