London Fashion Week: Issa

ISSA, beloved of the Middletons, offers a glimpse of the swinging sixties-via-Siberia

The last show of day two of London Fashion Week was packed to the rafters. Perhaps attendees were hoping to catch a glimpse of the sisters Middleton? They didn’t make an appearance, of course, but were there in fashion spirit, if not in body. Issa is a favourite with Pippa, Kate and pretty much every other fashionable young filly in the country, and this was a collection designed for snaring a prince. That it made more than a nod to the Duchess of Cambridge was clear from the moment the first model stepped out, hair sculpted into glossy Cambridge Curls. Designer Daniella Helayel took her girls on a Trans-Siberian voyage, opening with a trippy sixties vibe; think Ab Fab’s Patsy Stone in her modelling days. Signature wrap dresses featured paisley prints in shades of green, blue and blood orange. Prints got bigger and bolder before giving way to darker evening pieces. A classic black coat seemed made for the Middletons and you can expect to see Kate in a red lace long-sleeved dress from this collection for her next premiere. Flapper-esque evening gowns and fur-trimmed metallic mini dresses injected a little excitement into a collection which toed the line between classic and cool.