Mathew Williamson decided he wanted the audience to concentrate on the clothes, rather than on Jade Jagger s latest look, so he banished his famous fans from the front row to the after-party. It wasn t hard to focus since Williamson opened his show with an attention-grabbing dress made of skeins of crystal worn by the giraffelike Jodie Kidd. He followed this with a show inspired by the colors and shapes of stained-glass windows, with a very modern take. Black dresses with cutout work were backed with hot pinks, limes and oranges to create a very graphic look, and were lit up at the end of the show to great effect. But Williamson s softer pieces were where he excelled: There was a wonderfully chic black silk dress with beaded lime chiffon hidden under pleats; amazingly floaty fishtailed chiffon skirts; and my personal favorite, a Day-Glo yellow chiffon evening dress, backless and pulled in at the waist with a beaded back lace sash. This has to be one of the sexiest, most magical evening dresses I have seen so far this season. And in a season of suits, a splash of romance is utterly refreshing.
