Ashley Isham fuk@lfw s/s 07

With his Tropicalia collection Ashley Isham hopes to take us on a 'magical journey'. The show began with a catwalk enclosed in green curtains which, as the music started up, were pulled back by a pair of suited and booted gentlemen who spent the remainder of the show guarding the entrance to the catwalk in the manner of ushers at a grand ball.

Handily divided into sections, the collection starts with Rose-Marie - a series of tailored pieces in jaquard weaves of metallic pink, gold and silver. It then moves on to a more flamboyant Carnival section, canary yellow floor-sweeping gowns printed with 70s-style orange flowers make an appearance and are followed by the aptly named Cheetah - more tailoring including a va va voom shiny black coat with an animal print lining.

As the music shifted from Justin Timberlake's Sexyback to an operatic aria, the collection's styling made a similarly unexpected gear change. Models in extravagant evening wear came out with feathers glued to their faces and sporting enormous back-combed and powdered wigs, some of which had stuffed birds tangled among the strands. These were fabulous but the '18th century Parisian werewolf in London' look sported by some of the other models wasn't quite so hot.

Words: Maia Adams
Photos: Judith Erwes