Channel Autumn/Winter Collection

• 16th Aug 2010

It is something we all have to face up to; those long evening walks in the park are coming to an end. With winter around the corner too it is easy to get depressed with the thought of nothing more than cold nights in watching the television. However, between now and then there is some good news; autumn is the season which provides the break from the picnic to party season. This will be the time when a little sprinkle of magic can be given to a wardrobe, despite being full of bright colour and flowering gems from the summer.

What does one buy though? It depends on your budget as there is a whole range of newness bursting at the seams, ready to come out of the closet. Clearly there is enough to make you look sensational whatever you decide to don for that special occasion only a matter of weeks away now. It is an important time too for gatherings with the majority of social occasions happening in this season which will justify that fabulous dress you have been wanting, but put it off because saving for a summer holiday took priority. You will now have a choice to be practical or theatrical.

Karl Lagerfeld, designing for Coco Chanel, brings back the roaring twenties with the power of an express train with an open throttle though, with a few subtle tweaks for “today’s modern flapper girl”. This is not because he wants the clock to turn back, but is because he feels that there has not been enough movement and so taking that ethic, he has decided to offer up some shorter garments than the usual “belle époque” look of long evening dresses.

The colours you will see this season are a staggering kaleidoscopic array from deep dark reds, blues and browns to sleek metallic silvers with flecked blacks and greys, the icing on the cake is the creamy whites. There is no surprise these warmer colours are chosen, as temperatures drop, to reflect the floors of deciduous forests and other classic autumn scenes.

This is just half the story though with a mixture of materials and styles to tickle the senses. The most prominent material is wool with its versatile and comforting aura contrasting well with the smooth silks blending with delicate lace is to be the maxim of a collection which is adding a great sense of sophistication over anything else. Some garments even have fur trims giving a very eastern European regal look to coats and dresses.

Although the colours and materials appeal to an old fashioned feel, the designs themselves are deliberately modernist in nature. Combining the old and the new can be done with success very rarely, but Lagerfeld and the dress makers have pulled out every needle and thread to make it work. You will not find one piece dresses with ease; instead you will have a range of cut-off blouse and skirt effect all of which will be ¾ in length with their shorter sleeves allowing the femininity to ooze out of an elegance which can be barely contained.

This collection will not only set precedence for the new season with its chic of minimal effort, it is going to set the autumn and winter ablaze.