THE NEW season's trends, some with echoes of the 1980s though unmistakably modern, were captured well at yesterday's House of Fraser fashion show in the rather confined space of Pichet restaurant in Dublin.
Drawing from high-street brands such as Whistles, Mango, Topshop and others in the store, stylist Alison Conneely pulled together a sharp, focused show that offered cool urban dressing at affordable prices with clever use of accessories. Examples included trousers tucked into high or flat boots, zebra cuffs adding flash to a draped dress, and a leopard-print scarf offsetting a chunky cardigan.
The models' towering hairdos, crimped and spiked by Zara Cox, added glamazon height and grandeur, though the overall presentation could have been faster.
The show was divided into six sections and ended with "An Ode to Coco", which featured a predictable mix of nautical stripes, boucle tweeds and ropes of pearls. The show also covered prints, knits and leathers, mixing hard-edge tailoring with softer dressing. Dresses ranged from a grey and cream abstract print from Mango to figure-hugging numbers in denim or stretch black lycra with "statement" zips. There were also bronze silk dresses by Kenneth Cole, the so-called "Prada for the people" designer stocked exclusively in the store.
High-street versions of Balenciaga's draped and swagged silks were reprised in various ways, though tulip front skirts are not flattering. Black leather, the hottest fabric of the season, appeared in many shapes and prices, from Topshop's leather trousers at €68 to a Warehouse jacket at €195. Black wet-look leggings, another burgeoning street trend, though not featured in the show, can be found instore by Therapy for €18 or by Stella McCartney for Adidas at €60.
Other alternatives to the shiny season shown yesterday were a lovely black sequin bolero by Kookai for €110, worn winningly with grey trousers and a silver- grey jersey top, and a bronze embellished cardigan by Topshop for €99 that topped camel trousers and a sleeveless blouse in bronze silk.