Daks catwalk show report S/S 2016 for LFW

Situated in the impossibly elegant surroundings of Lindley Hall within the London Horticultural Halls, Daks cool grey marble catwalk mirrored the elegant design of the show invite. As if all this, combined with the geometric backdrop bearing the instantly recognisable Daks logo wasn’t enough of a clue, the name of the show spelled it out: The Art Deco Collection.

What ensued was an impeccably breezy display of refinement. Inspired by the Art Deco period of the 1920s and 1930s, the marble print was to become the shows leitmotif, appearing on dresses and separates made from chiffon, georgette and cotton.

There was also a diamond window-check print that felt perfectly 1930s in style, appearing in monochrome but also in purple and turquoise across gowns and dresses with a vintage-style dropped waist.

Elsewhere, the prints took on a slightly more organic look, with superimposed flowers and leaves in varying shades of brown and rust. Thanks to the lightweight, airy materials, silhouettes were soft and flowing throughout, giving the impression of femininity whilst retaining in the tailoring the masculine aesthetic for which Daks is well known.

The shoes, usually heeled with a T-bar strap, also mirrored this dichotomy between the masculine and feminine. They were rendered in either monochrome to evoke the classic men’s correspondent shoes of the era, or in soft black or camel calfskin. 

Hair was left loose and gentle, whilst make-up was kept fairly minimal and fresh-faced. A perfectly elegant show; but then, what else would one expect from Daks?

Grace Cain
Photos: Krisztian Pinter