London Fashion Week Review – Ryan Lo

Following on from last season’s nuptials with a knight in shining armour, comes the inevitable. New life as symbolised by three sets of models pushing traditional style, prim and proper prams courtesy of Silver Cross, the Royal family’s baby vehicle of choice.

Ryan Lo explored the roots of kawaii by looking at the Japanese illustrator Rune Naito, whose 1960s illustrations of doe-eyed girls with their bouffant hair and retro frocks. By day, she’s cosy in double-faced quilted nylon coats and jackets with matching skirts. By afternoon tea, she’s in drop-waist lace dresses. By night, only a cocktail dress with a voluminous tiered skirt will do. Lo summons the cannon of prettiness and festoons everything with aplomb; corsages, pussy bows, feathers and frills.

Knitwear, a staple and signature of Lo this season comes in fine mohair, finished with a satin ribbon laced up like ballet shoes. The collection included easy to wear lurex sweat pants and hoodies and Lo’s speciality of blossoming floral crochet are worked into Peter Pan collars, bibs and capes.

Lo collaborated with Stephen Jones on exaggerated marabou ski bunny ear muffs, and exaggerated bearskin hats, inspired by Swan Lake and the Cecil Beaton’s costumes for Gigi. The shoes are made in collaboration with Gina, with riding boots fit for a royal hunting session, in lace mesh and dusty pink.