London Fashion: Rethinking Luxury

LONDON — It’s good to see Tom Ford nail down a hot look again. Two years ago he staged a private little show in his New York store, asking

 friends like Julianne Moore, Rachel Feinstein and Rita Wilson to model his first women’s line since leaving Gucci and Yves Saint Laurent.

 It was a memorable night. Each outfit was a return-to-elegance occasion, as individual as the women involved, and Mr. Ford got a lot of

 press for withholding photos until the clothes arrived in stores. But then last fall he seemed to reprise styles from his YSL days. Editors

 expected more. So did Mr. Ford.

 The collection on Sunday felt completely contemporary, yet still in the Ford glamor mode. The key looks for day were his signature pencil

 skirt or a pair of biker shorts with a minimalist top, fuzzy sweater, or a semi-fitted hoodie. The biker shorts just seemed fresh again —

 thanks to Mr. Ford’s polished treatment. He showed one pair with a matching black crepe-de-chine popover top with black patent-leather

 patches on the shoulders, and gold metallic heels that had been wrapped to resemble wedges. The wedge part was coated in tiny golden spikes,

 like pins on a sewing cushion.

 The evening clothes also had a cool, sporty attitude: long skirts in black or white embroidered silk with deep thigh slits and matching silk

 hoodies. He said the aim was to create a collection around the words chastity and perversity — and to offer a defining Ford look. He

 certainly did that. With so many high-end labels milking conceptualism or pushing craft, he seems to know there’s a need for polished

 clothes that genuinely feel relaxed and a bit undone. Also worth checking out is his new flat shoulder bag in patent-leather and other

 skins. An extra-large one in black patent makes quite a graphic statement. Perversely, it does suggest a Hefty bag.

 Mary Katrantzou also had a good show on Sunday. Her hyper prints seemed more toned down this season as she dipped into the faded colors and

 patterns of postage stamps and currencies, like the old British pound note, that are no longer in circulation. The blues and greens looked

 rich; the shapes were generally clean, with A-line dresses, slim trousers and long, back-pleated vests.

 Marios Schwab’s references included bees, honeycombs, shell patterns and classical warrior tunics. Somehow, he blended it all together for

 a solid show of feathery textures and pleated silk transparency.