London Fashion Week Autumn/Winter 2008

If London Fashion Week is anything to go by, winter is certainly going to be brighter with florals, bold colours and some crazy, interesting shapes.

The Betty Jackson collection was pure fun.

Models took to the runway in vibrant autumnal hues of purple, red and brown. The collection was filled with fun details like cocoon shaped arms on jackets and coats, and brilliant green ribbed tights and arm-warmers followed, while sequins lifted wallpaper-like florals on sleeveless dresses and high-waisted skirts. Patent red bags, clumpy brown shoes and sheer-chiffon pussy bow blouses and dresses with asymmetrical ruffles all added to the playful feel

London Fashion Week Autumn/Winter 2008

The Biba collection was glamorous, but with an impish twist.

The collection was filled with embellishment and embroidery. Curtains of beading cascaded their way down and around tunic dresses in ivory or black, while paisley print encrusted with sequins brought to life a traditional black shift which boasted angular-shaped shoulders.

The colour palette was rich and sophisticated, with the first dress out in a striking shade of teal, enhanced by its layered rose petal construction. Fun fuchsia and gold, the deepest of indigos, crimson, slate grey (on wearable and practical coats), and a predominance of black all featured. A flirty and wearable collection.

London Fashion Week Autumn/Winter 2008

There was a real utility feel at the Giles collection.

He played heavily with textures in his collection.Models wore voluminous puffa-fronted dresses, sectioned off by zips. Short satin bomber jackets with feather-edged hoods, sheeny quilted skirt suits, fragile, cobweb-like knits with trailing yarns, and stiff, tutu-skirted dresses featured strongly in a decadent palette of plum, olive, blood red, grey and petrol. A real magical feel.

London Fashion Week Autumn/Winter 2008

The Issa collection was pure class and elegance.

Issa used alot of gorgeous silk prints in the collection. Brightly coloured animal and floral prints were huge. There was a slight boho feel to the pieces. Kaftans and simple shift dresses featured strongly. The lines of the dresses were simple and draped beautifully on the models bodies and highlighted the craftmanship of the designers.

London Fashion Week Autumn/Winter 2008

The queen of the red carpet Jenny Packham didn't disappoint with her ultra-glam collection which was inspired by a vintage trapeze artist's costume.

Models wore cleverly traditional circus styles ruffled sleeves, flounces, embroidered bejewelled bodices and can-can skirts that transformed into show-stopping evening gowns.

Gorgeous beaded and black lace numbers sported prize-winning pussy bows, polka dots and sequins in iridescent silver, ivory and jet black made Packham's collection a feast for the eyes.

London Fashion Week Autumn/Winter 2008

In true Julien Macdonald style his collection was pure glamour.

Models strutted down the winter wonderland runway in huge cable knits that came in the shape of all-enveloping cardigans. Coats and scarves were teamed with the woolliest of leggings and towering heels. Ice skater skirts flounced out from underneath capes while structured tailoring was given a fun and quirky vibe featuring big round buttons that looked like sweets.

His evening wear was all-beaded and bejewelled floor length gowns that shimmered and sparkled their way down the catwalk in golds and blacks. Absolutely gorgeous.

London Fashion Week Autumn/Winter 2008

The collection of Louise Goldin had a distinctly industrial and futuristic vision for autumn/winter 2008-9.

Models stepped out onto the catwalk padded armour breast plates and zip-trimmed hems on body hugging dresses and fringing on sculpted and angular sleeves. Goldin used colours like slate to mauve and petrol to dove, grey was the predominant colour on this catwalk with splashes and (in the case of the make-up), slashes of orange, coral and peach.

London Fashion Week Autumn/Winter 2008

The Luella collection was inspired by all things witchy and pagan and it was absolutely bewitching.

Fabulous wool swing coats, red and blue gingham puff-sleeved dresses and mini skirts buoyed up by underskirts so lavish were worn by the crazily-crimped bed-head look models.

The collection is loosely based on Pagan dress with the multi-coloured zip-zag stitching around the top of peasant-sleeved blouses, knitted hoods falling into chunky scarves at the ends, ditzy prints and blue chiffon blouses.

Signature cocktail dresses came in sweet shades of peach and black and were ruched and shot through with gold lame thread or most spectacularly beribboned. To die for.

London Fashion Week Autumn/Winter 2008

Sultry was the feel of the collection shown by Paul Smith.

His collection was filled with bloomed prints; pretty tea roses juxtaposed against his signature stripe in subdued navy and white, and then graphic blocks in mosses and clarets that bled into one another and came printed over shift dresses, sheer blouses, boxy four-button coats and tights.

London Fashion Week Autumn/Winter 2008

Sinha-Stanic's collection was very nu-punk meets mix and match.

Patchwork prevailed throughout, from shift dresses that were quartered in contrasting colours to crop jackets pieced together from a rag-tag of fabrics, a dogtooth lapel sitting on an acid green front panel, or dark denim buddying up with silver lurex. Zip-festooned biker jackets in techno shades of orange, indigo and fuchsia came cropped to within an inch of their lives and were layered over long-line knits, as were cropped jumpers. An eccentric collection.

London Fashion Week Autumn/Winter 2008

The inspiration for the Temperley London collection was the Dutch World War I courtesan-turned-spy Mata Hari.

The collection explored an edgier brand of femininity with flounced and ruffled dresses and gowns in shades of persimmon, teal and muddy yellow, edged in lace that concealed as much as it revealed while things took a tougher turn with buttoned-up military jackets, braided-trim minis, sexy black leather leggings and a corseted leather pencil skirt.

London Fashion Week Autumn/Winter 2008

The doyenne of British fashion, Vivienne Westwood returned to London fashion week with her new label and she didn't disappoint.

Westwood's Red Label collection was pure Westwood.

Models wore hounds tooth mini skirts, teamed with clashing print silk blouses and hanky hats, provided a flash of matching gusset, while velvet blazers came studded with military-style brass buttons and lingerie-style camis peeped from beneath slouchy, royal blue jumpers. Sack skirts, pussy bow blouses, bloomers, shorts suits and cape-style jackets also featured heavily, in an eclectic palette that ran the gamut from red to salmon to green to sky blue along with Westwood's signature tartan.

Compiled by: Jenna Shevel
Pics: Getty/Gallo Images