London Fashion Week opens with tribal-inspired designs

LONDON (Reuters) - Designers turned to nature for inspiration on the opening day of London Fashion Week on Friday, featuring a collection of thin silk, fine embroidery and elegant piece shows all featuring floral-inspired theme.

Capital of England took over the baton of New York, which wrapped Sunday with sparkly dresses and bold geometric prints, with a pared-down color palette is fresh and faded pastel dip-dye.

Designers Antoni & Alison opened the day with a series of unique printed silk dress, followed by Fyodor Golan, which shows in the magnificent hall of the Waldorf Hilton and inspired by Mayan and Aztec cultures.

Models floated down the stairs in shift dresses, kaftans and loose pieces daring performances varied in electric blue, canary yellow, autumn yellow, and bright pink color, with intricate beaded embroidery and ethnic-inspired prints and cutouts.

"We want to show light and spirituality and at the same time to have a sexuality that is so contrasting that but. Was not in your face, it's still strong and give you strength but very emotional, something that will engage you," Fyodor Podgorny Designer to Reuters after the show.

Podgorny with fellow Golan Frydman has consistently impressed critics since their debut collection two years ago.

Duo continue to see their neutral, with slicked back ponytail and bare face on the model balanced with subtle tribal tattoos painted faces and elaborate jewelery which include eye and nose.

Clothing veteran journalist Hilary Alexander said he was impressed with the attention to detail and bright colors.

"It's not for everyone, a woman who might be throwing his minimalist with horror but I happen to love them," said Alexander.

Designer Corrie Nielsen told Reuters that the collection, entitled Florilegium, inspired by the Royal Botanic Gardens in London and the Japanese artist Makoto Murayama.

"Everything has been cut three-dimensional shape, inspired by flowers," says Nielsen.

This collection also features a sleek tailored pieces with dip-dyed silk blouse and folded origami-jacket in pale pink and creamy yellow.

Sheer dress decorated with embroidered appliqué detail ice blues, mint green and lilac look at Bora Aksu.

Model crown decorated with cut-out feel, sporting braids and hair slicked-back, wearing a light dress printed and embroidery inspired by art deco and botanical gardens.

"I just wanted to create something really light," says Aksu.

"There is a texture on it but it was very mild, no prints and embroidery and stuff but it was almost like a light coating, so no one is really tough I want to make it like the air .."

Romantic florals and pastel defined the opening day of London Fashion Week, but Felder Felder adds edgy twist to their spring collection, in collaboration bold colors and muted leopard print with a soft cloth and shortened hemlines shredded knit dress.

Singer Kate Nash, dressed in a black suede and leather jackets, serenaded the crowd as models accessorized with aviator sunglasses and beach hair strutted down the runway in miniscule shorts, a dress with a high slit and fit paired with a belly-baring tops.

Model swanned through intimate presentation space in customized feminine dresses made of light fabrics with prints and woven textures, in a variety of pastel colors, the presentation was Emilia Wickstead.

The designer says her new collection of Truman Capote's twist on the 'goose' and inspired dames of high society from the late 1950s are required to look chic and elegant social events.

"I want to be a passion, fashion forward and actually play in inspiring me a lot," said Wickstead said.

"I like shorts matador so I played a lot on it, I thought it was pretty fresh, keep summer fun and flirty but at the end of the day, my style is quite sophisticated and neat, so I wanted to make it more playful."

Wickstead, who was six months pregnant, was one of the designers to benefit from the "Kate effect" after the Duchess of Cambridge stepped out in some of his designs.

Wickstead told Reuters he could not comment on her royal client, but said it was "inspiring" to dress "who advanced, high profile and is beautiful and looks great."

Middleton is not the only high profile clients to support Wickstead was chic design. "Downton Abbey" actress Laura Carmichael, who wore a gown by Wickstead at the prestigious New York Met Ball Gala earlier this year, praised the latest designer collections.

"He had some sort of talent to do really classic, simple things and manages to be very dramatic and sexy with it in the most classy," said Carmichael.

(Editing by Paul Casciato)

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