This was an appealing Matthew Williamson collection. As ever, Williamson brought his theatrical sensibility to bear on his clothes, but with a little more matter-of-factness and circumspection than usual. Simply put, there were a ton of looks here that would work for work—office-ready wool skirts and dresses with a flare of godet pleats; modest pop-colored sweaters; practical trousers matched with abstract-print tops. The seasonal theme of Nordic folk culture and landscape was witnessed, primarily, in patterns graphic and glacial, and in the nice touch of blanket stitch on a rustic wrap coat.
Of course, this wouldn't be a Matthew Williamson collection worth the name if there weren't a decent amount of razzle-dazzle, which this season's party frocks amply provided. A draped burgundy gown was lovely and relatively subdued, with only a crystal-crusted belt for embellishment, while sequined sheaths and feather-hemmed minidresses will be catnip for the "more is more" girls. Here, as elsewhere, the collection cast an unusually wide net, proffering looks both grown-up and youthfully flirty.
