London Fashion Week SS13: Caroline Charles

Posted by Styloko

Who: Caroline Charles

What: Caroline Charles is celebrating 50 years in fashion this year, and it certainly shows in her spring/summer 2013 collection. Taking inspiration from the late 50s and early 60s – most notable in simple slim-cut black capri pants and snug hats that sat somewhere between a cloche and a fedora and accompanied every look – the British designer gave us blossoming Latin American prints in painterly brights across floating chiffon blouses, casually left unbuttoned over black bikinis and paired with black silk shorts, and light-as-air kaftans that felt suitably fresh. But it was soon broken up by block colour brights on power blouses that hinted at the 80s, paired with slim black pants or loose silk slacks and belted at the waist to form a subtle peplum, and a series of cascading white and black dresses that culminated in a floorlength white folk dress to close the show.

Verdict: Though Charles’ SS13 offering at times felt disjointed, the designer tied her collection – signalled into segments by the soundtrack – together cleverly with black cloche hats, retro shades and tomato lips that finished off every look to offer at least some sense of familiarity. While we appreciate her play on proportion and colour, the second half of the show fell somewhat short of the first half for us. We loved the simple 60s silhouettes that felt simultaneously throw-back and fresh, and the wonderfully pretty prints in a riot of colour that seem so en pointe for spring (especially paired with black for a strong, contemporary contrast) – but we couldn’t help notice that the roomy blousons and tiered white dresses that followed felt a little frumpy in comparison.