NYFW: Jason Wu AW15/16

Theme: 'I was kind of infatuated by global dressing and the fact that we never know what kind of weather it is'  Wu told Vogue, a result that ended in transitional pieces.  We also saw the power dressing he is so well known for.

Pallette: Starting off military like with plenty of Khakis, flowing smoothly in black before bright red hit the runway.

Accessories: Skinny stiletto heels and skinny belts aplenty. 

Key Look: #31 for me.  The fur stole perfectly adds a wintery twist on the satin jumpsuit underneath.

Review:  Sleek and sophisticated tailoring was a key component with evident 60's influences such as the satin jumpsuit.  The transferable garments such as the outerwear with detachable pieces gives buyers more bang for their buck, but the crocodile matte dresses mean clients are free to over indulge. Wu is no stranger to dressing power women that much we know.  One can't help feeling, however, that Wu is playing a little on the safe side given that his previous shows have provided us with feathers and flounces.  Knowing what he is truly capable of added to the shift in his brand aesthetic this collection seemed a little lacking.

LFW: Christopher Kane

 

'If I do flowers, I don't want them to be like everyone else's'  Christopher Kane said backstage at his SS14 collection today entitled 'The anatomy of a flower'.  Instead of floral prints or simple pastel shades Kane instead dress inspiration from the kind of botanical plant drawings one finds in a biology lab, something evident in the petal cut out details on many of his dresses.

Well known for his avante garde choices when designing, this collection, Kane managed to retain originality and, although we saw white, there was no hint of the monochrome palette or 70's theme we have seen over so many catwalks this past two weeks.  There were pleats aplenty and silk trims were added to sheer skirts (my favourite particular look was this ballerina inspired dress - above) as well as basic sweaters teamed with full length ballerina skirts - who would have thought that would be such a winning combination.

View the gallery on our Facebook Page.

LFW: Erdem

 

Erdem, a designer whose name has become synonymous with ladylike frocks and pretty floral prints shook it up at his Spring Summer 2014 show earlier today with a completely monochrome offering. Gliding down the runway to the tune of a grand piano models donned a selection of garments edgier than we have come to expect from the Canadian born designer which, although underwhelming to begin with, soon reminded us exactly what it is we love about the brand.

The collection featured a range of sheath dresses with feather trims, sheer separates, constructed dresses and my personal favourite of a midlength shirt dress finished with a black vest, we were even treated to ladylike biker jackets - who knew there was such a thing!

See the collection on our Facebook page.

LFW: Temperley London

Theme:  Alice Temperley stated backstage that the show was 'a tropical mood in a Mediterranean environment'. 

Palette:50 shades of pink, silky colours accented by touches or leopard print.

Beauty:  Hair was pulled back from the face without making it look too harsh, keeping all focus on the clothes.

Key Look:  It is truly hard to pin down just one look from this collection but no13 was a particular favourite.  Combining pink, applique flowers and a silk trim the dress was something of dreams.

Review: There wasn't actually much tropical or Mediterranean about this show but that didn't stop it from being anything short of amazing.  The show began with a '50 shades of pink' theme of volumous proportions before transitioning into a parade of dresses fit for a princess.  Each dress appeared pure in nature and the key was in the detailing which included chiffon flowers sewn onto dresses and coats alike, ribbons stitched to the waist and even leopard print belts.  I'm not fan of leopard print, I'll go as far to say I think it is one of the tackiest prints going, but something about the way it sits on these garments makes me rethink my whole outlook.  I sincerely look forward to seeing this collection on some of our best and brightest (and hopefully myself).

See the collection on our Facebook page.

LFW: L'Wren Scott

Theme:  The Momoyama period of 16th Century Japan

Palette:  Oriental colours - red, blue, black, white and purple.

Accessories:  Bow waisted belts and oriental umbrellas.

Beauty:  Models donned short black bobs and had pale, clear complexions in keeping with the theme.

Key Look:  Look 4, a full length white dress finished with a red waist belt was the epitome of the whole collection.

Review:  A collection clearly designed with herself in mind, L'Wren Scott's latest offering was nothing short of glamorous.  A cinched waist was the defining part of every look and the palette was perfect for creating the oriental theme she was going for.  Japanese prints were featured on kimonos and pencil skirts and beautiful dresses were finished with obi belts. Each look was as pristine and polished as we have come to expect from Mrs Mick Jagger.

View the collection on our Facebook page.

