Fashion: Lennon Courtney's fresh collective

purple prom dresses uk We are very mindful of the fact most women want to look thinner. So we think about that a lot when we design; about what is going to be flattering.
"And that is everything from a sleeve length to hem length, to where a waist sits, to a gather here and a pleat there," says Sonya Lennon of Lennon Courtney, her and Brendan Courtney's fashion label.
What Sonya states as being one of the most important tenets of their collection, is the great unsaid of the fashion business – all women want of their clothes is to look thin.
Not power, not sex, not attracting the opposite sex, not friends. It is all about body image.
"On Off the Rails, where we came from, Brendan used to say it all the time: 'Yes, we want our women to look fabulous. But they want to look in the mirror and see taller, thinner, better.'
"And clothes can do that," she says. "That is the beauty of it. It isn't alchemy or dark arts. Putting a pleat in the right place can make all the difference."
The savvy at the heart of the range is directly attributable to its designers being people who always had to deal upfront and close with women. It is perfectly contrived to fit in and flatter our bodies and our lives.
"Our colours and shapes are chosen to avoid a series of disconnections.
"Season-on-season, you grow your investment in Lennon Courtney, to create a holistic offering," Sonya explains.
Lennon Courtney is selling brilliantly all over the country and online. The next stop is export, with a UK launch this month at Wolf & Badger in London, during London Fashion Week, which runs from February 14-18.
"Clothes have to work. People are now so design-aware there has to be a purpose, there has to be a reason to buy something," Sonya told me.
"What we get told, repeatedly, is that the collection allows the woman to put her own stamp on it. That is due to how clean the designs are, and allowing your own style and accessories to make the statement. So it is like our clothes become a canvas for your style. But it is a canvas that very subtly allows your body to look as well as it can look."
This season's collection is my favourite so far. It is feminine, with strong, yet sympathetic structure to the shapes, while the colours are a subtle drama to enhance and support your natural attributes – your skin, hair and eyes.
Though it is a much-used term, Lennon Courtney is a range designed to be the workers in your wardrobe. I like to think of them, though, as being of supermodel calibre.
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