Latest collection from John Rocha reveals romantic refinement

"Romantic refinement" were the words that came to mind when viewing John Rocha's gilt-edged collection in London yesterday.

Long known for his trademark monochrome and elaborate handworked embellishment, the designer stripped this show down to essentials, focusing on silhouette and sculptural detail rather than decor. With emphasis on the nipped-in waist, the collection followed an emerging trend for winter, with fuller skirts and dresses often stiffened with wadding. Daywear was confident and appealing. Eliminating sleeves, Rocha's jackets skimmed the hips and, edged with gold braiding, had sleek metropolitan polish.

New for winter were unexpected shots of colour, such as bubblegum-pink mini-skirted suits and red ruched ballerina skirts. For evening, the full skirt came into its own either layered with tulle or black crochet.

The styling was carefree, with flyaway hair, mini coolie hats and Chinese slippers the main accessories.

In contrast, the menswear line was a downsized silhouette: lean, narrow, luxurious and modern. Black and grey dominated, with occasional trimmings of gold braid or a cheeky strip of printed cotton on a skinny trouser leg.

Jasper Conran's collection yesterday was a masterclass in painterly colour. He mixed peach with green, mushroom with red, and white with duck-egg blue in a dazzling line up of deceptively simple dresses and tunic shapes with flattering, feminine standaway necklines.

A shawl-collared dress in sooty cashmere and another in a brilliant shade of chartreuse were sexy in a coquettish way. And only Conran could send out a leather suit in plaster pink, its sole embellishment a frill on the edge of a cuff.