Blog: London Fashion Week: Day Five

Vivienne Westwood's eveningwear used irridescent lycra in orange, among other colours

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The penultimate day of Fashion Week and there was only one name on fashionistas' lips - a certain little red-haired lady called Vivienne.

The scrum to get into the Vivienne Westwood Red label show, the collection she brought to London last season, started soon after 7pm last night outside the Brompton Hall at Earls Court. Desperate to make sure they didn't miss out on their seats, the throng of plaid-adorned guests (yes, homages to Westwood's autumn 08 collection were rife) heaved up the steps, only to be met by a confused looking security team who weren't quite sure who they were supposed to be letting in.

Once we finally got through our five security checks, we were led into the hall, the walls completely covered in inky coloured drapes and reminiscent of what the world might look like if it had suddenly been sucked into a black hole. As Drapers took their seats - behind a stunning coiffed Pamela Anderson, complete with masked man date, and Dita Von Teese, the woman with the smallest waist - people carried on pouring through the doors, and a harrassed PR was so desperate to get make sure the right people got the right seats she started throwing people off the fourth row, much to a few people's embarrassment - row D is usually a safe bet for standing ticket spectators to sneak onto.

After nearly an hour of flashbulbs popping and an angry security team screaming at each other across the catwalk, the lights dimmed and what we were really there to see began. Distinctly differently from the rich tartan tones of last season, Westwood opted for a softer colour palette for spring, taking exotic inspiration from the Arabian desert. Draped harem pants in moss shades, neopolitan checks on shrunken blazers and jackets with puff shoulders offered a more wearable aesthetic.

High-waisted pencil skirts were loosened up with front pouches, halterneck shirt dresses in putty tones showed a sporty influence and long tasseled sleeves nodded towards a further ethnic influence. Eveningwear used iridescent Lycra in orange and silver wrapped and pinned on floor length and mini dresses, and a dress knotted at the bust and waist appeared in dusky pink satin.

Westwood didn't forget that her audience still liked a little bit of something to gasp at however, and gasps she did get when she sent a model down the catwalk completely topless in a bunched gold foil A-line skirt. She also got Alexa Chung to saunter down the runway to cheers of 'Chung, Chung' from Pixie Geldof. Fashion Week will never fail to amaze.