There was an air of the 1970s about Preen's a/w 2015 show – and not just because of the The Carpenters soundtrack. Backstage, Justin Thornton said that he and Thea Bregazzi had been inspired this season by Karen Carpenter and Sonic Youth, and had wanted to create a nostalgic bad romance of sorts.

Translated into clothes, that meant checked dresses in winter shades and checkerboard coats with shearling and sheepskin collars and panels – Preen has long been a go-to for a good statement coat and they didn't disappoint. Yes, the collection felt current and modern but those retro references were evident; they were in the leather lacing that wove across or along the edges of dresses, the knitted tank tops, the fluted handkerchief sleeves and the crochet ruffles that striped trouser legs and jacket sleeves.

It was the explosion of florals that was most impactful though, pretty silk blooms all hand-stitched in India, which covered A-line skirts, backless mini dresses and voluminous tunics that prettily balanced the blocks of colour and heavy winter fabrics.