Well, Britney may have been a no-show this year, but Michael Jackson made an appearance, via a mix in the soundtrack that accompanied Matthew Williamson's fall show, “Bubblegum Superstar” —“‘Bubblegum,’” said Williamson, “because there was a lot of pink, and ‘superstar’ because the clothes were sexy and showy, not clothes that you can hide behind.”
Williamson himself has never been one to hide from color, and this season was no exception. Flared corduroy pants and very mini skirts were worn with fluorescent stilettos by Christian Louboutin and neon belts fastened, for a change, at the nape of the back. Prints were much in evidence, from the vintage Missoni-like patterns that opened the show to the series of richly hued, Eastern-inspired bird prints that closed it. There was no shortage of decorative elements, either, from sweaters with passementerie embellishments to a series of very covetable fur-trimmed jackets. And if Williamson flirted with an electroclash vibe—via jackets decorated with shiny metallic studs, stars and grommets—the quality of his craftsmanship helped him avoid a reductive retro groove.
