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London Fashion Week kicked off with a splash of color on Friday shown by British designers Antoni & Alison, the first of dozens of catwalk shows jammed into the next six days.

London Fashion Week raises its profile this year with some of the industry’s biggest stars. Stella McCartney held her first stand-alone show in London since she graduated. There will also be a debut show by McQ, the second line from the Alexander McQueen fashion house led by Sarah Burton.

“There is fantastic talent as always, and the international audience is very strong,” said Caroline Rush, the chief executive of the British Fashion Council. “There is great excitement about [McQ] because of Sarah Burton’s success dressing Katherine Middleton for the royal wedding last year.”

Rush said British heritage brands like Belstaff, also showing in London for the first time, and the return of regulars like Burberry, Christopher Kane, Erdem and Paul Smith should guarantee big crowds and motivated buyers.

The shows follow Thursday’s conclusion of New York Fashion Week and precedes expositions in Milan and France.

McCartney shook up the fashion world on Saturday night by using a flash mob approach for a presentation of her evening wear, inviting 100 or so of her closest friends for dinner. She was flanked by Vogue editor Anna Wintour and the singer Rihanna, with model Kate Moss close by, and sat at her table applauding when the models emerged unannounced from the dinner crowd dressed in gorgeous evening wear.

They danced on tables, were passed around on chairs held high and gyrated to raucous music for a brief six or seven minutes, then went up on stage to be joined by the designer.

It was an impressive break with tradition, with the models following a magic show that saw TV personality Alexa Chung apparently suspended in mid-air. The festivities followed a hoity-toity sit-down dinner that featured a live band in tuxedos playing traditional jazz tunes.

McCartney’s unorthodox contribution to London Fashion Week seemed to strike a chord, even if it was hard to gauge the sexy, lacy and tight evening wear her models were wearing for their brief spotlight stint. The dresses looked beautifully made and colorful, but it was difficult to judge each one as they swirled by.

“It was a good idea, and she made it work,” said former model Bianca Jagger, wearing a signature white suit. “It was nice to see something different, something dramatic. The clothes looked great, and the food was delicious.”

The menu included duck with black truffles, chestnuts and Jerusalem artichokes, beets with Sicilian blood oranges, saffron risotto and Wigmore cheese with still more black truffles, along with a variety of wines and Veuve Clicquot champagne.

It was a rare London appearance for McCartney, who usually shows her designs in Paris. She was joined at the head table by Rihanna, wearing a dramatic dark green full-length gown with a deeply plunging neckline, and Wintour, who wore a more demure dark dress.

Rihanna’s many admirers said she had styled herself after the young Tina Turner.

After the show, an exuberant McCartney declined to give any details about her designs for Britain’s Olympic team uniforms, which have not yet been revealed. “It’s a big secret,” she said.

Why would she turn to sports gear after a successful career selling gowns, cocktail dresses, lingerie and perfume? “Because I’m British and it’s a huge honor for me.”

Brazilian designer Daniella Helayel is known for her easy-to-wear prints, and that’s what the Issa founder mainly stuck to Saturday, trotting out a series of well-cut floral and paisley dresses for a Russian-inspired fall/winter collection.

Like many at London Fashion Week Helayel made liberal use of furry caps and fur trim around the shoulders, the brown and gray nicely offsetting her dresses’ forest greens and splashes of red. The prints were radiant, with oversize floral motifs and red-and-blue swirls that looked like the models were wrapped in bubbling lava.

“I loved the really juicy colors,” said Bobby Jackson, a 36-year-old chef from Vancouver who came to see the show with a friend. “The paisley prints are very hot this season.”

Issa’s silky dresses, some capelike with others verging on the kimono, were elegant without extravagance. Except for an almost completely transparent outfit that drew a few giggles, the collection might have gone straight to the rack.

That no-nonsense style has helped endear the designer to the likes of the former Kate Middleton, who famously wore a deep blue Issa dress when announcing her engagement to Prince William.

Fashion journalist Henry Conway said before the show that the royal connection had helped turned Issa into a global name.

And in a nod to some of the more adventurous numbers, including a lacy, backless hot red dress that captured the photographers’ eye, he said that Helayel was moving out of her comfort zone. “The brand is really developing,” he said. “She’s moved on from just the prints.”

Designer Kinder Aggugini said before his show that he was looking for sparkle, as makeup artists applied thick gold glitter lipstick on the models.

But it was more than just the sparkly makeup. It was the way Aggugini managed to bring a bit of El Paso to London’s venerable Somerset House, developing a cowboy motif throughout the show. Delicate silk prints showed cactuses and cowboys on stallions, and some models were given feminine, pink versions of the 10-gallon hat, a whimsical touch that brought smiles to the crowd.

Aggugini, a London favorite, said he was trying to mix Dolly Parton with Jay-Z. It seemed to work, despite the odds.

The standouts of the show were sexy cocktail dresses, an Aggugini trademark, that used gold and black motifs set off by sheer sides. Some full length numbers pushed the boundaries with completely sheer fronts.

Many of the fabrics were treated with acid, producing a soft, delicate feel that made the clothes seem fragile and shimmery.

There were also a series of structured minidresses, and some outfits mixing hot pants with silk tops. Instead of the traditional stiletto heels, most models wore clunky black loafers with metallic tassels, offering another original touch.

“I’m trying to take color and fabrics and silhouettes and make them my own,” said Aggugini, who trained with some of London’s biggest designers before launching his own label. “I’m looking for sparkle, sparkle. I love the sparkle.”

He said many upcoming London fashion designers were struggling because of the prolonged economic downturn but were still turning out quality work.

“Things are difficult business-wise,” he said. “But it has sparked creativity. I see a lot more talent germinating. I see a lot more newness than I ever did.”

Associated Press