London Collections 2015: In a world of colours, we’re keen on Green

The mood was decidedly retro, designers cherry-picking from the greatest hits of the past century

Burberry’s glitter finale was in-keeping with the brand’s pro digital media attitude (Getty) (Getty)

After four days of shows, presentations and parties it’s safe to say that the autumn/winter 2015 menswear season has started in London not with a bang but a whimper.

The mood overall? Decidedly retro, designers cherry-picking from the greatest hits of the past century. On Monday this tried-and-tested approach gave us Forties Civvy Street tailoring at E Tautz, Seventies Bohemia – replete with mirror-embroidered waistcoat, a garment that most thought permanently consigned to the fashion wastelands – at Burberry, and Sixties mods and moptops at Tom Ford.

Ford made a long-overdue move into the modern world at his presentation when, rather than forcing the press to take furtive photos, he embraced the digital age. All Ford’s world’s a stage – or rather, a photographic studio set providing perfect conditions to capture his collection.

Ford’s reluctance to engage with the social networking now deemed necessary for success is in stark contrast to Burberry, a brand promoting its new “Carryall” bag on Twitter mere minutes after it made its catwalk debut. Burberry’s eager embrace of the digital world is a strategy that has brought the label much success in recent years, and the glitter-strewn finale provided an Instagram moment that will surely be shared around the world, an invaluable asset to a brand with such an international sales focus.

While behemoth brands labour to engage with their widespread customer base it was the work of Craig Green, the young designer who has made waves since his debut in 2013, that brought a breath of fresh air to proceedings, ensuring his remains the name on the lips of industry insiders and heavyweights alike.

As budgetary and business pressures have led Christopher Kane, Jonathan Saunders and Richard Nicoll to take a break from showing menswear this season, it is on Green’s shoulders that the expectations of the industry fall. But, it seems that he is more than up to such a weighty challenge, presenting a quietly compelling collection. Bottle-green, red, black and navy trousers came in a wide cut and with the martial arts inspired straps and flaps that have become Green’s signature.

There was a nod to trends and colour palettes seen elsewhere, notably in knitwear with deftly executed, porthole-esque detailing, while deconstructed shirting and layers proved there is plenty still to come from the capital’s newest wunderkind.