SO NOT only are those airheads in the fashion industry neurotic, bulimic, Botox-mad and clothes-obsessed, but now it seems they are universally guilty of sniffing the white stuff. Which is a pity, because at London Fashion Week, somewhere behind all the front-page headlines and endless stories about you-know-who, were some decent clothes.

Forgetting for a moment Fashion East’s Gareth Pugh, who gave us scary fetish leather-and-balloon combinations that could only ever sell in Japan or a Soho sex shop, this was a pretty knockout week. Fledgeling designers produced impressive, sophisticated collections without resorting to low jinks (again, not counting a Miss Piggy puppet on the front row) and there were also some rather pleasing ideas from the industry’s established names.

It wasn’t just New York that showed boho the door this season. It was time to say goodbye here, too (at least until the next round of shows) and welcome in a sleeker outline that was heavy on draped shapes, cinched at the waist and bereft of the usual clutter and appendages that London designers are so fond of loading on to an outfit.

This may be the city whose high street flogged the boho trend to the max (it’s a no-brainer — knocking up a flouncy cotton skirt in some factory in China is cheaper than conjuring with a taffeta, couture-inspired cocktail dress) but even Topshop, on the official schedule for the first time with its Unique collection, pushed an aesthetic that had sportier leanings and embraced sharp men’s tailoring.

So what will we all want to wear next summer? My vote goes to Preen, whose hit collection of beautiful draping in a seductive palette of nudes, pinks and silvery greys was marred only by its two-hour-late start and inconvenient City Hall venue. Complex knotting and intricately assembled dresses appeared effortless. There were many examples of a fluid volume skirt in satins or silks, gathered gently at the hem and much easier to wear than this autumn’s puffball. Less convincing were some of the cropped bustiers, which jarred with the ethereal elegance of the rest of the collection.

Even the newer labels, including those that had never shown on the catwalk before, endorsed a grown-up, pared-down sensibility. There may have been hints of Lanvin in the pintucking details or the fullness of a 1950s Balenciaga dress, but the deft cut was there to admire.

Sinha-Stanic, the St Martins-trained girlfriend and boyfriend duo who were runners-up in last year’s Fashion Fringe awards, showed us delicately washed chiffon pieces in faded floral prints, kimono wraparound tops and jackets with blouson sleeves. Crinkle-effect linen trenches were paired with skinny trousers or shorts. Who knows if Modernist, whose all-navy collection was runner-up at this week’s Fringe, will prove as successful — but there was plenty of promise in the deconstructed shapes and fine detailing of the ten outfits that formed its simple yet effective statement.

With all this new blood, Giles, once touted as the hottest designer at London Fashion Week, had some stiff competition. Modern sportswear details were mixed with a couture aesthetic and fabrics — moiré silk, taffeta, organza and double georgette — and although some of the padded items, tight corsets and skirts reworked into strapless dresses looked a bit tricky, on the whole his clothes looked less theatrical and more manageable than previously. Particularly appealing were his black shift dress with bauble details and a champagne raw-silk dress with a geometric pattern.

Osman Yousefzada, the former City banker-turned-designer, exploited his Afghan heritage in an inspired debut. There was more of the ubiquitous draping, although his was an austere look featuring black, empire-cut, blouson-style jackets or little capelets. Layers of folds reworked into the fronts or backs of dresses were a recurring motif.

Those who felt that the clothes were missing a romantic feel could always turn to Roksanda Ilincic and Betty Jackson. The former, another St Martins graduate, went for Forties and Fifties couture shapes and used fabrics similar to Giles’s, working them into quirkily elegant cocktail dresses, some with rose detailing on the straps, some with knife-pleat, full-back capes and all divinely elegant.

Jackson’s loose silhouette suggested a childish playfulness, a mood enhanced by the soft and very wearable empire-line and pinafore dresses that followed. The mass of broderie anglaise also evoked a girlish charm. Tie-dye patterns in pink and cream or black and green were used to create a leopard-print effect on cotton camisoles and sun dresses.

Last but by no means least were Clements Ribeiro, who have picked themselves up again after their business went into liquidation. Their mod-cut coats and dresses had a Sixties feel that was further reflected in the orange and brown tribal prints that appeared on clothes and accessories.

Circle symbols on signature sweaters and stiff fabrics contributed to a fresh look that will no doubt help them to get back on track. Don’t underestimate London’s fighting spirit.

Trends

High-waisted tailoring; belts; bows; braces; shorts; skinny or wide palazzo trousers; trenches or capes; bustles; white dresses; draped jersey; lace; broderie anglaise; taffeta; chiffon; stripes; skirts with a more fluid volume.

Colours: pinks, nudes, grey, silver, black, geranium, white.

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