Jean Paul Gaultier: The famous conical bra was brought back in this collection as part of an overall lingerie trend for Spring. This collection didn’t just capture lingerie it changed the way we have seen it at other shows. There was a hip-hop influence in some of the looks and bustier denim jackets and dungarees were shown. This showed off the trend but made it more modern and with attitude. Military influences then followed with a distinct safari feel. I loved the trompe l’oeil stocking effect tights and the nude bustier dress. When deconstructed the pieces can be very wearable especially the structured blazers.

Lanvin: Alber Elbaz can do no wrong in my eyes so I had very high expectations for this collection which he managed to surpass. He showed us our favourite one shouldered ruffled dresses but with updates in leather and beautiful colours and detailing. Tux dresses with volume at the hips had just the right balance as did the powerful jumpsuits which were strong, simple and stylish. The colour palette for the show was perfect with the right amount of light and dark with bursts of colour for Spring. The skirtsuits with sheer blouses no doubt had every fashion editor swooning. The extra details such as the high buns, high heels and one leather glove captured exactly who Alber wants the Lanvin women to be… which is who we all want to be.

Viktor & Rolf: Watching a Viktor & Rolf collection for me is like theatre the references and ideas are always bold and strong. Ever the conceptualists, they decided to cut and hack their evening gowns. But before that came heavy tulle in assymetric cuts and necklines that reached up to the temple. The colour palette was soft and delicate and toughened up with a few black pieces. The were surprisingly a few wearable pieces such as the strapless cocktail dresses and some silk items such as blouses, trousers and shorts. The added drama came with the evening dresses which had holes cut in them and pieces cut through them. I really liked this collection and it showed that Viktor & Rolf can do wearable as well. Ok, not very wearable but more wearable than other collections.

Photo: www.catwalking.com

Gareth Pugh brought a dark and dramatic edge to the start of Paris. The colour palette consisted of grey, navy, black and subtle nudes. The pale faces added a gothic and romantic element to the show. Leather featured heavily in biker jackets, trousers and zipped corsets. Belted macs with long and flowing edges looked beautiful in this moody show. Body con dresses in cream with black side panels and sheer revealing tops added sexiness while structured tailoring elevated the collection. This collection was very dark and futuristic but definately not depressing and the detailing was amazing.

I loved the humour in this show, I’m not sure if this was intentional or not but I thought the slogan t-shirts were hilarious, I love a bit of shameless vanity in the collection and the slogan t-shirts provided this. I can just imagine them being a hit already. ‘Bobby’, ‘I’ve been touched by Cavalli’, ‘I love JC’ and ‘It’s just Cavalli’ all popped out along the catwalk. In the end I realised I was actually anticipating what the next slogan would say. Oh dear, lets move on. I really liked the whole good girl, gone bad theme of the collection with sheer and floaty dresses with lingerie peeping out from underneath. Then the sheer dresses were worn overy t-shirts. The collection got a lot grungier after this and had that rock-chick appeal to it as if the Cavalli was a rock-star and the models were his fans. Some of the pieces were quite distresses with ripping and holes in jumpers, sequins and fringing added an extra dimension to the collection. I can’t believe I’m saying this, me who dislikes designer emblazoned t-shirts but I think I want one.

Miuccia Prada has always been one of my favourite designers, so I was anticipating this show as well as Miu Miu. This collection excited me throughout and had some very inspirational pieces. The slate almost metallic greys were a bold and strong colour and were excellently tailored, these were reworked as they were cut in the shorts and jackets. This had a good effect as they were just starting to fray but looked clean as if they were cut moments before coming on to the catwalk. The shorts looked like smart, tailored trousers that had been cut to create city shorts. The models pouting, red lips and bed-head pigtails added some fun and subtle sexiness to the show. I loved the criss-crossed tops which sparkled. The floral prints in the dresses and coats had an almost digital effect as did the amazing tropical prints. The tropical prints were the highlight of the show for me as they looked like holiday pictures and while they did include the stereotypical beach, clouds and palm tree scene, I loved that you could see people sunbathing and it was literally like peeping into an unblemished postcard. There might not have been a bright or summery colour palette used in the collection but I was definately reminiscing about Summer after seeing those prints.

