Let the rest of the world have its basics in neutrals. Matthew Williamson is having none of it. "You have to believe in your vision," said the designer after his show, which presented an exuberant thesis that there is still a place for his riot of color and embellishment—and a fun-loving lass to wear it. The latter was evident, of course, from his stylish fan club-cum-front row—Santigold, Trish Goff, Joy Bryant, and Zoe Kravitz, who pronounced the proceedings "amazing" and kept her sunglasses on throughout.
This designer shines brightest for summer, but here he applied himself to making the most of colder climes, bundling cocoonlike ombré coats over leather pants and spangled dresses, layering a tribal beaded tunic over a turtleneck knit, and turning the classic Fair Isle into a cozy twinset of coat and dress. He also used loads of fur—to good effect in the brightly dyed fox in fat stoles, less so in a royal blue coat with silver leather insets that was way over the top. To be honest, there were a few such moments—aren't there always in a Williamson show? But that was easily excused because the designer is clearly in a joyous career phase: an upcoming collaboration with H&M, a possible menswear collection in the offing, and a new Meatpacking District boutique, which opened yesterday. "Fantastic. Not bad," he said when asked about first-day sales. Chances are, it's not empty optimism. Williamson's London boutique just reported its best January in five years.
