'Easy opulence', 'textured simplicity' and 'modernist romance' were the attractive contradictions that Richard Nicoll threw about before his A/W 2014 presentation. A shorthand to the sentiment of 'aspirational realism' that felt spot-on for this particularly sunny Sunday morning (although we still concealed fold-up umbrellas in our bags), as the designer opened his show with a cool blue leather and fur-trimmed bomber, zipped up over a matching pleated mini, and finished with metallic slip-on loafers. This was an unanimous 'yes' to unwrought style, carried through to his double-breasted tailoring, cable knit dresses and ribbed capes that swung casually from model's shoulders. Nicoll then changed gear and joined London's hemline debate, matching his 1960s-inspired mini against the post-war midi - cutting the latter liberally in metallic boucle, plaid wool and clipped-fur, all of which were pepped up by Manolo Blahnik lace-up booties. Then it was onto an array of house signatures - this season the designer's colour-blocking effect married the textures of leather and raw denim, while his conceal-and-reveal pleated skirts were slashed and filled with transparent chiffon or organza. Leaving us equally as taken were Nicoll's two-tone woollen coats, in either teal blue or burnt rust, rounding out his winter colour wheel of plum, grey, gold and navy. All of which offered just enough detailing to make each exit feel special yet effortless.
Photography: Jason-Lloyd Evans
-
Seven designers rethinking wood at London Design FestivalAt this year’s London Design Festival, wood proves itself anything but static. We highlight seven designers shaping, colouring, and engineering it in surprising ways
-
Inside Kazakhstan’s brutalist Tselinny cinema – now a hub for contemporary cultureTselinny Center of Contemporary Culture, a modernist landmark redesigned for its new purpose by Asif Khan, gears up for its grand opening in Kazakhstan
-
Oliver Spencer’s orbiting installation offers a meditative shopping experience during London Design FestivalAt Oliver Spencer’s Shoreditch store, a sensory light installation by Studio Rhythmics offers a calming moment during LDF
-
Inside Louis Vuitton’s Murakami London pop-up, a colourful cartoon wonderland with one-of-a-kind caféWallpaper* takes a tour of the Louis Vuitton x Murakami pop-up in London’s Soho, which celebrates the launch of a new ‘re-edition’ accessories collection spanning the greatest hits from the Japanese artist’s long-running collaboration with the house
-
Get to know Issey Miyake’s innovative A-POC ABLE line as it arrives in the UKAs A-POC ABLE Issey Miyake launches in London this week, designer Yoshiyuki Miyamae gives Wallpaper* the lowdown on the experimental Issey Miyake offshoot
-
Margaret Howell London Fashion Week Women's S/S 2019 -
London Fashion Week S/S 2023: Ahluwalia to Martine RoseThough slimmed-down, London Fashion Week nonetheless provided the moments of creative expression the city is known for – from Ahluwalia’s ode to Africa to Martine Rose’s much-anticipated runway return
-
Discover these fashion brands at London Craft WeekDuring London Craft Week, fashion brands including Smythson, Bally and Serapian are hosting events across the capital
-
Nicholas Daley's multicultural roots celebrated in London -
V&A spotlights the sartorial and social significance of the kimonoFor the latest endeavour of London's Victoria and Albert Museum, Kimono: Kyoto to Catwalk explores the evolution of the iconic Japanese garment
-
Erdem A/W 2020 London Fashion Week Women's
