The spectacular Lancaster Ballroom at the Savoy hotel was a suitable setting for Maria Grachvogel's elegant Autumn/Winter collection.
Words: Phoebe Frangoul, picture credit: Rex Features
The show opened with a series of pieces in a chic leopard print jacquard with metallic gold thread running through the fabric. A jazzy soundtrack suited the clothes perfectly - they had a luxurious, decadent feel that evoked the Jazz Age, speakeasies and louche '30s style. Fluid silk in muted metallic shades billowed in shirts, dresses and pyjama trousers, with subtle cut-out detailing adding a sensual edge.
Vivid, bold prints looked like botanical illustrations in a textbook on one dress, and a spectacular fireworks display on another - in other words, most unsuitable for shrinking violets.
Jewel shades appeared in perfectly-cut, deceptively simple gowns which were given a harder edge by Atalanta Weller's futuristic leather wedge boots.
The designer played with contrasting textures, teaming nubbly tweed trousers with a silk shirt, or a chunky knit over a delicate column skirt, which highlighted the qualities of the different fabrics. Chunky Deco cuffs, oversized earrings and statement necklaces courtesy of Erickson Beamon added structure and sparkle to the fluid gowns and shirts.
With pieces evocatively named 'Charleston', 'Chaplin' and 'Gershwin' (a rather slinky catsuit), we were left in no doubt about the ambitions of this collection. There were grown-up, sophisticated clothes that are destined to be worn by a woman with a seriously fabulous life.