LFW: Mulberry

Theme:  With a layout consisting of astro turf and columns lain with daisies, Madness' 'Our House' playing throughout the show and Winston Churchills voiceover at the start Mulberry are still proving they are key players in the British fashion industry.

Palette:  Beginning with grey and white, runway soon introduced some of SS14's much loves 70's prints in bright orange.

Accessories: Adding twists to their classic bags we saw the 'Willow' with flower detailing and 'Alexa' in bright orange.  70's style chunky heels were worn in multiple colours, most memorably the orange floral printed heels.

Key Look:  Look 4 was a personal favourite, not only for the cutest accessory known to man but the simplicity of the outfit.  Both the jacket and dress were stunning on their own but together a new dimension was created and a power outfit was worn.

Review:  A bittersweet show for the British brand today as it marks the last collection of creative director Emma Hill, who officially steps down from her role tomorrow, the women who made the brand the worldwide phenomena it has become the past 5 years.  The collection retained many of the brands famous signatures with the co ordination of pieces taking precedence.

Silk pyjama suits were shown in multiple forms, there were cullotes, jacquard jackets, house coats and even a leather boob tube.  Critiques have already dismissed the collection for lacking the usual Mulberry 'must have or die quality', something which I feel is no bad thing (with the exception of the garish orange 70's print which I would rather just ignore).  Whilst it girls may not be clamouring over themselves for this collection, a rest of us might actually get a look in to by a true piece of iconic British fashion.

See the gallery on our Facebook Page.

LFW: Preen by Thornton Bregazzi

Theme: According to designers Thornton and Bregazzi the show was heavily influenced by Miami and the east coast 'because we've never been there'.

Palette:  As with pretty much every other designer we have seen so far this month there were a lot of bright whites with bright abstract prints.

Beauty:  Straight side swept hair.

Key Look:  Look 3 was my personal favourite, whilst minimal compared to the rest, the cape attached to the dress gave it that extra something.

Review:  Whilst not the most exciting of all collections, it was the simpler pieces that saved this show.  The silk jackets were a complete waste of effort, the kind of trend that high streets will imitate only to find these garments on the sale rails come the seasons end.  The architectural lines of the skirt were reminiscent of some kind of Tinkerbell cuts and the pastel colours only added to the Neverland fairy vibe.  The monochrome pieces, whilst overdone this season, were Preens saving grace.  All wearable and simply yet elegant they are sure to be a hit with the timeless dresser and those who favour brands such as Calvin Klein.

See the key looks on our Facebook Page.

LFW: PPQ

Theme:  Seemingly another designer who has opted for a 70's theme with certain Spanish influences.

Palette:  Primarily purple and black with accents of red, green and yellow.

Accessories:  Veils, bags with bouquets sprouting from them and strapped sandals.

Beauty:  70's inspired beehives at the crown beginning with centre partings.

Key Look:  Look 5 - the flamenco skirt in a bright floral print perfectly accentuated the tight, black bodice.

Review:  Any show consisting of flamenco skirts and 70's style button down dresses was going to be a risk, in the case of PPQ it was one that most definitely paid off.  An array of totally different looks were used, from the tartan Vivienne Westwood-esque dresses complete with tulle underskirts to the emerald green halter neck maxi dress, this collection was anything but predictable.  A collection of highly versatile and wearable collections that weren't designed simply for high class events.  The polka dot two piece was on another level yet somehow it still worked.  One of the most durable collections we have seen so far with looks that are achievable for the everyday women.

See the full gallery on our Facebook page.

NYFW: Marc Jacobs

Theme:  A post apocalyptic beach, complete with the Jaws theme song playing in the background.

Palette:  Dark and ominous.

Beauty:  Models donned short, straw like blonde bobs.

Key Look:

Review:  The mood inside echoed that of the streets of New York.  Marc Jacobs is nothing if not an artist, a visionary if you will and his latest catwalk offering was no exception.  Models stormed the runway in an array of garments, from matador jackets to Victorian style dresses.  Can you see your average fashionista wearing it?  No, but that's not the point of a Marc Jacobs show, the clothes were luxurious in their own (dark and dramatic way) and, reworked, we're sure we'll see certain starlets attempting to make them their own.  Side note - the one and only Cara Delevingne finally made a fashion week runway appearance.

See selected images from the show on our Facebook page.

NYFW: Calvin Klein

Theme:  Minimalism - this is Calvin Klein, did you really expect anything else?

Palette: Off white, black and slights of coral.

