What we learned from London Fashion Week

As the fash pack rise, no-doubt with a few sore heads, after a raucous weekend, we count up the big takeaways from London Fashion Week on its penultimate day

Jasper Conran presented tonal outfits in navy blue, green, orange and Pantone’s Colour of the Year: Ultraviolet (AFP/Getty)

As the penultimate day of London Fashion Week kicks off, the city is bracing itself to wave goodbye to the style set once more – but what exactly have we learned from the five-day extravaganza?

From fond farewells to models of the moment and what’s in store for our future wardrobes, we take a look at the crucial lessons learned from London’s autumn/winter 2018 shows.

The rainbow is the style symbol of the season

Cara Delevingne wears a floor-sweeping, check-lined cape in multicoloured stripes at Burberry’s show (AFP/Getty) (AFP/Getty Images)

In what will surely be autumn’s most uplifting trend, this season designers celebrated in kaleidoscopic colour.

Perhaps the most anticipated collection of them all, Christopher Bailey’s last hurrah at Burberry was a celebration of LGBT+ youth that made itself known with rainbow checks covering everything from puffer jackets to baseball caps, while Cara Delevingne’s faux-fur rainbow provided a dramatic finale.

Elsewhere, Jasper Conran presented tonal outfits in navy blue, Kermit green, orange and Pantone’s Colour of the Year, Ultraviolet, while Richard Malone offered riding jackets and checked tabards in a vibrant colour scheme of aqua-blue and Milk Tray-purple.

Whichever way you choose to wear it, autumn/winter 2018’s rainbow trend is the perfect antidote for when your wardrobe comes to resemble a smorgasbord of dark colours.

Adwoa Aboah continues to dominate the fashion scene

The Fashion Awards’ Model of the Year Adwoa Aboah is enjoying continued catwalk success

This has been a stellar catwalk season for Model of the Year Adwoa Aboah. With her striking looks and effortless cool-girl credentials, Aboah dominated the runway at New York Fashion Week and did the same on her return to London.

Here, she walked for a host of designers including Ashley Williams and Matty Bovan as well as opening for Christopher Bailey’s final Burberry show.

And her influence was also heavily felt off the runway too. Opening London Fashion Week, the model of the moment gave a rousing speech in her new role as the British Fashion Council’s positive fashion ambassador for model health and diversity.

She spoke candidly about how people at the top of the industry had allowed a “rampant abuse of power and fear”, and said “we must work tirelessly to ensure that we empower [models] to have a voice and not be scared.”

Accessories are more crucial than ever

JW Anderson showcased the new Disc Bag in various shades for the new season (AFP/Getty) (AFP/Getty Images)

From micro-bags to thigh-high boots, some of the coolest accessories were trend-spotted this London Fashion Week.

At JW Anderson, the Irish designer showcased the new Disc Bag in shades of soft green as well as black and pink, patent croc-effect. There were also candy-iced and sprinkled-doughnut belt chains, silky neck scarves and multicoloured, vinyl Converses.

Elsewhere, Simone Rocha delivered a typically feminine collection anchored by pretty, red hair bows, giant dangling earrings, fur heels and beaded, crystal sashes that cut across the body.

It was acceptable in the Eighties (and 2018)

Models sported make-up inspired by Annie Lennox at Ashley Williams

A trend that designers return to season-after-season, the Eighties have become the ultimate fashion flashback.

Nowhere was that more evident than at Ashley Williams, where models sported Annie Lennox-inspired day-glo make-up, poodle curls and mullets as well as ra-ra skirts, neon fleeces, tie-dye dungarees and cycling shorts.

At Molly Goddard, where models navigated a giant kitchen, the show nodded to the Eighties with puffball mini-dresses and graphic tights, while at Gareth Pugh it was pin-stripe power suits and larger-than-life shoulders that proved clothes inspired by the decade aren’t going away anytime soon.

Of course, there were Eighties soundtracks to match. The most notable of which set the tone for Christopher Bailey’s final Burberry collection where models stormed the runway wearing shell suits made of silk, visors and tulle party dresses to the sounds of Bronski Beat and The Communards.