Eley Kishimoto

It's exciting times at Eley Kishimoto towers right now. Having, at one time or another, embellished everything from motorbike helmets and sofas to crockery and wallpaper with their distinctive prints the design duo are, as we write, preparing to present their first collection for Cacharel in Paris. Given the workload they must be labouring under, it was gratifying to see that they'd still managed to pull the stops out for for their London showcase too.

For aw08 they've taken the notion of British country living and subverted it by locating it in a comical cartoon world. In this la la land Miss Marple-style English heritage tweed and hunting checks blend with panto-style blocks of colour, frou frou silks and harlequin patterns. Cute dresses, quirky tights and great coats abound in a jewel box palette of colours – fuchsia, emerald green, bright blues and sunset orange – and Eley Kishimoto work their magic with bold graphic prints and naïve patterns boasting names such as Tricky Sleeves, Horses, Harlequin, Plucked, Finale and Bunny Dance.

With a sprinkling of white gloves, clownish bow ties and heavy fringes Eley Kishimoto's Bonnie Bunny show was a bonny event indeed.

Words: Maia Adams
Photos: Ian Gillett