Beauty:  Natural beauty of course.  Hair fell simply as if it had been towel dried

Key Look:  Look 29 (left)  If we must stick to black and white then a black dress will have to do, this ones nice, as black dresses go.

Review:  A bit predictable.  With Francisco Costa celebrating his tenth year as the brands creative director we might of liked to see him shake things up a little, but then what is Calvin Klein if not a brand that you can rely on for consistency year in, year out.  This year the silhouette was kept hidden and garments were boxy and un defining yet still constructed.  Clear panels appeared on a number of garments and towards the end of the show we got treated to a bit of fringing.  The most exciting part?  We got a flash of coral, yes that's right, a whole flash!

See the key looks on our Facebook page.

NYFW: Ralph Lauren

Theme:  The evolution of a school girl with a perfect nod to the 60's.

Palette: Began with black and white, introduced monochrome checks before flowing effortlessly into jade green, yellow, scarlet and blue.

Acc:  Knee high socks, glasses, Mary Jane shoes and tie's a plenty.

Beauty:  Minimal make up, soft middle partings with straight hair.

Key Look:  Look 51 (left) featuring a gorgeous black asymmetric dress that has a place in every womens wardrobe.

Review:  Ralph Lauren manage to strike a perfect balance between the 1960's and 2014 with swinging hemlines aplenty.  The show opened with a mature schoolgirl theme in a monochrome palette before being punctuated by bright summer hues of green, yellow, scarlet and blue.  There was a perfect mix of masculine and feminine with a sharp all white suit hitting the catwalk one second and gorgeous bright dresses the next.  Shift dresses had panels on the sides and one amazing dress was even finished with a full length cape.  The best part of the show?  Then man himself  giving us a wave in an outfit that matched that of the show before him.

See the full collection on our Facebook page.

NYFW: Rebecca Minkoff

Theme:  A nod to Latino women featuring a mix of floral prints, laser cut lace and sportswear.

Palette: Accents of white as well as tropical hues of orange and yellow.

Beauty:  Fresh faced models, brown smoky eyes and braids pinned roughly to the top of the head.

Accessories:  Anything went - jewellery featured tribal necklaces and thick cuffs, shoes were laced to the shins and bags were a mix of duffle bags, snakeskin clutches and oversized totes.

Key Look:  The yellow laser cut pencil skirt was by far the best piece.

Review:  A bit heavy for my taste, the shows main theme seemed to be 'anything goes'.  The latino inspiration was evident in the 'lets go mexico' look emblazoned across the tee of look 3 as well as the tropical hues, floral embroidery and jewellery featured.  The black mesh skirt seemed to me to be the only wearable piece for mere mortals although the likes of Anna Dello Rosso would definitely disagree.

See the gallery on our Facebook page.

NYFW: Jason Wu

Theme: 'A dialogue between construction and ease' was the headline for the show, fitting for one that combined tightly tailored and slouchy pieces.

Palette: Muted hues of black white and nude were accented with shades of mint, navy and a bit of sparkle by way of Wu's clever use of embellishment.

Accessories: A mixture of flat and heeled sandals in black and white, sunglasses and snakeskin clutch bags.



Beauty:  Cinched ponytails with sharp middle partings, metallic eyeshadows to match dresses.

Key Look:  The tank dress worn by Karlie Kloss as part of the shows finale.

Review:  A show beautifully opened with a simple gold embellished dress Wu's collection was amazing from start to finish.  Looks varied effortlessly between utility coats, jumpsuits, oversized jumpers with short and even ended with a tank dress.  Wu at his best, whilst not every look will suit every being, there is something for everyone in this collection.

View our favourite looks from the show on our Facebook page.

NYFW: Nicholas K

Theme:  Native America

Palette:  Natural earthy colours of browns, khaki and beige

Accessories:  Head scarves, feathered head dresses and heavy cuffs.

Beauty:  Wet look hair and earthy complexions

Review:  Considering Swedish retailer H&M recently came under fire for their use of a native indian headdress amidst claims it was offensive to the demographic in question the show was a bold move for the brand.  Utility jackets and the colours were nothing we haven't seen before and there was nothing that particularly stood out about the show barring the unisex models.

NYFW: BCBG Max Azria

Theme:  When asked who was the BCBG woman backstage, Azria answered 'She's a woman of 2014 who's in love with the world -she's modern'.  The collection hinted at 70's styled tailoring with feminine cuts and relaxed shapes.

Palette:  Began neutral with bright whites, muted blues and dusty pinks only to be followed with busy prints in darker shades before finishing with monochrome looks.

