Avsh Alom Gur fuk@lfw a/w 07

Mr Gur told me that his autumn/winter 07 collection has been inspired by a visit to the Vatican. It's not that the man is about to convert to Catholicism, but rather that the colours, shapes and materials he encountered informed his aesthetic. This translates into a bold and colourful collection where intense purple, lavish gold and blood-red hues dominate. The colours worked brilliantly in the stark white West Room at the Academy and you can't help but be impressed by the fact that the designer created the vegetable dyes used in his own kitchen!

The former Donna Karan consultant is a huge believer in collaborations and contributions this season come from his in-house knitwear designers Kate Wallace and Angeline Lam (knitwear), Daniel Brereton (geometric abstract prints) and Emily Hillier whose knotting technique on dresses punctuates the collection.

Cashmere, chiffon, panama hats woven into garments, silk jersey and velvet all feature. Many pieces seem to be the designer's own take on ceremonial costumes with shoulders a focus and gold adornments.

Originally from Israel but now an East Ender, Mr Gur does not pay sartorial lip service to trends to which other designers seem to cling: he follows his own instincts, explores tribal cultures and traditional crafts and fuses them with modern techinques. This is his third off-schedule catwalk show at LFW, and already he's independently achieved a growing order book and an international client base.

Words: Marian Buckley
Photos: Niall McInerney