Greetings from London! Follow the daily adventures of our London Fashion Week correspondent, Alice Tate, as she covers all of the best collections across the pond.
9 a.m.: Daks
Starting day two with something oh so British, Daks soothed the crowd at Somerset House with an opening track from The Beatles. The quintessentially British brand added a touch more grunge to their line this season — one that's synonymous with sculpted shapes, house checks and English heritage. Naturally, the classic check trench made more than one appearance, but designer Sheila McKain-Waid moved away from her comfort zone. Instead of sculptural silhouettes, we saw new design details: wrapped seams, double lapels, and angular cutaways, all executed perfectly, of course. The collection was a crowd pleaser for loyal followers and new Daks girls alike.
10 a.m.: Antipodium
One for the younger crowd, Antipodium didn't disappoint with a punchier show than ever, all about sex, lies and CCTV. Housed at the London Film Museum, the room was void of any décor — just a double row of seats and a few uplighters — setting the scene for an urban collection with a stripped-down style.
Honing in on the scrutiny of modern life, designer Geoffrey J. Finch took a more clinical aesthetic, with sharp lines, short lengths and refined silhouettes. Surveillance footage made up vivid graphic prints and color-blocked ensembles stole inspiration from road signs. With plastics, clashing colors, and digital prints, Antipodium's Fall 2013 offering will keep confident closets happy.
11 a.m.: Clements Ribeiro
Clements Ribeiro stuck to what they do best for their Fall 2013 collection, that being printed florals and elegant daywear. They added strong Oriental influences — golden jacquards made up shirts, dresses, and cigarette pants, and black lace gave a gentle gothic-glam appeal. Necklines were kept high, somewhere between a mandarin collar and a turtleneck, atop floral silk sweaters and lace knits. As the masters of print, this season they did print on print, mixing florals, leopard spots, and geometric knits.
3 p.m.: Julien Macdonald
Without beads, there'd have been very little. Fortunately, there were a lot of beads at Julien MacDonald, who presented a striking collection of eveningwear. Opulence, glamour, and oodles of dazzle, beads-on-mesh underpinned MacDonald's collection, which spread across maxi gowns, midi gowns and bodycon ballgowns. Attached as single strands, swaying bead fringes added movement to skin-tight dresses, and created a grunge-meets-Gatsby sort of vibe.
5 p.m.: Moschino
The collection was mainly monochrome at Moschino, but flashes of candy pink — scrawled like graffiti through the collection — brought together shirts, pants, and super-short dresses. After a leopard print interlude, the color saturation turned up a notch and magenta pinks came through on peplum skirts and feather jackets. The creeper-style shoes were the biggest hint that this show was most suitable for the younger crowd.
6 p.m.: Issa
Kate Middleton's favorite label took inspiration from the Navajos for its Fall 2013 collection. With felt hats, feathers, and loose braids, Issa succeeded in making us envious of Pocahontas. A heavily printed collection, full of tapestry patterns and tribal themes, it was all long lengths and maxi dresses, with the odd poncho thrown in for good measure. Mustard yellows, mauve furs and floor-length Mongolian coats all asked for winter to come early — complete with campfire and Captain John Smith, please.
7 p.m.: House of Holland
Always a popular show, there was unavoidable hype surrounding Soho around 6:45pm on Saturday. Media frenzy swarmed the front row guests, with Pixie Geldof, Harley Viera-Newton and Atlanta de Cadenet being the center of attention. After a lengthy wait and some serious 'are we waiting for Alexa Chung?' speculation, the show began with Holland's youthful collection. Titled 'Nana Rave,' we saw psychedelic, printed day dresses and shiny vinyl skirts which wouldn't have looked out of place inside a pumping '80s. 'Viva La Vibe!' was the slogan on a sweater. The electric energy continued through the collection with fluorescent shearling linings and floor-length neon zips.
The '80s reigned with prints on print on print, whilst the '90s child within us looked to the martini glass-printed boyfriend jeans as the answer to winter blues. Another collection of Holland's tinged with nostalgia, this one shone with British influence and truly captured the energy of yesteryear.
9 p.m.: Rihanna for River Island
The most gossiped-about event of the day, Saturday evening saw Rihanna's British design debut. An empty warehouse, an elevated stage, and a thumping R&B soundtrack kicked off Riri's show. Though the collection didn't disappoint, it didn't give us anything new. Flashing a lot of navels and nipple, basic jerseys and slashed denim laid the base for a grungy line up, while neon satins added a touch of glamour.
The crowd certainly had a good time — British models Cara Delevingne and Jourdan Dunn took a break from the catwalk to sit front row, bumping and grinding to a Kanye-heavy soundtrack, while the rest of the guests lapped up courtesy cocktails and rum-heavy punches. After dancing well into the wee hours, we called it a night for the sake of our sore feet. Has the good girl gone bad turned designer? Maybe. Will it sell? Of course it will — it's Rihanna!