Kate Middleton’s a fan of Roksanda Ilincic – so no wonder she went over all 1950s princess with her autumn/winter collection.

If you’re showing at the Savoy ballroom, you better bring class and power in equal amounts. Thankfully, Iliincic didn’t disappoint. While the designer may have been

attracted to a girly shade of icy candyfloss pink this season, the Roksanda Ilincic woman was all woman. Powerful, architectural silhouettes that harked back to 1950s power woman – Joan Crawford, Bette Davis and all the rest of those magnificent divas – predominated, with short-sleeved shirts tucked into flared skirts or pencil skirts.

There was some playful touches too, with a particularly adventurous approach to material: toying with a PVC front and a taffeta back, for instance, or patent and glitter fabrics nestling side by side, adding a contemporary touch. Amidst the sometimes willfully zany backdrop of London fashion, it takes a talented designer to remind us all of who we’re designing for: women, in all their glamour and femininity.

Words: Zing Tsjeng
Images: Harry Carr