Accessories:  Box bags both clutch and worn on shoulder, wedged sandals.

Beauty: Barely there make up, softly tousled waves.

Key Look:  The shows final look of a sheer sequinned gown.



Review:  Whilst the details indicated design duo Max and Lubov Azria looked to menswear as inspiration behind their most recent fashion week venture, the collection featured twists traditional tailoring, with sheer inserts, soft draping and small but brightly coloured prints.  Core summer staples were reworked and in a contrast to the bright but neutral hues featured at the start of the show the final looks featured heavy prints not dissimilar to paint splatter.

View our favourite looks from the show on our Facebook page.

Jenny Packham AW 12/13

'It's all about Femme Fatales and film noir this season' said Jenny Packham backstage at this morning's show.

Normally known for her graceful and elegant gowns, the British designer really let her darker side show with this collection.  Shoulder detail was key, with heavy padding and embelleshment on her dresses.

Inspired by the likes of Lauren Bacall and Angelina Jolie, Packhams models donned dark lips, plunging necklines and plenty of beading.  It wasn't all grunge as the dresses that she is known for soon emerged, with heavy detailing, plenty of asymmetry and heavy embellishment.

Zac Posen AW 12/13

In my eyes Zac Posen can do no wrong.  There is literally not a single piece of his that I don't like, and this collection is better than ever.  Staying true to previous collections this show also had a heavy 1940's theme but with a Japanese twist.

No one does sex appeal like Posen and his models took to the runway with spiked buns, pencil skirts and cinched in waists that showed just how beautiful the female body shape really is.

With colours ranging from dusty pink to velvet green it was a collection like no other.  The first 20 or so looks featured peplum waists, sharp shoulders, structures tops and some large, boxy jackets before we saw more of those high glamour dresses that the designer is known so well for.

There were plenty of rich colours on his ball gown dresses (I would literally give up one of my limbs for one) and like last season, his final looks featured the increasingly popular fish tails.  The finale?  Probably the biggest ball gown known to man worn by Posen's muse herself, Coco Rocha.

Diane Von Furstenburg AW 12/13

Despite it being one of the coldest winters ever this year, Diane Von Furstenburg seems adamant to keep things light with this season's collection which began with a model in a light dress and shades.

With a colour palette that featured summer brights such as red, pink and burgundy it is a collection that I covet already. Two thing's the former Princess of Furstenburg will forever be known for are her perfect use of wrap dresses and clever exploration of prints, but to begin with her show was a world away, featuring bold use of colour blocking, two pieces and leather gloves.

Unlike many designers, she mixed it up with the dresses and separates  featuring the aforementioned prints and more than one casual look via the clever use of turtle neck. One of the boldest pieces? A pink jumpsuit worn with a luxurious, heavy berry coloured coat.

Derek Lam AW 12/13

Derek Lam showed yesterday with his predominately monochrome collection that featured accents of red and mustard via leather pants and cable knitwear.  There were plenty of ankle strapped shoes on show as models made their way down the catwalk with backcombed hair and floral bags that wouldn't of looked out of place in a Cath Kidson store.

To begin with the clothes were neutral with a cute paisly pattern, collared dresses and boxy jackets.  We were then treated to some red leather, Britney Spears style, by way of a pair of truly stunning pants and one not so wearable dress.  Moving on we saw everything from sequins to digital prints before the finale of some gorgeous white dresses were bought which suprisingly, wont make you look like a bride gone awol.

Victoria Beckham AW 2012/13

It was a show that saw both the biggest name in fashion and in sport sitting side by side on the front row, but Anna Wintour and David Beckham were still over shadowed by the genius that was Victoria Beckham's latest collection for New York Fashion Week.

Despite experimenting with different silhouettes for her SS 2012 show, the singer turned designer went back to her roots with these tight fitting simple yet sexy dresses for this collection, but this time injecting little a few military finishes for good measure.

It certainly was a family affair with husband David on the frow for the first time, Harper asleep backstage and influences in the collection from clothes which son Brooklyn wears around the house stated Victoria.  That's not even to mention the new handbag named after Harper.

The collection feature the usual body hugging dresses with panels thrown in here and there, but also included pointed collars, gold buttons and skinny belts.  Model's were accessorized with an array of different bags and tough boots as wore there hair down, straight and parted at the sight.  Anyone would know a mile off that this was a Victoria Beckham collection and after her recent BFA award she only stands to get better.