London Fashion Week: Gavin Douglas brings back the Glamour

A show that has received surprisingly little press yet was loved by fashion.psfk brought glamour back to LFW on Friday, as last year’s Fashion Fringe winner Gavin Douglas took over the BFC tent. Entitled Queens of the Ocean, the collection referenced post-war luxury travel, showing beautifully cut 1940s-inspired shapes in sumptuous silks and satins, saturated with shimmering black and rich jewel tones.

Douglas’ first solo catwalk showcased the designer’s clever fusion of historical interpretation and modern sensibility, with swathes of fabric wrapping elegantly around tailored silhouettes. Clearly referencing the era of Dior’s New Look with peaked shoulders, hourglass shaping and emphasis on nipped-in waists, the clothes were softened through the fluidity of the fabrics chosen, then given a subversive twist with aggressive rib-like gathered pleats and killer platform heels.

Sexy, sophisticated, and aspirational, the collection cleverly reinterprets and updates wearable glamour, a style which, considering the current proliferation of fur and hats both on and off the catwalks seems to be the direction of choice for many. Watch out for Gavin Douglas’ name in the future.