Paris Fashion Week: Tuesday 28th February

ANTHONY VACCARELLO

There is a lot of the feminine take on masculine tailoring going on and Anthony Vaccarello took advantage of this theme too. His idea was to mix this with the shapes of 1950s lingerie to give a strong enpowering look for the modern woman. I felt like there was a sense of a futuristic vibe going on too here with all the metallics and techno shapes. I thought it was an edgy collection and probably the best of the 5 or 6 that showed on Tuesday

 COMMUUN

I think there was another 1950s/60s theme going on here but a simple nod towards it rather than taking it as direct inspiration. They kinda did there own thing here and it worked out well for them. 

Milan Fashion Week: Monday 27th February

ROBERTO CAVALLI

As always, Cavalli was wild and bold but fashion elite agreed that this collection was one of his most well put together, luxurious and stylish shows ever. His show was a jungle of leopard and tiger prints and reptiles with an array of sequins and there were some really interesting silhouettes amongst the mix.

GIORGIO ARMANI

A collection was produced with an easiness to it but in vibrant colours such as bright orange and fuscia to fit the summery season. There was a sense of an eccentric look going on here but still mixed in with formal tones.  Warm exotic skies seemed to play a huge influence here reminding you or somewhere like Morocco. It was definitely youthful however. 

 GIANFRANCO FERRE

Gianfranco Ferre has received some negative reviews recently but being someone who likes something slightly unusual, I kind of liked this collection. They focused mainly on the cut of silhouettes producing some interesting asymmetrical shape, particularly on coats. There was some desirable metallic evening looks in the mix too with a futuristic take on the 1960s. 

Milan Fashion Week: Sunday 26th February

DOLCE AND GABBANA

Domenico Dolce's homeland of Sicily was alluded to in this collection taking note of its religious aspects and its baroque themes. Ideas were taking from traditional costume and native dress and transformed into beautiful, innovative pieces for the runway. Embroidery, embellishment and prints played a strong role here and were done remarkably well. 

 BALLY

The collection is described as being 'Diplomatic' with reference to the 1970s. The designers made it modern by bringing in new themes like the military and bikers and altering shapes with drastic structure and asymmetry. 

 VERSUS

Taking Camden as influence, this was all about the alternative crowd-the punks, the rock and rollers and the more edgy experimental girl. There was slashing, tie dying ribbons etc and maybe it wasn't the most glamorous of all collections but it was something that the younger generation are going to realistically  want to buy and wear 

Milan Fashion Week: Saturday 25th February

JIL SANDER

This collection marked the last for Raf Simons for Jil Sander and it is evident that this was his best collection yet. It was just such as beautiful collection. The best part of it was its overall elegant simplicity mixed with a romantic kind of theme and highly feminine. 

 EMILIO PUCCI

The best part of this collection was the lack of its traditional paisleys and flowing designs. It was fresh, sharp and tailored with a more edgy appeal to it. There were slashed dresses and leather and twisted blouses-totally unexpected ! The dark and gothic theme continues !

BOTTEGA VENETA

I started off thinking this collection was going to be boring but as I went on, I was pleasantly surprised. It took Vintage elements as gave them a luxury approach and there was some definite interesting structures in there I enjoyed seeing. 

Milan Fashion Week: Friday 24th February

VERSACE

Donatella alluded to her brothers last collection before his death with this collection where she brought back a highly gothic element. Crucifix's were key (though you don't see it here as they weren't my favourite pieces in all honesty) There was a strong theme of futurism mixed with rock and roll elements (Think Metropolis) 

MOSCHINO

Moschino is such a playful brand but does it in a really sophisticated way. There was a definite feel of the 1960s here but obviously with a more modern element. Sports influences were seen in the middle of the collection too though not presented above. 

 GABRIELE COLANGELO

The British artist Jason Martin was a muse for this collection. As well as this, there was an obvious Dior New Look inspiration behind the shapes in the collection. 

Milan Fashion Week: Thursday 23rd February

PRADA

Though seemingly inspired by modern digital society and power, Prada claimed her collection was simply about the pleasure of fashion. The collection took mens shapes and transformed them into feminine designs, futuristic prints and embellishments from plexi and sequins. I liked this colllection. It wasn't over the top, it was wearable and I do love heavy embellishment !

FENDI

Fendi takes the starting point of Roman heritage and like Prada, hints at the digital world and futurism, a lot more strongly in this case. This notion comes curtosy of Lagerfeld whos goal is to propel fashion into the future and not consistently allude to the past. This was a powerful and highly innovative collection with some real creativity and imagination behind it. 

LUISA BECCARIA

I did think this was a stunning collection but I felt that there was a massive influence from Valentino here: you just have to look at the middle dress which is practically a replica of a SS12 one. The hard and soft mix was clever with soft lace against velvet jackets in contrast colour.  There was some desirable product here

Milan Fashion Week: Wednesday 22nd February

What you tend to get from Fashion Week is New York very much presenting comfort clothing, followed by London that is a little more quirky then you get the real couture and beauty with Milan and Paris. Kicking off yesterday, this was definitely no exception to the rule and first of all, Gucci delivered a beautiful show just like I hoped they would. 