Moschino Cheap & Chic showed the epitome of a fun and stylish Spring show. Sleeveless white shirts, ruffled black minidresses and the cutest sunflower sunglasses came along first. Oh and how could I forget the ‘Amore’ necklace, a must have. A pink one shoulder dress in the most beautiful embroidery followed which was the essential summer dress. I also loved the slogans such as the ‘Shocking’ t-shirt dress and ‘Peace’ sheer t-shirt. A few maxi dresses also graced the catwalk in large floral prints, the white blazer dress with heart printed belt was effortless and chic. The multi-coloured princess coat was quirky and adorable as was the heart motif on the white dress. A quirky, fun, chic and girly collection… I loved it.

Cowgirls came one after the other in this great collection by Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana. The denim and leather collection wasn’t just the typical cowboy inspired show but the theme was made more feminine and very sexy. The denim was distressed, bleached and ripped and included high waisted shorts, barely there ruffled skirts and fitted shirts. Brown leathers came in buckled belts, bustier dresses and trimmed around denim corsets. Embroidery also featured in white and softened the looks. My favourite pieces were the floor length ruffled denim skirt, white ruched body-con dress and distressed denim corset dress. The printed tees with cowboy hats, ‘rodeo’ and minnie and mickey mouse added some fun and humour. All in all another hit from D&G.

This collection showed that Giorgio Armani has definately recovered from his illness earlier this year. The collection was a step away from his usual classic pieces and into pieces that were fun and sophisticated. The collection started off with a houndstooth blazer in red, white and black which was a good reinvention. There were quite a lot of exceptional jackets on show which were fitted and structured and some with exaggerated shoulders. There were puffball skirts, loose trousers and one shoulder dresses, I loved the pink one. The cocktail dresses were stunning and added sparkle and colour. A great start to Milan.

Burberry Prorsum: Christopher Bailey always delivers he has revamped Burberry since his arrival and continues to shine. This collection was no exception and for me it is one of my favourite collections by Bailey so far. I love Burberry trench coats and their new makeover for S/S 10 made me love them even more. They were worn at mid-thigh length with exaggerated shoulders and ruched sleeves. Some were turn into draped dresses which were stunning. Trenches aside the collection was a masterpiece of draping and  ruching which was very on trend but delicate and feminine. The pastel tones were soft and beautiful and were brightened up with touches of metallic and glamourised with fur. A great collection from Christopher Bailey.

Jeremy Scott: Wilma… Oh, how I miss The Flintstones. The collection consisted of tiger prints in a variating colour palette. Zig-zag hems also featured as did Pixie Geldof on the catwalk. The denim crop and zig-zag shorts were cute as were the fur dresses and coats. The bones were a great added detail especially on brooches. A very fun and lively collection.

Roksanda Illincic: I loved the silk at Roksanda’s latest collection, the neutral silk jumpsuit and exaggerated shoulder dress were great openers. There was a subtle sexiness in lamé skirts with sheer t-shirts. The structural element of the collection added an extra dimension as did the deep colours of purples, aqua and teal. The feather and sequinned dresses really stood out as did the magnificent feather headpiece. The collection was sophisticated, elegant and with a sprinkle of grown-up glamour.

A warm welcome to LFW Sass & Bide who showed their collection in London for the first time. The collection kicked off with monochrome and included skirtsuits, jackets and harem pants. It then took a grecian, rock-chick/gladiator turn with gold embellishments and flowing fabrics. The black came next with body con dresses, gold and cropped harem pants and those killer embellished leggings. The aztec prints looked perfect in gold also. It seems that Sass & Bide will fit in perfectly.