Christian Blanken at LFW

Now I’m not usually a huge fan of the suit – perhaps because I’ve never had real cause to wear one. But this suit was beautiful. And one would expect nothing less from Christian Blanken; the master of taking a masculine piece and injecting it with just the right amount of luxury.

The screening style of this London Fashion Week show meant we could have a good look at the clothes up close, particularly the suit in question which was a softly tailored, skinny trousered affair with a draped lapel jacket, which fitted enough to flatter but was still pleasingly masculine. There was also a variation on a suit in the form of a sleeveless grey tailored jacket with beautifully structured shoulders and skinny lapels. Worn over a plain black shift dress or a black tunic and jeans this was a far easier way to wear a suit without actually wearing a suit.

Blanken describes his designs as ‘not sweet’ and he certainly wasn’t wrong. Everything was just so simple and strong; a real theme this fashion week. So many designers seem to have stripped things back and concentrated on achieving a beautiful silhouette with impeccable craftsmanship and tailoring; pieces with longevity.

It wasn’t all about the suits though; the sharp lines of the white shift dresses and the opulent cream fur force me to reference another recurring theme this fashion week; the Sixties. Ditto with the leather coats in black and brown with no fuss or frills, just a simple round neck and clean zip fastening.

In a rash departure from the colour palette of white, cream, black and grey that we had become accustomed to, a pair of bright red tailored trousers quite took my fancy, particularly paired with a pin tucked grey tee shirt (but so beautifully tailored it doesn’t feel quite right to call it a T-shirt). This ensemble was a definite sign of Blanken’s move away from his signature boxy sportswear towards a chicer sphere of luxe yet linear pieces that would serve well in many a situation. And it’s a change I very much like.