PREEN BY THORNTON BREGAZZI AUTUMN/WINTER 2015-16 READY-TO-WEAR LONDON FASHION WEEK

“DARK romance,” was the term Preen’s Justin Thornton reeled off backstage of the label’s autumn/winter 2015 collection – one that saw Karen Carpenter and Sonic Youth play muse for their own take on fashion’s favourite decade right now: the Seventies.

But that was purely coincidental. “We always design for the Preen woman,” said Thornton when quizzed on this point. “She’s travelling, picking up the kids and going to a party.” And it’s true, this is a brand that operates outside of passing zeitgeist to create clothes that exist in real wardrobes. Simply, they do their own thing, stick to it and it works.

Today that was a blend of folksy and crafty vintage dresses with high necks and fluted cuffs; laced-up bodices, Victoriana-style; and skirts of tumbling tiers that later turned into ruffles that spanned the legs in asymmetric fashion in blue, yellow and red petals. These dresses, all delicate and wispy, just breezed on by to leave a trail of “want” in their wake. There were cute knitted tank tops and cropped jumpers with stitched flowers and there were patchwork plaid shearling coats in primary bright shades. And then came a series of blue-bloomed dresses, a winter picnic plaid sprouting with hand-finished and embroidered flowers. Beautiful.