Mary Katrantzou Pre-Fall 2015

Using her Resort 2014 collection as a launchpad into the ever-growing industry of mid-season offerings, Mary Katrantzou showed her first ever Pre-Fall collection on Monday.

With her seeming to tame her trademark elaborate partywear into a wardrobe of gorgeously wearable conversation pieces, Katrantzou’s debut in this division solidifies her new agenda.

In lieu of her signature trompe l’oeil motifs and architectural shapes, she used slick tailoring to simplify her silhouettes. Long and linear sailor trousers were juxtaposed with boxy little tops styled just how we like them - over lightweight cashmere polo necks. Another highlight were the boldly patterned, flared mid-length skirts, which will serve our wardrobes well for all those dreaded dressy-casual dress codes.

Proving just how far she’s come as a key British designer, Katrantzou delved into her own archives to update and transform heritage 19th century patterns. Time-lining her evolution, she revived her playful prints of seasons past: a paisley motif constructed from a string of typewriter keys (), and houndstooth bricks cut from postage stamps ().

'My first Pre-Fall collection is a celebration of heritage textiles through a modern aesthetic,’ explains Kantrantou. 'The classic tessellations remain the same but I looked to my own archive for inspiration, unearthing emblems and motifs from previous collections and working these into the collection. It was the perfect opportunity to rework and reimagine the classic fabrications of 19th century through a lens entirely my own.'

With pre- becoming a burgeoning arena on the London showground, this decadent yet delicate - and, best of all, accessible - collection is just another reason to embrace trans–seasonal dressing.