Spring 2013 London Fashion Week: Emilia Wickstead

The exquisitely polished work of London-based designer Emilia Wickstead has long been a favourite for Team Olivia. Spring/summer 2013′s

 collection, with Truman Capote’s society swans as inspiration, only affirmed this fact further.

 Drawing on the effortless style of the impeccably chic sixties set, Marella Agnelli, Gloria Guinness, CZ Guest and Babe Paley, the palette

 too was influenced by Horst’s 1967 portrait of swan Agnelli. Buttercup yellow, duck egg blue and soft pink formed the basis of the

 collection, while painterly checks and subtle plays with texture added interest. A-line silhouettes were a focus; dresses with hems sitting

 mid-calf or just above the ankle and separates cleverly but cautiously playing with proportion.

 Though lines were sharp and clean there was a certain sensuality to cuts, cementing Emilia’s knack for celebrating femininity. Splits at

 the front of full skirts, scooped out necks, revealed backs and micro shorts added a little playfulness to an otherwise grown up collection.

 Sling-back court shoes and cut out sandals by Manolo Blahnik perfectly complemented the ‘enigmatic confidence’ Emilia had aimed to

 achieve.

 Highlights for us included the super-slim knee-length city shorts paired with an array of loose-fitting, softly swinging tops and a pale

 yellow, full-skirted gown that utilised the collection’s signature checks and cut-away back detail.

 The collection felt thorough, with enough variety to provide the perfect capsule wardrobe for one’s summer getaway. Set in the pretty

 surroundings of Emilia Wickstead Atelier in London’s Belgravia, s/s 13 is a prim and proper offering with a welcome injection of

 youthfulness and enthsiasm, for which the designer has become so well known.