Showcasing his AW17 presentation, Chalayan marked his return on the third day of LFWM. A sea of navy blue, black and grey flooded the runway as the models walked though Chalayan’s Mayfair studio. Inspired (very subtly) by Ancient Greece, we saw loose tailoring with a lot more draping, and softer geometric silhouettes.

Dropped shoulders served for a cocoon style, greek-inspired wrap belts dangled boldly to the knees, and as it seems, trousers went to new lengths to define this season’s crop – hint: it’s time to cut them at the calf. In a relaxed take on suiting, Chalayan focused on practicality – sleeve-detailing being very important. They were curved, loose, elongated (for whatever purposes that serves) – and those elbow joints? They’ve finally been given a little breathing space.

In a more casual area, blanket weave wool blended knitwear made an appearance, and some were sheer enough to see the crisp shirts underneath. Trousers were slashed at the back to show a cheeky little bit skin at the calf, perhaps recalling the Greek’s breezy clad.

 

Might this be the future of the nine-to-five dress code? In Chalayan’s world, maybe. In the mix of the shows, this was a necessary palette cleanser.

Words: Lizzie Griffin