Julien MacDonald Spring/Summer 2016, Slits and Glitz for Boys and Girls

By Liza Foreman

Julien MacDonald

Spring/Summer 2016

It felt like a club night at 11 a.m. on Saturday morning, at the storied Smithfields market hall, as London fashionista gathered to the beats booming under the old-world clocks and wrought iron frameworks of the designer Julien MacDonald's chosen venue.

Then the sound of an aircraft landing echoed through the sound system, followed by a deep voice that called out, " Pleased to meet you," as the first model walked in a skimpy black dress, comprised of slits and feather-like trim that adorned the body in a design that looked like a punk T shirt turned into Gothic, sexy eveningwear for bad girls.

The theme continued with a figure hugging women's trouser suit, made of slashed together threads, that revealed the body beautiful.

But this season, MacDonald is debuting his menswear line.

And so a decidedly hot young model soon followed, his bare chest draped in a green dressing gown design, decorated in gentleman- like Paisley swirls, that could be seen again an an oblong top in navy worn by a boyish model, that looked like a Tunic- style dress, as the designer mixed men's and women's looks that shared multiple themes.

Think rich glittering golds and heavy silver embroidery, found in floor length dresses and girl and boy short designs that were sexy and richly decorated, not to mention his updated Paisley goes Tribal style patterns that could be found throughout.

The slits were a recurring theme, and found again in a tight slashed short ensemble for men.

Another male model sported silk boxers hung low on his hips, while the next came wearing designer Bermudas with a long sleeved oblong top that looked silky and inspired perhaps by dressing gowns of old but designed for the outdoors warrior.

For womenswear, a combination of rich embroidery and mesh on figure hugging mini dresses, ranged from the gaudy to St Tropez night club white mini dresses, to the visionary in the form of a mini dress in embroidered orange lace and tulle that ruffled around the hips like a starched tutu.

MacDonald got a raucous round of applause as he took a bow with his final look, an ornate white wedding dress, as the audience filed out to a remix of Michael Jackson 's 
I'm Bad. Indeed. But he sent out dresses for all occasions and menswear with a young upmarket slant.