As the days get darker earlier and the East wind whips up a chill, clever girls make plans to hit the sun in more tropical climes for a week or so during Northern Europe's wintry weather. To celebrate its new collection to be launched on October 1st, EMOBI, our favourite Australian swimwear - which offers edgy prints with cute, sexy cuts whilst using environmental printing methods - has given The Fashion Bloggers 50 - YES FIFTY - swimsuits and bikini's to give to our own favourite bloggers! Simply upload a link to The Fashion Bloggers blog to your site, post a comment on our blog, and we'll send you a swimsuit or bikini to say 'thank you'! All the swimwear we are giving away is on a first come first served basis and will be chosen at random from a size 10/12 selection.
The usual chaos reigned at Somerset House registration where I was told, for the second Fashion Week this year, that I was registered six times! And yet I still never receive my pass in the post .... hey ho. The Betty Jackson show was delightfully commercial and wearable with greiges and lime greens and one tropical print; contrary to general opinion I found the Burberry Prorsum collection far too "Flash Trash" with short short skirts and studded jackets although one tailored trench definitely made the grade and quilted leather trenches will no doubt abound next Spring. Erdem hit the spot with ladylike lace in prim shapes and shades from white through to brights alongside beautiful floral prints.Fashion's darling, Christopher Kane, missed the mark (for me) with Princess Margaret Argyle check sweaters over sherbert lace print dresses although a dragon kimono print dress stood out. Newcomer Holly Fulton produced a collection of toned down very wearable graphic prints whilst House of Holland failed to shine with rather dull shirt dresses and purple/green palm prints.
The zeitgeist seems to be with menswear with Men's Day at LFW a sell out success. James Long's painterly Pollock like prints and layering were not only visually stunning but totally wearable whilst Carolyn Massey's pared down styling (very Japanese) and attention to detail ensure her popularity will grow alongside her reputation for producing winning collections. In the 'sheds' outside Christopher Raeburn showed his parachute silk poncho's in new combinations and colours and produced a women's trench almost identical to that shown on the catwalk (later!) by Christopher Bailey! Matthew Miller is an exciting new name to watch for whose collection combined clever tailoring with inset stripes whilst Katie Earie menswear continues to excite. Watch out women - the boys are definitely making inroads when it comes to design, innovation and style.
