Friday at AFW 2007

This year, there are no prizes or Swatch-sponsored judges to award them at AFW, but this hasn't detracted from the electric atmosphere. Packed again to the rafters, Friday's show was triumphant.

We met Kerrie Scott last year when she showed clothes celebrating Charlie And The Chocolate Factory with Kate Miller. In 2007 she returned with new partner Alex Barrett with an impressive collection of one-off pieces all crafted from old clothes. Tweed jackets turned into waistcoats with crosses stitched at the back, men's tailored twisted trousers were our favourites here.

We've enjoyed Jasper Garvida's last two collections in 2006 and 2005 at AFW, but his third one shown today blew us away. The dressing tent was so full that Jasper took his team outside to get ready and, with total blind love managed to ignore the weather and focus his team. Highlights include embroidery anglaise dresses and blouses, silk panelled skirts, white and black trouser suits with sequins hand-stitched onto lapels, a sexy fitted grey jersey dress with a neck scooped at the back, and elegant, long printed dresses.

Camilla Ruiz Ramirez's models carried pink fluorescent keys and wore metallic dresses with snood-type hoods.

Ricardo Ramos came from Barcelona to show his series of outfits marking the 200th anniversary of the abolition of slavery. This translated as bold African prints worked into mix of streety menswear and womenswear.

Chrissie Nicholson's corset dresses are sumptuous and appeared alongside pencil skirts and a Victorian-style frock coat that made me quiver with desire.

TRAID showed another 'Remade' collection showcasing what this great charity does best - give new life to old clothes. Last out this week was Waltham Forest College with a display of gold-painted woodland nymph models donning whispery garments.

Then it is was the finale with huge cheers for the all 16 designers whose efforts graced the catwalk, and the models, many of whom were gaining their first experience in a show.

Words: Marian Buckley (Editor, fuk.co.uk).

Photos: Nick Ingham and Jo Fotheringham. Prints are available to purchase from SmilePlease.net.