Debenhams Press Day – Part 1 – Henry Holland and Ben De Lisi

Just before Christmas I was lucky enough to be invited to my first Debenhams press preview. I’m a great fan of Debenhams,particularly loving their designer ranges, and so this was a really exciting opportunity to see what the likes of Jasper Conran, Betty Jackson, Roksanda Ilincic and Preen were going to be offering for Spring/Summer 12. I can honestly say that my eyes were delighted by all the collections that I previewed. So I am going to organise them into little post treats where you can find out about my favourite pieces from each collection.

First  up is H! by Henry Holland. I’m not usually a fan of Henry, I find his designs to be a little off the wall for my liking, and often taking influence from the 1980s, probably my most detested style decade. So I was really impressed with this collection which takes its influence from the 1950s and 1960s, with a host of really pretty dresses in  a mouth-watering palette. This is still a young collection, but it is so fresh and pretty it is sure to win Henry a whole host of new fans.

Next up is Ben De Lisi for Principles. One of my favourite Brit designers of all time (Kate Winslet in exquisite red at the Oscars always comes to mind) Ben has revitalised the Principles brand, particularly with his Mondrian inspired pieces. This season the bright oranges and blues are still there, but yellow takes centre stage, teamed with grey for forties inspired looks, and soft mint green for the most romantic of dresses. A key design is the Great Gatsby inspired orange and white leaf print shift, which is absolutely beautiful and perfect for tapping into Boardwalk Empire inspirations.

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