Highlights from Fashion Week: Day 1

Catch up on a fun-filled day of fashion shows with all the action from Aquascutum, John Smedley and PPQ in an exclusive video brought to you by McArthurGlen

London Fashion Week declared itself officially open for business yesterday, in a storm of catwalk shows, street style stars and packed-out parties. For the next few days the capital will be alive with the who’s who of the fashion set, as we anticipate what we’ll be wearing next season.

Never one to be upstaged, the British weather treated us to some dramatics of its own, with thunder and lightning marking day one of LFW. Appropriately, one of the first presentations on the schedule was Aquascutum’s, the heritage, Mayfair-founded brand which is famed for its raincoats.

Set in a super-luxe townhouse living room and aided by the meteorological conditions, the presentation evoked the feel of a wet summer spent indoors. Styled as ladies who lounge, the models draped themselves over velvet armchairs and stripy sofas, wearing classic trench coats given a tough, modern edge with leather chokers.

Meanwhile over at John Smedley, the theme of modern woman continued but this time evoked with pared-back pastels. The models sat perched on ombre-shaded stools painted to match their springtime attire. The Smedley silhouette for SS17 is soft and flowing, with subtly flared trousers tucked under long-line tunic tops and matching t-shirts and pencil skirts that skimmed rather than squeezed the models’ sides.

At PPQ the models were party girls in full-on fiesta mode. Tailored skirts and dressed were smattered with clashing prints and pops of colour. While silk scarves with or without fringing were artfully wrapped around shoulders and over scruffily sculpted up-dos.

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More from LFW:
Day two: London Fashion Week highlights
Day three: London Fashion Week highlights