British fashion designer Clare Waight Keller, known for her sophisticated, effortless aesthetic, has launched a new collection with retailer Uniqlo that centres around a major trend for the season: pops of primary colours.

Vibrant shades of poppy red, aqua blue and forest green are cleverly interwoven with pastel pink pieces and plenty of neutrals for the designer’s second Uniqlo:C collection (the first drop of which is in stores now and the second drop launches on 12 April).

The collection focuses on light, comfortable and practical separates, dresses, outerwear and accessories that are effortless, versatile and fit into women’s everyday lives. Waight Keller says: “Part of the collection philosophy is that it’s all about women on the go, and it’s about pieces that really transition to every part of the day and also in your lifestyle. I’ve really worked with Uniqlo a lot on the fact that things need to be super-easy for women, so everything here is machine washable; it all has this amazing trans-seasonal quality to it.”

The primary colour trend can be intimidating, particularly as it was styled so boldly on the spring/summer catwalks, but Waight Keller says these colours work really well with neutrals too, she explains, “This season is all about colour and lightness. Something I have always tried to play with is the idea of this neutral wardrobe, but then with beautiful splashes of colour on top, so I wanted to take not only the soft pinks but also these fantastic reds and strong greens and blues to kind of accent the season.”

Practical pieces in relaxed silhouettes that won’t crease easily are key to the collection. The primary coloured hero pieces from the Uniqlo:C collection are lightweight and relaxed, and they work well with staples you will already own, from trench coats to tailoring. 

Waight Keller adds: “We are doing the trench coat in a beautiful khaki tone this season – it’s so iconic to the collection now. It’s a real 360-degree piece that you can wear year-round: you can go from autumn to winter and all the way through to spring and summer. It’s made with a lightweight cotton and has this amazing showerproofing on it, and I’ve travelled with this in my suitcase and it’s really good at not creasing. Today I’m wearing one of the suits from my collection, so again this is something that came out of my suitcase that managed to come out not too wrinkled.”

Monochrome accessories are key to the look and work well with bright tones. Opt for trainers, sandals or wedges and add a padded vegan leather bag or a cap in black and off-white to finish your look. 

Images: courtesy of Uniqlo