Brown Thomas AW18: The looks we love (and one we’re not so keen on)

The Brown Thomas AW18 show delivered clothes that I wanted to wear rather than just showpieces. It started strong with eight looks from Italian super-brand Prada. The look below, worn by Thalia, was the standout one for me. The frivolity and frothiness of chiffon and tulle is brought back down to earth by a structured corset top, but one that is made from utilitarian “street-wear” fabric. Muccia Prada always manages to subvert our ideas about what is feminine or not. This pretty print could easily have looked insipid, too, if it hadn’t been layered and paired so cleverly.

Other standout looks for me came from Loewe (below); a super-sized cardigan that had a homespun feel was layered over an animal-print cardi and a pair of wide-leg, frayed-hem jeans. The combination was retro without being caricature, and it’s the kind of outfit you’ll want to envelop yourself in come those chilly mornings we’ve lost sight of now with all this sunshine.

Dries Van Noten always delivers the most covetable combinations of print and texture. This exquisite look will fly off the Brown Thomas floor I’d imagine. As a single outfit, it’s divine; aspirational but accessible. While each piece will work beautifully and make a statement if paired with even the simplest of separates. This is the power of Dries. My only disappointment was that there wasn’t a fuller Dries edit. Five looks is never enough!

This Maticevski dress was one of Brown Thomas’s showpieces. This design house delivers silhouettes that are directional but never outrageous. It makes cutting-edge look almost easy to wear. What an incredible piece for a modern bride to choose? It almost makes me want to get married.

It was back to the eighties for Versace with this denim skirt and T-shirt combo. It’s definitely not for me, but the brand certainly was a talking point after the show. I guess if you weren’t there the first time round, maybe it has a brash appeal that’s the antithesis of those utilitarian and athleisure trends we’ve all been embracing in recent years.

So Versace won’t be on my shopping list for AW18, but there was much to admire this morning, and many items that you will buy come autumn, and love and wear forever. The perfect Dries print and the quintessential Calvin Klein knit never go out of fashion.

Holding shot Delpozo