Fashion designer Morrow says London is for starters

LONDON (Reuters Life!) - Once billed as the next bright young thing in the London fashion world, designer Hamish Morrow flooded the catwalk with a sea of black in his show on Wednesday and said the city was focused on novelty.

He has been known to clad his models in angel wings and send them sashaying down the catwalk through ultraviolet ink but his latest collection, shown at London Fashion Week, presented more wearable pieces with hints of eccentricity.

"Normally I'd be using lots of bright color, or making difficult colors work, and that's quite exhausting," Morrow told Reuters Life! in a backstage interview.

His show kicked off with a piercing vocal track, as models took to the catwalk in black silk, lace and metallic fabric. Designs featured large folded collars, drawstring waists on silk dresses and pleated necklines.

Coats with collars shaped like flowers and see-though lace blouses were subtle twists in a clutch of classic looks.

"Where we are right now is how to make really creative clothing that's interesting and very wearable. That's a much bigger challenge than making outrageous eccentric statements," Morrow said.

He said he had moved on from outlandish statements to focus on his commercial potential, and felt he had outgrown London,

"It's mainly for start-ups. I'm considered 'old' now...but it has been good to me," he said. "When I'm ready I think I'd like to go to Paris."

At the start of his career, the South African-born designer was lauded as London's rising star, and was whisked away to New York to visit American Vogue editor Anna Wintour in 2001.

However, the challenge of founding his own fashion house meant that Morrow has sat out several seasons, bringing his closely anticipated collection back to the catwalk last season.

But he has found that some interest has moved on,

"There is no industry in this country, people are looking for headlines. It's entertainment, it's a carousel," he said.

"I just wanted to concentrate on that and reduce the chaos in the color and to really re-emphasize all the textures that I always use."

London Fashion Week experiences the dual challenge of supporting new designers after several seasons and keeping the ultra successful from moving their shows to the larger and more lucrative events in Paris and Milan.