Charlotte Olympia (Q2734)

The success of London’s burgeoning accessories brands was one of the features of today’s schedule. Three of them put out major runway productions—Anya Hindmarch in the morning, Mulberry in the afternoon, andCharlotte Olympiaat night. Designer Charlotte Dellal’s show was a riot of no-expense-spared fun. She took over an Art Deco ballroom off London’s Piccadilly for an evening performance of ’40s-theme glamour, involving showgirls, dancers, the lot.“I based it on Technicolor movies from the ’40s, like Carmen Miranda’s, which I always love,” she said. This is a girl who knows how to entertain. Dellal seated her audience beside a high catwalk, the better to get an eyeful of the footwear. First, she sent out a passage of elegant cream clothes, accessorized with gilded platforms and colorful flat sandals. So far, so regular a fashion show; but then came the carnival of kitsch—a riot of girls dressed in a cocktail of exotic fruit costumes, followed by a troupe of high-kicking dancers dressed in gold swimsuits. They performed a hilarious synchronized routine with giant inflatable bananas—the better to display Dellal’s prowess with brightly colored stiletto pumps. After a long day, it brought the house down.