Female form has extra edge: Karen Millen unveils new season outfits

“TOUGH BUT supremely womanly” is how Karen Millen describes the mood dominating its autumn winter collections.

Yesterday’s still-life presentation of its Christmas fashion illustrated just how big and expansive this British brand is with a 12-strong design team, 300 stores in over 45 countries, and Tali Lennox, daughter of famed singer-songwriter Annie Lennox, spearheading their current campaign.

The huge collections that have to appeal to a wide female audience not only encompass the season’s trends but explores them exhaustively, whether it’s the military look (in mink, velvet or leather), peplums (in fuchsia or black, with lace overlay or beaded collars), leather (in blue, red, black, pony or snakeskin effect), metallics (shiny satin sunray pleated skirts) or dark romance (long black dresses with heavy bodice encrustation). It can become quite overwhelming.

Sometimes the details overlap like a tweed coat with quilted leather sleeves, a biker jacket with a peplum waist or brocade print denims.

There’s every kind of fabric too, from bold black-and-white tweeds to ornate laces, coloured knits and opulent shearlings with the silhouette from fit and flare to pod shapes equally comprehensive.

Daywear, with its huge selection of jackets, coats and mostly skinny trousers, tends to have a stronger look than its evening wear, where overly ornate satin cocktail dresses and long asymmetrical hemmed skirts lack the sharper details of the casual wear.

Accessories include leopard-print shoppers, pony-skin ankle boots and herringbone clutches.