Things I see

Clockwise from top left: Topshop Quilted Leather Jacket; Karen Walker Tortoise Shell Sunglasses; Dorothy Perkins Cable Knit; Cos Lambswool Cardigan; Isabel Marant Beaded Cuff; Alexander Wang Python Boots

This month, be knitted and be Navajo.

Dorothy Perkins is a surprising place to find some of the best (and cheapest) cable knitwear this season. Isabel Marant's beaded cuff is a perfect way to inject neo Navajo into your look, however the highstreet is inundated with much better value copies, so you need only look for inspiration.

If the A-Wang boots go in the sale at Christmas, there will be blood.

A lot to thank my mother for

If you asked her the list would be endless, but top of my list of gratitude are these now vintage Versace sunglasses that I remember her purchasing when Gianni was still alive. At the time I laughed. Now she's laughing.

Unashamedly insouciant, they embody Versace at the peak of its glory: daring, decadent and hugely desirable.

A close second would be these gorgeous gold earrings by Parisian designer Georges Rech. So heavy they are clip-on (an inbuilt design feature purely to stop self-mutilation?), but that doesn't stop them being a brilliant, shimmering statement. Prescription? Wear with no other jewellery unless you're Anna Dello Russo.  

S/S12 Round Up

With the fash pack fed, and the bibles bloated with chapter and verse on what rocked and what shocked, now is as good a time as any to sit back and digest the best bits from the S/S12 shows.

Isabel Marant - Paris



First up is Lady Isabel, the belle du jour, the girl you want to be. The show opened with a nonchlant all-American athleticism and then grew up into heavy cable knits juxtaposing tiny denim shorts. The eveningwear had more than an edge of dark Balmain glamour but minus the high-maintenance.

Overall it was minimal fuss, maximum impact.

images: fashiontoast

Burberry- London

Burberry retained a gold medal for still being one of the only fashion houses to really harness the power of social media. Another first then when they 'tweetwalked' their show: outfits were added in real time onto the brand's twitter page. It's hard for anyone to doubt their new-found sophistication and elegance. With barely a check pattern in sight, is Burberry outgrowing its own identity? Maybe. But I really like its new one

Gareth Pugh- Paris

With Galliano beseiged, could Gareth Pugh fill the vacant position of fashion's l'enfant terrible? Aesthetically, he is a million miles way from Galliano, but what he creates is something altogether quite similar: avant garde ideas followed through with perfect execution.

Mary Katranzou- London

Mary Katranzou delivered best-in-the-business prints, giving us an exciting tase of what to look forward to next season. Described in her own words as, "man meets machine meets mother earth, an army of petal, metal and print, " she is definitely one to watch.


Theyskens Theory- New York

Oliver Theyskens continues his winning collaboration with Theory and proves that the sum of great separates equals something rather fabulous. This collection was a bit more rock and roll than usual but still remained as inimitably wearable as ever.

Prada- Milan

Thank you Muccia, for allowing pleats to remain! I wasn't a huge fan of the car concept but Prada is always one of the most hotly anticipated shows of the season and Muccia still produced something extra-ordinary, with the Prada signature of super-luxe accesories and flaming hot shoes.

images: vogue.co.uk

Burning for inspiration

BJM. Before Jo Malone. The world must have been smelly.

The new Wild Bluebell scent is entirely imagined (as no natural extract of bluebell exists), yet it takes you somewhere that feels exceptionally real. A deliciously sweet and fresh fragrance, punctuated with jasmine, lily of the valley and eglantine. Just light the wick, close your eyes and you will be transported back to those woodland wanders you took as a child.

Chasing Angels

I've been an advocate of Angel Jackson since they sent me four samples a couple of years ago. Continuing to produce wow-factor accessories created from ethically sourced materials, the brand has stayed true to their very first promise. And now clearly is their time to shine as their whole website is nearly out of stock. Find yours fast.

Seal of approval @LFW

Love Chloe

Chloe is on a roll. Not only did the label become the emblem for all things snakeskin after reptile-draped- model after reptile-draped-model walked the A/W 11 catwalk, but they have also produced some seriously beautiful and wearable accessories.

My favourite is the stunning mini Elsie bag, which also comes in delicious vanilla and raspberry flavours. Boxy, but at the same time extremely dainty, this will work wonderfully with flowy dresses, but is also tough enough to hold its own against a leather biker.

As for the rope earrings...any girl wearing those would look like a girl who knows how to have fun.

Fierce

First fashion post has to be dedicated to these incredibly crafted boots from Sam Edelman- I've been obssessed for ages. So many things about these are right: the slight heel, the buckle, the pointy (and elongating) toe and of course, the incredible multi stud and jewelled panel heel.

Would Beyonce own a pair? Definitely. And she'd eat her breakfast in them.

Room for one more blog up in blogosphere?

As an ex-fashion editor fuelled by many months of missing writing and never waning intention, I have finally been spurred into action and created a blog!

Expect no spurious claims here. Just someone with a love of fashion and and the written word.