IF the rain yesterday was enough to bring any fashion spirit down, today the designers showing were firmly going to wipe any dreariness away. From Markus Lupfer's tropical trip to Holly Fulton's Vegas holiday - both collections of which had safari and tropical elements in common.
Fulton, who has made a name for herself through graphic Art Deco prints underpinned by fun and wit, today catered to those for whom a staycation is the holiday of choice next summer. The show notes told us that her lady "having blown her annual budget takes a vacation a little closer to hone. In full holiday spirit and dressed for Vegas - she hits Margate". And good on her.
It stayed true to the Fulton aesthetic and the designer brought back the popular palazzo pant from last season (and sported a pair at the end to take her bow), this time in navy shades with coral climbing from the hem. The prints and motifs all derived from the arcade, fruit machine and casino fun her girl was getting up to this summer. So fringing on skirts and tops jingled with shells - which also worked their way into her signature graphic Art Deco lines on skirts and there were dresses that called for cocktail hour with jelly fish floating up them. It was a mash up of nods to the Nineties via checkerboard prints that recalled Pucci and Versace and there were studded tight mini skirts, bling-looking bombers and swimwear to sizzle in. Fulton's girl was definitely on a different slice of the beach to that of the Mulberry girl this morning - the one where the sun was out (Mulberry's girl is all about the pac-a-mac).
Fulton's fun look is a successful one - she quickly went from showing at Fashion East to being full-time on-schedule - and it's what she is about, but we can't help but think it would be interesting, however, to see where else she could go - we know the potential is there. We just need to see it.
SEE THE HOLLY FULTON SHOW ARCHIVE