That Old Black Magic- Catwalk Report: Luella Bartley RTW A/W 2008/9

This autumn/winter season, the Luella girl won’t need much hocus-pocus to set people under her spell; her wardrobe alone should do the trick. Miss Bartley’s cauldron is bubbling away with several witchy muses- ranging from Meg to Mautisha Adams- a dash of paganism and a healthy dose of cool Britannia. The result is pure Bartley magic.
Working mainly with a spooky Halloween palette comprising of pumpkin orange, beetle juice black and gunge green, schoolgirl witches soared down the runway- minus the broomsticks. Hemlines were high and the silhouette jutted out horizontally from the thigh, whether it was the rah-rah skirt of a black magic cocktail dress resembling something out of Cyndi Lauper’s 1980’s wardrobe or the bell skirts covered in rainbow-coloured pagan ribbons.
Accessories included covetable brown leather satchels, sturdy enough to hold any spell book, and actual witches hats. Possibly one of the collection’s most wearable garments was the cropped and tailored tuxedo jacket- a razor-sharp version of one of the must-have items of the season. Luella’s older and wickeder witch wears knee-length tweed reefer coats and calf-flashing day dresses in orange and black gingham with respectable peter pan collars.
Collection after collection, Miss Bartley delights us with a veritable spread of kooky and utterly lovable clothes that somehow sit comfortably smack bang in the middle of fashion as an innovative vision vs clothes to love and wear that will segue into everyday life as part of the ‘average’ wardrobe- give or take a few witches hats. This collection was no exception, as a smiling Miss Bartley left the crowd bewitched, bothered and bewildered.