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Undaunted by a disturbing trend of designers abandoning fashion week, which ends here today, more than 50 showed eclectic fall clothes for women that mixed the poetic and the absurd.
Young designers charmed with their inventive and colorful collections, which were a refreshing change from last week's lackluster shows in New York. In contrast, most of the established designers offered disappointingly predictable looks.
Overall, military chic continued to be front and center, as did 1980s leather and lace, though with a softer, decidedly non-Madonna look. Corsets, bomber jackets, equestrian waistcoats and riding pants were also runway staples.
Expectations for fashion week were low, especially after last season's breakout talent, Hussein Chalayan, had to liquidate his business and cancel his fall show just weeks ago. Luella Bartley, another up-and-comer, announced she was moving her show to Milan. Even venerable Burberry, which shows today, is staging a presentation in Milan at the behest of its Italian head designer, Roberto Menichetti.
Those who rise to the top here (Vivienne Westwood, John Galliano and Stella McCartney, to name a few) seem to stick around just long enough to become famous before moving on to show elsewhere, effectively undercutting the prestige of the fashion week here. Fashion in Paris has the haute couture tradition, Milan has industry backing and New York is known worldwide for sportswear. London is mostly known as an incubator of talent that, if successful, moves on.
Even Alexander McQueen has had wanderlust, showing in New York under his own name, and in Paris for Givenchy. But he had a homecoming of sorts Wednesday. Always out to impress with the grandeur of his shows, he did not disappoint with a Broadway-worthy production that mocked the myth of childhood bliss.
Set to an eerie soundtrack of children's playground banter, fierce models with exaggerated, bow-shaped lips stomped around in stilettos, draping themselves over carousel horses and straddling maypoles. Other models had sinister clown makeup and horrifying hair cones atop their heads. One, dripping in torn lace, dragged a gold skeleton from her ankle like some lifelong ball-and-chain.
It was quite a show. But strip away all the antics and McQueen, who left his post with Givenchy last year to concentrate on his own collection, delivered some fabulous clothes....