SYLVIA HUI
Associated Press
LONDON (AP) — London Fashion Week reached its glitziest day Monday, with big names like Burberry and Tom Ford packing in the crowds, the supermodels and the celebrities.
Day 4 of the style spectacle also saw the latest offerings from young talents Christopher Kane and Erdem, as well as Issa, Giles and Peter Pilotto.
Among the day’s highlights:
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BRADLEY COOPER DROPS IN AT TOM FORD
Tom Ford has taken his runway to the disco — and with the dark room and all those sparkly sequins, guests almost missed one VIP sitting in their midst.
Actor Bradley Cooper took his seat on the front row at the U.S. designer’s London Fashion Week show Monday, chatting amiably with Vogue editor Anna Wintour.
The Hollywood star disappeared backstage immediately after the show, and many guests did not even register his presence.
Even if Cooper drew attention to himself, he would have had a hard time competing with the shiny clothes on show.
For his latest collection, Ford went full on rock’ n’ roll glam with lashings of sequins, jewels and leather in black, silver, burnished gold and metallic green prints with an oil slick or camouflage effect.
Models looked like members of a rock band with their thick tousled manes and thick eyeliner, and wore skin-tight sequined tops and bell-bottom pants with an exaggerated flare.
One dramatic outfit featured what looked like a tight catsuit covered all over with black sequins, worn with a matching cape. The looks were finished with very high platform shoes in animal print.
The display was rounded off by a series of risque sheer evening gowns with harness details — complete with jeweled flowers just barely covering the chest.
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RAINBOW HUES AND SNEAKERS AT BURBERRY
As if to perk up audiences ahead of a dreary grey winter, Burberry Prorsum showed off a spring collection bursting with bright rainbow colors and cheerful prints of beetles, bees and dragonflies.
The luxury British clothing label’s show also confirmed that the humble sneaker and the flat sandal — the sporty, thick-strapped kind — are definitely the footwear of the moment come spring.
The casual shoes were worn with romantic tutu-like tulle dresses in jewel shades like emerald and amethyst, finished with a pretty silk ribbon belt tied in a bow.
Also notably back on trend is the jean jacket, though here it’s far from humdrum. A cinched in one in a dark wash, shaped like a bustier to accentuate the waist, opened the show, and later they came trimmed with luxury details like sheepskin and shiny, colorful leather.
No Burberry show is complete without some variation of the brand’s famous trench coat, and this season they came in vibrant prints and loud shades covering the whole color wheel — from pinks and reds to greens, blues and purples. These are not jackets for the wallflower, and are meant to be worn as statement pieces to wow and dazzle.
“I love the use of color, it’s so vibrant and playful. It was amazing,” said actress Naomie Harris.
Supermodels Kate Moss and Cara Delevingne, who both star in Burberry’s latest promotion campaigns, took a break from the runway and sat front row, giggling and taking selfies with fellow guest and celebrity photographer Mario Testino.
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FEATHERS AND A LUSH GREENHOUSE AT ERDEM
For his latest collection, Erdem Moralioglu transformed a dilapidated hotel into a lush greenhouse — not a sun-dappled one, but dark and shimmering with inky greens.
Models floated down a catwalk lined with trees and greenery wearing decadent dresses richly embroidered with the most intricate flowers, feathers, fronds and palm trees, mostly set against sheer black fabrics.
Some of the pieces had every inch covered with feathers and embroidery. Erdem said each is handcrafted, taking a pair of seamstresses about a week to finish a piece.
Backstage, the Canadian-born designer showed a “mood board” featuring architectural drawings of greenhouses, lotuses, and old photos of Victorian women in period dress.
Typically for Erdem, the silhouettes are slim and ladylike, with high collars and calf-skimming hems. Flat, knee-high leather gladiator sandals balanced out the feminine looks.
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CHRISTOPHER KANE DOES BURGUNDY, BONDAGE
Christopher Kane’s spring and summer look is pretty dark and stormy, with its leathers, wine shades and bondage details.
The fetish theme, one of the designer’s favorites, showed in slinky little satin dresses with provocative cut outs around the chest that made crisscross windows across the torso.
A seductive burgundy dominated much of the collection, though a vibrant lilac blue and a silky champagne provided some lightness.
There were structured dresses with origami folds and oversized, mannish jackets — both also Kane’s favored looks — and their sharp edges were tempered with soft, prom dress-like pleated tulle skirts.
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Sylvia Hui can be reached at http://Twitter.com/sylviahui
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