It was a big day for tartan, plaid and check at London Fashion Week yesterday with three key shows featuring their own take on the fabric. Early in the morning it was the turn of Burberry, a company which has been around since 1856 but which underwent a dramatic change three seasons ago when designer Roberto Menichetti came on board.
He has been responsible for the Burberry Prorsum collection and for concocting a much trendier image for a company largely known for macs and umbrellas.
Yesterday's collection, shown in the company's Haymarket showrooms, was another success for Menichetti who put his twist on the traditional Burberry tartan by overlaying it with pinks, yellows and blues, and teaming kilts and slick pants with long raspberry leather coats or cream jackets with needle pleat backs.
His was a static show with models, including a pregnant Stella Tennant, standing still to be examined and photo graphed. Maroon, sunflower and pink were mixed with camel and black in an astonishing selection of fabrics.
Back at the London Fashion Week tents in South Kensington, designer Maria Grachvogel grabbed some publicity by sending Spice Girl Victoria Adams down the catwalk in some sexy evening wear. Later in the day, husband and wife Suzanne Clements and Innacio Ribeiro also put a new spin on tartan, sending out a shirt dress with exaggerated collars in stormy yellow-and-grey plaid and stitching a tartan design onto light tulle in sequins.
As usual, both polka dots and cashmere featured in the Clements Ribeiro collection, this year with some gorgeous colourblock sweaters appearing under camel tweed coats and pants for men.
There was a lot of sparkle too with lurex knitted into striped jumpers, giant sequinned tigers adorning demure twinsets and even some rather Dorothy of Oz style high heels in blues, reds and purples.
There was also a lot going on at the Boyd collection which brought the fashion pack to the Congress Centre in west London. Tartans were picked out in white against sheer gauze, and made up into shirt dresses, skirts and simple shells.
Designer Tracey Boyd used a lot of prints and vibrant colours for the show, like printing scribbles in purples and reds on a simple jersey dress with petal sleeves. The evening wear featured a lot of lame in bronze and black which was skilfully tailored into backless waistcoats, hot pants and flare-legged trousers.