Dear Shaded Viewers and Diane,
Edward Meadham and Benjamin Kirchhoff can proudly profess not to believe in subtlety: as London Fashion Week neared its end and editors' eyelids grew heavier, they tempted their guests to the massive, imposing site of Topshop's Tate Modern showspace by making it smell like a familiar and cosy, old-fashioned closet – if not your own, not yet, then someone's you used to hug. Smokey and velvety, a "piece of counter culture couture", the new fragrance was developed with Penhaligon's perfume house and titled Tralala, allegedly as a nonsensical alternative to the abused notions of sex and desire so often bestowed on perfumes – though it couldn't help but remind me a bit of those dialogues in Pigsty, as well. Generously diffused all across the runaway, Tralala introduced a hopelessly romantic collection, from the dusty lavender of Coco tweeds to superheroines' rainbow boots and hand-beaded mimosa blossoms on tulle. A vague influence of pirate adventures as told in children's books could be caught here and there: sheer and shiny mermaid lace, pleated and cinched chiffon blouses, opalescent scaled skirts, lam
