London Fashion Week focuses on bras

Catwalk models have often been described as ‘ironing boards with legs’. Very few have been renowned for their cleavage. The newest trend emerging at London Fashion Week, however, is giving even the most flat-chested of the breed the kind of uplift and silhouette more normally acquired by a visit to the plastic surgeon.
Not since Jean Paul Gaultier designed the now-legendary ‘rocket cone bra’ for Madonna nearly 20 years ago, has the brassiere been such a fashion fixation.

Louise Goldin, the young designer showing under the Topshop-sponsored NewGen scheme, was directly inspired by the Madonna rocket cone to create her own ‘twin peaks’ in pastel organza and gold and silver lame, bristling with Swarovski crystals.
The models wore her bras with matching organza bloomers or micro-kilts.
Antonio Berardi, making his catwalk return to LFW after ten years’ showing in Milan and Paris, made corsetry the foundation of his skin-tight, sculptured look. Hand-crafted brassieres and bustiers were seamed and contoured to maximum effect and worn with strong-shouldered jackets and micro-skirts with ‘winged’ hips.
Jasper Conran showed flesh-tone bras and corsets under matching ‘prom’ dresses. Betty Jackson put little floral bras over shirts. Margaret Howell unbuttoned classic white shirts to reveal navy bras. And Nicole Farhi reintroduced that 70s staple, the 'boob tube'.
London Fashion Week, celebrating its 25th anniversary this season, continues today with major shows by Pringle, Jaeger, Christopher Kane, Marios Schwab, Paul Smith and Luella Bartley, among others.