Delirious: LFW - Kane, Pugh, Ilincic, Gavin Douglas

This season’s London Fashion Week looked set to be the best in ages, what with the newly resurgent capital basking in the energy of the likes of the electrifying Christopher Kane and Gareth Pugh mixing it with the legend in the making that is Boombox, backed up with shows by Matthew Williamson, Temperley and Stella McCartney (albeit her line for Adidas). But as for the young guns, what of them? It had seemed that they had reached the point of implosion after the spring shows – could and would Kane present another collection of bodycon and tightly structured pieces, and would Pugh actually present a collection that was commercially viable?

Christopher Kane’s collection was a dramatic departure from his much-admired figure-hugging dresses, to his credit. His silhouettes opened out dramatically into light chiffon ruffles and floaty dresses, easy on the eye with a restrained palette of fey greys and blues. There was also a strong Midwestern-Stylings-meets-the-Eighties vibe running through the show with wide collars not unlike a couple of Zac Posen’s last week, stonewashed jeans elegantly ripped and snakeskin details that oozed attitude. Individual pieces were beautifully constructed though they bordered on crass – such is the perpetual risk of evoking the eighties – but Kane has always walked the line with an ease beyond his years.

Gareth Pugh’s show began with a bang when a model strode out with a slanted cube where her head should have been, but you couldn’t help but feel that you had seen it before. This prelude gave way to an otherwise accomplished collection exploding with creativity and excitement yet more focused on the clothes than runway heroics more akin to past shows. Extravagant excesses such as streaming tassels and coned hats that wouldn’t have looked out of place in the House of Harlot were underpinned by tight minidresses and well-executed matte black jackets. Though relatively more restrained in feel this time round, Pugh’s creations are still light years away from conventional.

Things toned down a little over at Roksanda Ilincic, though were no less spectacular. In a sophisticatedly elegant collection evoking old world glamour with a twist of modern attitude, Ilincic showed her collection to editors and buyers grazing at coffee tables (though I can’t imagine much was imbibed). Achingly beautiful silk column dresses preceded liquid silver kimono jackets, and elegant gowns evoking a maturing couture sensibility contrasted with voluminous shoulder pads and organza. Sublime.

Gavin Douglas suffered less than favourable reviews last time around – expectations were riding high on this Fashion Fringe winner, with the likes of Sinha Stanic and Basso & Brooke among his contemporaries – but this collection is sure to garner more than a little adulation. If Anna Sui’s girls were punky Barbie girls all grown up, Douglas’s felt like an army of cloned toxic fembots in a Marilyn Monroe-meets-Bret Easton Ellis head-on collision. This show had attitude to spare. Bare and accented shoulders and tiny waisted minis diced with voluminous print dresses and escalating hemlines, and Grecian one-pieces were tempered with luxe tailoring with not a little touch of ghetto fabulous. A shot of the aforementioned screen bombshell transplanted onto a strapless dress – evoking Alber Elbaz’s stellar collection a few seasons ago – covered familiar ground but was only a minor observation in an otherwise fine collection.