EVERYBODY’s a little bit in love with Jonathan Saunders these days – he heads up the East London fashion crew and is always ready for a party but he’s 100 per cent serious about his business. His collection tonight, for the second season running, was crowned show of the week even before Day Two of London Fashion Week has finished.
“It was beautiful from the moment it started to the moment it ended,” said Vogue’s Calgary Avansino – and that really says it all. Almost.
This is a designer who knows the potential of colour and plays it out every season as if he’s only just discovered it. The prints from his autumn/winter 2011-12 collection were dotted among the audience on men and women – and you can guarantee that the multi-coloured kaleidoscopes and degrade paisleys – green-to-orange, vanilla-to-blue or peach-to-pink - are going to be fought over for editorial call ins and fashion maven must-haves from, well, the moment they disappeared off the catwalk.
Colour aside, this man sure can make a dress – the first was sleeveless and beautifully tailored: modern but demure, sexy only in the most refined definition of absolute allure, the sort of thing you’ll wish you’d bought several of and want to wear forever.
There were the silky PJ tops and bottoms carrying the same prints and then appearing in patchworks of washed-out tan, blue and green polka dots, and then gorgeous summer coats of half orange and half pink, and then a coral chiffon blouse under a green blazer above a full skirt. Saunders’ confidence with colour suddenly changes all the rules and, combined with multi-coloured platform espadrilles from Christian Louboutin, had us hankering to wear all this now – the wait for next summer seems even more endless, particularly having arrived at the Paddington Central venue in the pouring rain.
Retro skinny or nubbly metallic knits added a further injection of cool – they might be pretty but nothing ever gets too girly – and the finale of sheer nude dresses appliquéd in white, black or pink Baroque curls were just lovely. Worn by models sporting Amy Winehouse eyeliner and not a great deal of other make-up to speak of (messy ponytails too – that’s how to wear Saunders this time around), they were a gorgeous end to the start of what’s bound to be another great season.
With thanks to Mercedes Benz.
SEE THE JONATHAN SAUNDERS SHOW ARCHIVE