LFW AW18: Jasper Conran

LONDON fashion week is known by many as the city of the brave, where courageous young designers take conviction in their actions, resulting in some of the often outrageous looks that grace the city’s runways. It is a creative centre unlike almost any other, home to the weird and the wonderful – after all, visionaries such as Alexander McQueen started out on these very streets. With this being said, London could easily be known as the wild card of the fashion week season schedule, which makes Jasper Conran’s collection stand out even further as an example of true individuality – a restrained, collected and pristine dove in a sea of wildly flailing peacocks.

With a clear focus on a total commitment to craftsmanship, Conran’s models looked as though they’d barely seen the make-up chair – the illusion of bare faces echoed the simplicity and grace of the clothing, despite still being clear skinned and glowing, achieved by a skilled hand alongside effortlessly straight hair with a slight bend. Such a pared back aesthetic was evidently essential, so not as to overpower what were, at their very base, a collection of rather ordinary garments. But in this simplicity is a crucial element often lacking in the most avant garde and daring of the London shows; a meticulous and keen eye to detail.

It’s a refreshing departure from what often feels like a contest to out-shock one another amongst London’s eager young creatives. Rich navy and royal blues, presented in monochromatic ensembles were interspersed with splashes of mustard and cerise. Colour blocking was the name of the game, from the uni-coloured coat/jumper/skirt combo all the way to the geometrically quizzical yin-yang dresses, where more muted tones of brown met duskier, deeper reddish pinks.

And although these primary-coloured creations were muted in their display, their sheer beauty and quiet power was allowed to shine through – these are the garments that defy trends, choosing timelessness over quickly dated styles of the moment. For AW18, Conran has created a series of highly wearable investment pieces that would make any women (lucky enough to own them) feel very beautiful indeed.

by Thomas Marrington