Report by Isaac Lock
Photography by Tyrone Lebon

Even by halfway through today, it was obvious that the party-girl feeling that dominated a lot of the New York shows is trickling into London. After Mark Fast’s show first thing, everyone was a bit too busy talking about the “juicier”

models he sent down the catwalk to really notice that Mary Katrantzou, who showed alongside him, sent out a collection that was made up more or less entirely of party frocks.

But she did: some were glitzed up with Swarovski crystals, some were cut down into tops and teamed with shiny trousers and all were finished off with shoes by Charlotte Olympia, the brand conceived by natural-born party girl Charlotte Dellal. The heels were falling off them on the runway, but the sentiment was there. At the Headonism showcase for new milliners, the girls were all glitter- sprayed up like Christmas trees.

And then there was Louise Gray, who did her presentation dressed up as the living, breathing incarnation of her bold, bright, cobbled-together fun-time frocks, complete with hair freshly dyed bright orange with Crazy Color by John Vial. She’s collaborated with Judy Blame this season, who has provided embellishments in the form of trash bags and trinkety tat. “Judy is celebrating his 25th anniversary this season as well as LFW,” she explained, “so it was great to work with him. He’s the ultimate good-time girl, and at the moment it feels like that’s what it’s all about! So far this career isn’t so well-paid for me, and I think, like a lot of people, the best solution is to overcompensate, dress up and have fun. It’s like a f*** you to the recession. It’s saying, “We may be broke but we’re all still fine, so let’s have a party!”

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