John Galliano SS14: Back to basics

Bill Gaytten wanted to strip everything back this season; to take away the froth and the fancy that was the creative language of the brand's namesake, and to leave something simpler in its place. The first look was a powerful step in this sleek and streamlined direction: a sharp trouser suit in traffic cone orange, topped with an aerodynamic helmet dreamed up by Stephen Jones. Almost everything that followed was just as punchy: tiny techy mini skirts in cartoon yellow; stiff-shouldered jackets in fluoro pink and graphic laser-cut black silk showing glimpses of naked skin. Gaytten paid homage to the brand's red carpet heritage with a series of gowns at the end; confections of laser-cut organza and silk mousseline that moved like puffs of perfume through the room. Gaytten may have tried to strip things back, but even he couldn't resist a little indulgent fantasy.