London Fashion Week: Orla Kiely AW12

The Orla Kiely Afternoon Tea Dance was a delightfully civilised antidote to the frantic pace of London Fashion Week on day one. What better way to show off the charming new collection than watching coquettish ‘debutates’ sashaying around the dance floor with their beaus to the sounds of a live band.

The collection features an ox blood leather pinafore dress worn over a chiffon blouse with frilled collar, a navy wool and gold high-waisted full skirt worn with a gold sequin blouse with silk patterned back and sweet day dresses with abstract retro and cat prints. Not to forget, those high-waisted scarlet shorts paired with a demure silk printed blouse, worn by the best dancer in the room – an elegant, willowy model with legs up to the heavens!

One of the stand out pieces was a full-skirted nude and black panelled prom dress with an over-size black bow at the waist. Other favourites were a maroon skater-style dress with a black trim and exposed zip and a delicate cream silk dress with a beige butterfly print and gold sequin peter pan collar.

I loved the fresh, innocent styling – side-parted tied-back hair with dewy skin and a strong lip and girly dance shoes with lurex bobby socks. It was like the girls had stepped out of a shoot in Lula and appropriately editor and founder Leith Clark (who has styled previous Orla Kiely presentations) was present at the tea dance.

Of course, the new collection of Orla Kiely accessories was on show and featured some ladylike clutches in neutral shades and a stunning red patent leather chain handle bag with Orla Kiely’s trademark pattern embroidered on the back.

As the models performed the foxtrot, tango and the Viennese Waltz under the giant disco ball in Orla Kiely’s pop-up 1940s dance hall, we were served champagne in vintage-style glasses and rounds of mini Victoria sandwich cakes and bakewell tarts.