Paul Costelloe has a tradition of opening London Fashion Week with a splash of eccentric British charm, ensuring the tone is set for the rest of the week and offering the sort of bright and beautiful pieces that will fill the pages of the next days papers.
This season it was sweet 60s baby doll dresses in bubble gum colours that will surely have Costelloe’s customers sorted for the wedding season next summer. While these didn’t break the mould, Costelloe knows who his customer is and delivers wearable yet beautiful pieces.
The 60s theme was continued in boxy skirts and jackets in neutral and pearl tones, referencing Hollywood glamour by the way of Paris through the use of silks. Bardot was recalled in a belted, double-breasted suit dress, again in a neutral cream tone.
For men, Costelloe is well known for his perfectly cut suits, which mix just the right amount of conservatism and dandyism to create something that the professional man can wear to work, while still feeling stylish and exciting. Influences included Edwardian traditionalism with a hint of the 80s New Romantic, which was seen in womenswear in ruffled necklines but was toned down for men in a slight ruffle to the seam of a shirt.
Natalie Lasance 