London Fashion Week began yesterday amid tight security and in a sombre mood after last week's attacks in New York.
Before the first collection stepped onto the catwalk, Nicholas Coleridge, chairman of the British Fashion Council, called for one minute's silence and announced the council and British designers would make a substantial contribution to the Red Cross American Disaster Relief Fund.
The event was in doubt for much of last week, with many models, fashion journalists and buyers stuck in New York waiting to reschedule flights to London. The decision to go ahead was made only last Friday at a meeting at Vogue House, central London.
"Frankly, we viewed from the outset of events in America that there is a colossal amount of business at stake for British designers, and the feeling is that we have got to get back to normality and not give into disasters," said John Wilson, chief executive of the British Fashion Council.
However sombre the atmosphere on the first day, the gentle, whimsical slip dresses and romantic look of the opening collections for spring 2002 soon lightened the mood.
Ronit Zilkha showed pretty, sunflower-printed chiffon dresses and straw hats. The look was Seventies: floppy felt hats, ballerina wrap cardigans and palazzo pants. Maria Grachvogel sustained the girlish mood with a collection inspired by Sarah Jessica Parker from Sex and the City. Hair was teased into curls and cheeks were rouged as models slipped on sassy chiffon dresses slashed and pinned together with roses. Tristan Webber featured delicate, fey-looking models in quartz and crystal prism-print dresses.
Finally, singer Roisin Murphy helped innovative young Irish designer Pauric Sweeney make his catwalk debut. Roisin modelled a gypsy-bride look, with billowing skirts and lace blouse.