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LONDON, United Kingdom — As the designer of Joseph — a label born from retailer roots — Louise Trotter is in a relatively unique position in the ready-to-wear world: one that doesn't dictate perennial innovation but does require an apt sense of l'air du temps and the finesse to translate that well enough to sit alongside the other key design names you will find in Joseph stores.
That said, under Trotter's direction Joseph has grown into much more than just any in-house label, and her clear bent for large, streamlined shapes and utilitarian minimalism has garnered legions of fans. Autumn's offer will surely please them, as she explored her penchant for colour-blocked silhouettes in slinky satin, silk jersey and pleather-y PVC, or boldly oversized tapestry-on-tapestry suiting.
Those ideas made for an elegant and intriguing rub between the ultra-ladylike and a sophisticated, slouchy menswear vibe — the former exemplified in model Jane Moseley's closing silhouette of red-on-white georgette, the latter scattered throughout as planed overalls, baggy trousers, and boxy outwear belted in the back.
