Christopher Kane AW13

Christopher Kane recently sold 51% of his company to PPR, the group with Gucci, Saint Laurent, Balenciaga, Alexander McQueen and Stella McCartney in its brand portfolio. Yes, we're talking the highest fashion echelon, but take a minute to pay attention to those last two names: Alexander McQueen and Stella McCartney. At the turn of the millennium, they too were brands, like Kane, held in place by a glass ceiling of funding and resources. Until PPR came along, did the 51%, and voila----a decade later there were two British supers battling Italian and French houses.

This is what, excitingly, lies ahead for Kane, who will be able to develop his label, and place an all-encompassing context around his clothes, culminating in own-brand stores.

If you're wondering how he addressed that through his collection, it was by employing a thumping, relentless soundtrack, and opening with major SAGA fur pieces that could rival any European house. If that got people talking about a 'change,´ then sending out mini kilts – a nod to his Scottish roots – was Kane telling us he's doing it his way.

The entrance was underscored by a collection that made use of Kane's archive, with dresses that ghosted the silhouettes of his earliest lace/leather/velvet collections, made even further luxe. One motif on a sweater and dress appeared to show a lightning bolt breaking through a skull, and touching the brain: literally mind-blowing.

It all happened in a shiny, glass City venue. First, we took an escalator, and then, a lift god-knows-how-many floors up. We were literally sky-high. Soon Kane will be too.

Hair: Guido Palau

Makeup: Lucia Pieroni

Models pictured: Katlin Aas (@AasKatlin), Marine Deleeuw (@DeleeuwMarine), Elinor Weedon (@ElinorWeedon), Anika Torsing (@anikatorsing), Sam Rollinson (@SamRollinson), Catherine McNeil (@MeowcatMccat), Julia Frauche (@Juliafrauche), Juliana Schurig (@juliana_schurig), Nadja Bender (@NadjaBender), Manon Leloup (@ManonLeLoup), Kirsi Pyrhonen (@KirsiPyrhonen),  Jourdan Dunn (@misshourdandunn), Senait Gidey (@Senaitgidey)