London Fashion Week: Fulton a breath of spring air in London

Published on 16/09/2012 03:04

HOLLY Fulton sent her spring/summer 2013 fashion vision out in a sun-kissed haze of ­pastels, Perspex and Californian optimism at her London Fashion Week catwalk show yesterday.

When your geometric prints are as bold as Edinburgh-born Fulton’s and the fashion pack are as captivated by them as they appear to be, big statements become the expectation.

And Fulton didn’t disappoint with a show sound-tracked by the feelgood calypso of Paul Simon’s Diamonds On The Souls Of Her Shoes and coloured by bubblegum tones.

Spring is Edinburgh College of Art graduate Fulton’s ­favourite season and the fun side of her architectural ­designs were blended with oversized florals and pastel target motifs for a lighter, more youthful collection than we’ve seen from her to date.

The clear inspiration was a 1950s LA summer from top to toe, with hair worn loose and tousled in ponytails and plaits, sunglasses oversized and over freckles, and sun hats slung low.

Box jackets, bikinis, cutaway dresses and pencil skirts all carried recognisable Fulton prints, which blend the tribal and architectural brilliantly, but a new twist was her strong use of surface detail – a breathtaking transparent ­Perspex prom dress worn over knickers retained its modesty under cover of appliqué flowers.

On a day when Britain’s fashion establishment of Clements Ribeiro, John Rocha, and Jasper Conran were showing new collections, Fulton’s work embodied the fun and freedom that has marked her out as one of Britain’s most ­exciting young designers.

In recognition of her growing prominence on the international stage, ­Fulton was last week asked to design a window for London Fashion Week’s Mayfair, with her ­favourite dram added to the bar menu.

The Holly Fulton cocktail – a whisky sour – mixes a ten-year-old Macallan with a pastel-coloured sweet garnish.

Today sees catwalk shows from Vivienne Westwood, Nicole Farhi, Mathew Williamson and Glasgow’s Jonathan Saunders.

Fellow Scots Christopher Kane, Pringle and Louise 
Gray show their collections tomorrow.