GUCCI

Gucci was all about dark glamour and modern romanticism. It alluded to the decadence of the 19th Century as well as a classic gothic influence. There was a really edgy look to it and each piece was just so stunning. There was velvet, lace, feathers and sheer silk fabrics in colours such as deep red, black and grey. Another top show for fashion week

 ALBERTA FERRETTI

As usual, Ferretti was romantic and floaty but there was a definite idea of taking masculine elements but making them highly feminine. There was no use of prints, just a very monochromatic look with slight pops of colour every now and again. Everything was delicate and sensual and it was a perfectly great collection on a whole. 

FRANCESCO SCOGNAMIGLIO

What was most noticeable of this collection at first was that it was less elaborate than usual and kept very tame. There were a few pieces that got a lot more exaggerated but on a whole, it was definitely a lot less shocking. There was some amazing pieces in the collection though some would argue that Scognamiglio is better when he is going more overboard. 

London Fashion Week: Tuesday 21st February

Was definitely a lot more impressed with the last days shows at London Fashion Week. 

MARY KANTRANTZOU

This was one of my most favourite shows so far, probably up there in my top three. Mary Kantrantzou is brilliant and having produced a great capsule range for Topshop (in which I really wish I could afford !) she hit the catwalks with an amazing show. She referenced Old Elizabethan England in the silhouettes this time to change up from her last show but bought it to life in such a unique and modern way. Of course there were her signature optical prints as well as much focus on embroidery and embellishments. All in all a stand out show. 

DAVID KOMA

David Koma took paintings for reference such as Icart Decons greyhounds, Marchesa Casati by Boldini and Thierry Poncelets dog paintings with a slight reference to the 1960s. It was a very edgy and produced strong enpowering looks for women.

HOLLY FULTON 

Colour, graphics and stand out colour were key to this collection. It was very fun and girly with minimum embellishment and minimal silhouettes. It took classic shapes and modernized them with bold graphic prints . 

London Fashion Week: Monday 20th February

To be honest, I was quite disappointed overall. I think I expected some really great things from certain brands and felt like they didnt deliver. I was finding collections had maybe 5 pieces I was in love with but then the rest of it fell flat to me. This is the best of what I saw from Monday.

GILES

Giles Deacon brought us this kind of fairytale mixed with a nightmare collection; as if someones fantasy was being burned down. It was romantic and macabre as put by style.com which I think best describes it. There was this sense of enchantment but on a more twisted level. I love the way he played with textiles here and the way dresses were put together as if thrown together piece at a time. This collection was one that stood out to me the most. 

BURBERRY 

At my first glance of Burberry, I wasn't that intrigued. But then I went through the whole collection in detail and noticed some really beautiful stuff. I was as usual impressed with the innovation in coat shapes that Burberry is famous for and the idea of mixing urban and rural together. Structures were kept interesting but I do feel this was disappointing compared to what Burberry have shown us before. 

PETER PILOTTO

Peter Pilotto was very true to  signature here. My only criticism was it was so so similar to what I saw in SS12 from him. Not that thats an entirely bad thing. Pilotto develops amazing dress structures and is a master with print and embellishment and here was no exception 

 MARK FAST

I was disappointed that Fasts signature embellishment was very limited here and instead, the collection felt very comfortable and realistic. His knitwear was great of course, some really fantastic and interesting shapes in there but I craved the more elaborate and stunning looks Im use to seeing from Fast

 ERDEM

To be honest, not my favourite from Erdem. Their last two shows before this have been breathtaking and this just didn't draw me in this time. However, they still deserve to be acknowledged because they did have a few great pieces in there. There was a darker and more artistic feel to this collection compared to usual. It used strange combinations such as latex and lace together to create Erdems definition of a strong woman. 

London Fashion Week: Sunday 19th February

Topshop will always be my true love....

TOPSHOP UNIQUE

Topshop went for a more sophisticated look this year. We've seen them channel Cruella DeVille and then take us on an Egyptian adventure but this was a lot more refined and definitely made me a lot more happier than their SS12 Collection did. It was clearly military inspired with a nod to trench coats, khaki and leather but with some amazing textures for dresses and interesting shapes added into the mix. It definitely had this urban chic vibe going on this year

MATTHEW WILLIAMSON

The bohemian vibe of Matthew Williamson was as strong as ever with a very rich feel to it at the same time. Of course what stood out most was his beautiful printed textiles used in the collection and I loved the surprise element in there of some great dress shapes. It all had an eclectic feel to it, as if one had thrown many pieces from her wardrobe together and made something amazing. 

VIVIENNE WESTWOOD RED LABEL

As always, Westwood had a truly British vibe going on but not in her rebellious punk way that we were use too. This was also very refined compared to what we would usually expect to see. Tailoring of course alluded to Savile row and yes, it had its quirky moments. Some of the textiles were also inspired by Africa later on in the show. 

