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LONDON, United Kingdom — — If London high society still had occasion to dance the waltz beneath the chandeliers of their fair city's stately homes, they would probably do it in Emilia Wickstead's prim and proper dresses. As one of the darling labels of Britain's ladies who lunch (Kate Middleton included), she has built a solid business on demure frocks – floral, often-puff-sleeved silk concoctions – that appeal to a particular demographic hell bent on sustaining the somewhat archaic concept of occasion dressing.
That said, her Autumn 2017 show made moves for daywear, with high-waisted 'mum' jeans in indigo denim and several cocooning felt wool coats plonked amongst the plethora of structured peasant dresses in tea rose printed crepe or swirling baroque cloque silk. Wickstead's gowns floated down the runway on flat velvet sandals, their oh-so modest effect exaggerated by a mostly dull pastel palette of salmon and candy pinks, dusty blues, and petrol. Pops of grass green, lemon and bright red served to lift the overall austerity, as did the bustier incrustations and a wispy finale of multi-coloured Swarovski-encrusted tulle.
