British Designer Dazzles

"Oh my gawd!!" shrieked one of the stagehands backstage at the Matthew Williamson show, pointing at a fuchsia poncho splashed with giant embroidered snowflakes, moments before the models took to the catwalk. "That is, like, so sweet, it's totally hot."

It was a nice summary of Williamson's clothes. Pink, purple and turquoise are the basic blacks in Williamson's world, and it explains why such British celebrities as Jade Jagger and Sadie Frost are so partial to this 31-year-old Mancunian's label: his clothes are fun to wear.

This is Williamson's third season in New York (another British designer who grew too big for London's boots) and he has proved a success. At Wednesday night's show, the teen popstar Mandy Moore perched brightly in the front row, matching the kind of colourful, golden dazzle for which Williamson is known.

But this season the Williamson girl has grown up a bit. The sequinned chiffon camisoles were buried beneath corduroy jackets, and a heavily embellished sweater dress replaced tissue-thin silk frocks, suggesting Williamson is learning to adapt his style to those who spend more time in cold climes than Goa.

But given that this show's title was "Bubblegum Superstar", there was little risk that the collection would be too mature. All the colours and sequins were on grown-up clothes. Houndstooth check, blown up large, came in fuchsia or apple green; pussy-bow blouses were bright pink, and the snowflake poncho was fluorescent bright. It was as though a little girl had gone through her mother's closet with her favourite marker pen. It made for a beautiful, if very commercial, collection.