Flirty, sweet or girly don't seem to be words that we will be hearing come the time when the key trends are highlighted for AW08-9. In fact an 80's-90's sombriety seems to have swept over the catwalks. Typical that we've got our heads up in ruffles and pastels at the moment and suddenly quite literally, swathes of cloudy grey wool are blanketed over. However, this isn't a downer on the 'new' (let's just get it out there and say that nothing is going to be truly new or 'fresh'). Whilst I don't ally myself with one style camp or another and though I am one of those up in my head in ruffles and florals (albeit mixed with something darker...) right now, this doesn't necessarily mean I don't welcome this new season of slouchy looseness. As I was flicking through an issue of The Face from 1984 (a cool b-day pressie my boyf got.... note to self: must track down The Face issues in the months of all my friends' b-days for emergency gifts...), it had a spread about the Japanese designers like Comme des Garcons, Yohji Yamamoto landing in London, making an impact with their lack of body consciousness, redefining the boundaries of wearability. Even more commercial spreads such as this one from US Vogue 1983 'The Contrast: The Polished Style/ The Freer Spirit', shot by Helmut Newton and Hans Feurer, demonstrating how this Japanese avant garde can be worn in a way that wouldn't be too alienating.

These dark clothing cocoons, draped shapes somehow don’t look like they are swamping the women and perhaps for the new season, designers are proposing a different sort of female. The same girls wearing Miu Miu skater skirts and red bows in their hair, the Erin Featherston/Lula prototype if you will might be crushed by the looseness and heaviness of these clothes and for once it seems we are looking towards someone older and more mature to carry these clothes off. Is it a coincidence that it coincides with the fashion industry’s predictions for slower fashion? Less frippery and more substance? Quite possibly. With regards to myself, when I revert to my own interpretations of grey draped, loose version of avant garde topped off with my vintage Balenciaga coat which is quite literally a cocoon, there is a safety zone and quiet self-assuredness those clothes give me in a way that a fun flirty dress never could (not to knock those dresses as I love those too...).

So to the first few London collections...

Emilio de la Morena who was lovely enough to lend me a dress for the Gucci event from his AW07 collection has developed some interesting shapes for this year’s winter. Some will say sombre but there’s a something very attractive about the relaxed shapes and of course, picked up by an interesting choice of fabrics and detailing means loose isn’t necessarily drab.

Jean Pierre Braganza did produce a number of body-conscious dresses for his collection but then it’s never as simple as just making everything as tight as possible because he manages to combine everything with a bit of bulk and substance, creating something of a wintry wooley robot effect if that makes sense.

Topshop Unique seemed to raid old 90’s catalogues and take a lot of inspiration from 90s’ retro casualwear. I’m thinking I need to rewatch some really old Chinese TVB series such as ‘The Breaking Point’ to get myself back into this dress frame of mind.