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Prince rocks London catwalk with surprise gig
2007-09-19
Pop star Prince had fashionistas dancing in the aisles at London Fashion Week on Wednesday when he staged a surprise performance at Matthew Williamson's catwalk show. The singer, who is playing a series of concerts in London, at first appeared to be only a front row guest at Williamson's spring-summer 2008 collection. But the usual fashion scene became a pop concert when a Prince track struck up and the first two models onto the catwalk -- a pair of identical twins in purple dresses -- started to dance. Prince, wearing a black suit and hat, then began singing into a microphone from his seat before jumping up and performing on the runway flanked by his band. By that time, many in the audience, who included actress Trudie Styler, the wife of musician Sting, were on their feet clapping and snapping photos with their mobile phones. "He really wanted to do this, and you don't say 'No' to Prince," Williamson told Reuters TV after the show, his first in London since he left for New York five years ago. After the impromptu gig, Williamson, who is in London celebrating his 10 years as a designer, sent models down the catwalk in richly embroidered skirts and dresses glittering with seed pearls. Striped jackets -- a theme throughout London Fashion Week -- were offset with splashes of turquoise, pink and orange. The show closed to the strains of Prince's "Kiss" from his best-selling 1986 album "Parade." EXPANSION Over at Aquascutum, one of Britain's best known clothing brands, the mood was more subdued but the color scheme for spring and summer next year chimed with Williamson's show and the clothes were just as wearable. Skinny-legged pants and embroidered shirts were lightened up by the hint of a Japanese aesthetic in the cut of jackets and the design of painted leaves on T-shirts. Aquascutum and Matthew Williamson share a focus, though having an age gap of nearly 150 years and being of markedly different size. They are both seeking to expand during an unprecedented boom for luxury goods. While Williamson plans three boutique openings -- in New York, Los Angeles and Paris -- in the next two years thanks to an injection of private equity cash, Aquascutum Chief Executive Kim Winser said her aim was to extend in the United States and into accessories. But she was already seeing a surge in sales across its 200 store network thanks to a year-long revamp. "The figures in the stores -- which is the most exciting thing -- are double what they were last year, and for women's wear they are three times higher," Winser told Reuters.
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