This year marks the twenty-fifth anniversary of the opening of the Joseph store in South Kensington, London. In celebration of that fact, the stalwart London brand decided to throw itself a fashion show this season, and while under the spotlight the collection came off more retail-friendly than runway-ready, it did serve as a useful reminder of Joseph s place in the London fashion scheme of things. The collection included some very good new takes on the Joseph staples—knits and outerwear particularly. Creative director Louise Trotter made a convincing case for cozy sweater dressing, and there were a handful of top-notch jackets, such as the shearling-lined motorcycle jacket in a wine-colored check. Elsewhere, tie-neck blouses, naval-inspired trousers, and long skirts in dot chiffon all made a positive impression. Results were more mixed in terms of the leathers: Some all-leather looks came off heavy, though a leather jacket trimmed with long fringe will certainly find a lot of fans when it hits the shop floor.