London Fashion Week: Saturday 18th February

ALICE TEMPERLEY 

Temperley called her look 'Polished Folk' and took the bohemian/folk trend in a new direction that was a lot more elegant, opulent and sophisticated. Style.com criticised the performance calling it weighty, but I had to disagree. Temperley does embroidery and embellishing with such a delicate craft that it has to be applauded and each time it looks completely precious. I also felt that the look to the show was unexpected in a good way. It took a slightly different direction to usual but still had her signature style. 

SIMONE ROCHA

Rocha comes from Central Saint Martins and presents herself as a new must see designer. The most interesting thing about Simone Rocha is the unique way in which she works with textiles and how she puts them together. She creates looks that young women will actually want.

ALICE PALMER

Alice Palmer may not be a major name but this is my kind of thing and I love it. The way the materials have been draped and twisted together is so unique and edgy and brings a nice surprise to the calendar. It has a grunge feel to me but more like structured grunge. The subtle colour palette works really well. 

London Fashion Week: Friday 17th February

London Fashion week is here and in my opinion it couldn't have come sooner. Time for some real experimental and innovative design to come through . 

BASSO AND BROOKE

By far, Basso and Brooke was my favourite of the day. I love these optical geometric prints inspired by artists such as Matisse and the technique of cut and sew. It was modern and it was youthful and alluded to large trend direction seen in the fashion world at the moment. 

 EMILIA WICKSTEAD

Emilia Wickstead herself described the collection as old school couture. It was very traditional of British Heritage in some ways but with a very modern twist in terms of silhouette and prints. It was all very feminine but not too classic. 

FELDER FELDER

Felder Felder usually has a rock chick edge to it and that was still here in this collection but it was toned down a  lot. Here, earthy prints and colours were key. It was all very sophisticated for A/W 12/13 and something that is very wearable and desirable. 

New York Fashion Week: Thursday 16th February

MANDY COON

Mandy Coons collection was inspired by her trip to Nicaragua and the countries surroundings. Mirror prints were produced to create these edgy dresses with pleated effects with a rock chic feel to them

BROOD

Brood seemed to inspired by athletic wear but in a chic way that takes advantage of the influence of technology. Artists like Lynn Chadwick and Glenn Brown were looked at for inspiration in terms of  shape,  print and form. It expressed individuality 

New York Fashion Week: Wednesday 15th February

I haven't just been lazy the last couple of days. First of all, I have had Tonsilitis and been off work and second of all, I honestly don't think Monday and Tuesday at New York Fashion Week had anything worth showing. Even on Wednesday, theres only two shows that I liked making me so glad that London is finally here

MARCHESA

Marchesa had a very nineteenth century vibe to it, inspired by the french painting by William Adolphe Bouguereau called A Soul Brought to Heaven according to Style.com. Of course they put on a very elaborate show of Feathers and Embroideries, tulles and silks in rich colours. I thought it was stunning and so much work must have gone into all of the collection. It was refreshing to see this at New York . 

J.MENDEL

J.Mendel focused on a more subtle colour palette this season. These was an inspiration of architecture in the cut out shapes of the dresses, light weight textures and slight structures. I thought it was both casual and elegant at the same time and a perfectly wearable collection 

New York Fashion Week: Sunday 12th February

ZAC POSEN 

Zac Posens very glamorous collection was inspired by the Japanese from theme, to colour and shape. Origami like structures were adopted and delicate prints. It was very much inspired by a Vintage Japan as compared to modern Tokyo. 

 DIANE VON FURSTENBERG

Supposedly, Diane Von Fusrtenbergs show was meant to be about seduction.  A lot of colour blocking was noticed and of course her famous prints and wrap dresses. I suppose it was a modern and youtful form of seduction as compared to elegance and the traditional ideas of the word. 

 DEREK LAM

Definitely a strong 1960s influence. There was a very preppy and conservative 1960s look to it as well as opposed to bold and vibrant styles as the original Mary Quants. It was the 1960s librarian or secretary.

New York Fashion Week: Saturday 11th February

RACHEL ZOE

I adore Rachel Zoe as both a stylist and designer. When a stylist decides to design a lot of people become doubtful but she is one individual that really does it just as well. Late 1960s was what she was going for with her 46 looks. There was definitely a Mick and Marianne rock muse as stated by Style.com. There were some really stunning pieces and this collection goes right in the top for me alongside Jason Wu

 CHRISTIAN SIRIANO

Christian Siriano has started to tone down a lot of his looks in the last year with this collection taking inspiration from the 1930s film Vampire Bat. It was the glamorous version of a horror film. 

 VPL

Again, another designer becomes inspired by motion and dance looking at ways to add movement to fabrics. Colour blocking was key and the knitwear section at the end was so incredibly unique. Definitely a designer I approved of this year though I wouldn't usually think about them