Basso and Brooke show signature prints

Basso and Brooke showed their signature tight, digital print dresses today as London Fashion Week neared its climax, with the highly anticipated Burberry collection set to be unveiled.

Fashion Week began in a subdued mood because of the recent death by apparent suicide of revered British designer Alexander McQueen, but the fast pace of shows — and the presence of celebrities including Janet Jackson, Naomi Campbell, Sienna Miller and others — has focused attention on the fashion talent being showcased.

The multicolored Basso and Brooke dresses, including dramatic maxi-dresses with low cut backs, impressed the crowd which has come to see the designers as expert pioneers in the high fashion use of digital prints.

Among their fans are First Lady Michelle Obama, who has worn one of their designs, adding to the five-year-old brand's growing international reputation.

"That has to help," said Olivia Marks, a fashion journalist with showstudio.com. "They were one of the first people to do digital prints. It was more of the same, but the response coming out was people saying, 'Wow, that was really great.' It will definitely be popular with people who know the brand really well."

She said the consensus was that the influential Liberty store would showcase the brand's autumn and winter collection, which was seen as very wearable.

"They delivered what they were expected to, and it was very polished," she said.

The fall collection includes dresses with skintight sleeves designed to be worn with leather gloves. Some had fur collars as well.

The colors, even on a single dress, were so varied as to defy description. The more closely one looked, the more gradations one saw. The contrasting patterns and colors gave each piece a unique feel, and the patterns seemed to undulate as the models walked.

Only a few pieces used solid colors to set off the prints. Even the ankle boots were decorated.

The evening dresses provided the highlight, including some off-the-shoulder designs, one with a bright swath with an intricate yellow pattern. Some were set off by red, mid-length gloves, heightening the glamor.