AP

A model displays a creation by designer Vivienne Westwood during a fashion show at London Fashion Week.

MODELS for Britain’s grande dame of design Vivienne Westwood strode down her long looping catwalk adorned with tribal tattoos and baggy trousers on the third day of London Fashion Week.

Westwood, who came to fame during Britain’s punk revolution in the 1970s, said her clothes had been inspired by Britons’ ability to confront harsh economic times with imagination and devil-may-care daring.

“Britishness is just a way of putting things together and a certain don’t-care attitude about clothes. You don’t care, you just do it and it looks great. What we do always looks British even if we’re inspired by Africa or the North Pole or whatever.”

The “war mentality” of the past year had influenced her use of bright oranges, military camouflage greens and yellows, she added.

Metallic colours also featured strongly this season, not only in Westwood’s collection but also at motorcycle-inspired Belstaff, which had a strong womenswear line.

One of the most striking jackets featured a shiny purple material made up of more than 10 different silken fibres, a mixture CEO Harry Slatkin called a “secret sauce”.

The collection also featured tightly tailored leather jackets with armour type panelling.

All week, designers said there would always be a market for haute couture, though some luxury buyers had trimmed back purchases.

Vogue’s Anna Wintour nipped backstage and emerged pleased by the results. “I loved it, I always love being in London,” she said.

At other sessions featuring younger designers, Renaissance paintings, Russian themes and military cuts dominated the catwalk.

Dresses in rich hues of cobalt, emerald and ruby featured heavily and marched alongside military-inspired coats with fur detailing for a fashion week keen to burnish its reputation for young creativity.

“It’s become a really, really exciting place to be. Especially in the last five years. People are realising that there’s a lot of businesses here that are very scalable,” said British designer Alice Temperley.

Temperley, whose collection was inspired by Renaissance paintings, sent her models out in huge fluffy fur hats, brightly coloured printed dresses with oriental flower patterns and delicate sheer evening gowns with rich beaded detailing and embroidery that oozed decadence and the glamour of past eras.

The designer said she wanted to have fun creating something new, current and sensual with something rich and opulent.

At Issa London, models wore vibrant printed dresses and colourful evening gowns in deep, rich hues. Subtle embellishments of beading, fur hats and a Chinese red lace piece drew approval.

Issa, the label created by Brazilian designer Daniela Helayal, said its printed dresses and separates were inspired by a trans-Siberian adventure, Fabergé eggs, St Basil’s Cathedral in Moscow and the traditional print of Babushka dolls.

Aquascutum showcased a more masculine silhouette with models sporting slicked-back hair and winged eyeliner. Leather jackets with shiny patent panels adorned with fur, elegant and ladylike dresses and textured skirts with mid-length hemlines were mixed with discreet shades of grey, olive and burgundy and smart separate pieces.

Rising star Fyodor Golan showcased a collection that was extremely creative, contemporary and wearable. Models with intricately braided hair were adorned in rich materials of leather, burnished metallic and ruffled silk. – Reuters