With every show I attended on day 4, my love for London Fashion Week grew that little bit stronger. Few designers exemplify the creatively liberated, Central Saint Martins taught, magpie style for which British fashion is celebrated more than Louise Gray. She can always be relied on to put two fingers up at good taste and this season was no different. The collection was a cacophany of riotous colours, wildly clashing prints and assorted textures thrown together with reckless aplomb in a way that so shouldn’t work but somehow aways does. Hats may have come courtesy of Stephen Jones but they were still made out of bin bags. Commercially orientated Gray most certainly isn’t but break down the looks, lose the madcap make up and many of these pieces will no doubt find their way into fashion forward wardrobes come September.

Louise Gray AW13

By this point I was in dire need of sustainence and frankly, a bit of a breather, so I headed to The Apartment (an ingenious bloggers sanctuary where we can hang out, eat, work and meet all manner of brands, arranged by the ever impressive Abi Marvel) to regroup before my final show. After all, it wouldn’t do to be feeling (and looking) anything less than my best for Burberry.

Since attending my first Burberry show a few back in 2011, it’s always been a major London Fashion Week highlight. Every season I get a familiar butterflies in my tummy sensation as I approach the vast Hyde Park venue and see the crowds of people lined up outside. Once I’d taken my seat in between fellow bloggers Ella of Coco’s Tea Party and Emily of Fashion Foie Gras I set about people watching as Burberry always attracts an A list crowd. This time around was no different and I spied everyone from Anna Wintour and Emmanuelle Alt to Freida Pinto, Kate Beckinsale, Rita Ora, Rosie Huntington-Whitley and Tinie Tempah on the FROW.

From left: Michelle Dockerty, Rosie Huntington-Whitley, Freida Pinto, Rita Ora & Kate Beckinsale

After much milling and mingling the show began and what a show it was! Burberry Prorsum SS13 was one of those collections that I liked at the time but since seeing again in September, I’ve really fallen for. As for AW13, well, it was love at first sight and appropriately so because it became clear early on that Christopher Bailey was in a romantic mood this season. Surprised though many of us were when the Yorkshire born designer cited saucy sixties showgirl, Christine Keeler as his inspiration, re-imagining the brand’s trademark trench in latex was a stroke of genius and looked oh-so-right on the runway. Then again, it’s Bailey’s knack for infusing the Burberry heritage with just the right amount of provocation that has made him such a successful Creative Director. As well as trenches, pencil skirts, shift dresses and other style staples were given a hint of kink by way of latext, leather and high shine PVC in shades of soft nude and rich oxblood. Another key and highly covetable component of the collection was print, namely cute heart motifs and naughty leopard spots. Silhouettes were kept classic and waists cinched allowing for everything from leather fringing to snakeskin and cowprint calf hair to be incorporated into the collection while shimmering stripes and luxurious knitwear provided yet more sell-out separates.

Burberry Prorsum AW13

One of my favourite things about attending the Burberry show is the inevitable element of spectacle. Who could forget Bailey quite literally making it rain for AW12? Or the kaleidescopic parade of metallic trenches for SS13? This time around he went above and beyond with a surprise that had half the guests standing up in their seats. About half way through the walls at the end of the runway parted revealing musician Tom Odell and his band who proceeded to serenade Cara, Karlie, and Jourdan strutting their stuff for the remainder of the show… As Mondays go, day 4 of London Fashion Week AW13 was certainly a good one!

Burberry Prorsum AW13 finale

Love Ella. X