The splashes of cobalt that have seen this week has been used to strong effect with BLAK. Though the name of the label is synonymous with the dark aesthetic, the bold use of colour in this collection is a new dynamic. The black rose print, unique to BLAK is joined by a rose bloom print in red on georgette as well as digitally printed, both of which I loved. The styling as in past years was spot on with beautiful oversized diamante brooches which I loved (my friend don’t call me Magpie for nothing).The hair was beautifully styled with a mass of diamante clips at the hairline carrying the theme through. The key makeup artist was Sam Howard for M.A.C. The shoes were by Chaos and Harmony. With a slightly lighter feel that in past years, this is a commercial collection that can easily slip into someone’s wardrobe – but still with an edge. To add to the overall texture, a deconstructed herringbone tweed print was used to great effect. With key trends such as burgundy and cobalt given the BLAK treatment, as well as BLAK’s signature lace in pretty skater dresses, it was a neat, well-edited collection. This was particularly obvious with the final walk though as all the models came down the runway.  Speaking with BLAK’s Teresa Hodges after the show, it was obvious how important that editing was with gentle tweeting going on right up until the last-minute to get that just right. That attention to detail shows.

Photography by Michelle Weir