WHAT TO BUY FOR FASHION NOW

Posted by Bethan Holt, Junior Fashion Editor at Large

A highly self-indulgent, fantasy shopping post today. After some obsessive web browsing, these are the designer pieces which would be making their way into my wardrobe right now if funds sufficed...

1. VICTORIA BECKHAM A-LINE SKIRT

Not only is this skirt clean, bright and amazingly versatile but it's also a-line- very right for now.

Victoria Beckham tangerine skirt £625

2. HORROR HANDBAG

Christopher Kane's Frankenstein obsession is catching. And what better way to update a tired old clutch bag than with a giant plastic bolt?

Christopher Kane at Matches £1,500

3. SOMETHING KENZO

Because you're practically a nobody right now if you don't own something Kenzo. Obviously the logo tiger jumpers are the most obvious thing to go for, but these A. Aren't sold out and B. Have a bit more longevity in them.

Kenzo trousers £315 at Matches

4. SAY "YES" TO MEADHAM

There was something so utterly perfect about this slogan tee styled with a delicately beautiful split bell skirt and cocktail trousers, like the ultimate mix of old and new. So much lovelier than a slogan tee with jeans and hi-tops, yawn. £745 is, admittedly, a little steep for a sweater.

Meadham Kirchhoff sweater £745 at Browns

5. VALENTINO'S LITTLE HEELS

Not quite so obvious as their all over studded relatives but fabulous and easy wearing in equal measure.

Valentino at My Theresa £621

6. DRIES VAN NOTEN

These are from one of my favourite SS13 collections but also play into the continuing pyjama thing. I love the idea of whitewashed tartan for Summer.

Dries van Noten at My Theresa £441

7. LEATHER DUNGAREES

We love Whistles, especially their new website. They've created the most perfect version of Spring's dungaree trend. I reckon these would become a keep-forever wardrobe classic.

Whistles dungarees £395

8. PATCHWORK DENIM

An update on the denim shirt to add to your collection which, if it's anything like mine, is rather vast already.

Maison Scotch at Atterley Road £118

9.  A VERY DECORATIVE NECKLACE

MyJ Crew obsession shows no signs of abating. If I were being really Jenna Lyons-y, I might wear the above shirt with this necklace from the J Crew/ Lulu Frost collaboration.

Lulu Frost for J Crew necklace £192.52

10. STRIPES!

Ubiquitous? Yes. The easiest way to being on trend? Yes, that's a yes too. These stripes are nice and wide which is the most now stripe to do.

Joseph at Net-a-Porter £295

SS13: MY LFW TUMBLE

Posted by Bethan Holt, Fashion Junior at Large

As well as keeping up with what's going on in Milan and catching up on everything which piled up at the office while I was out at shows, one of the big things I have been doing is trying to plough through the hundreds (if not thousands) of pictures I took over the five days. Some you'll see in more substantial posts another time but others are just snippets, and so I thought I would share a tumble of pictures with you today to show u a few of the thingsI got up to during LFW....

FRIDAY

Backstage at Zoe Jordan, the looks and the models...

I have a soft spot for Emilia Wickstead who has a slightly unfair rep as a designer who just makes pretty dresses for society ladies. This was one of my favourite looks from her salon presentation, though  it is really only suitable for tall model types. I could totally get on board with an Emilia prom skirt though.

SATURDAY

Lara Mullen backstage after Daks

Ryan Lo's glitz spectacular to the tune of Azealia Banks at Fashion East

Latex dungaress by  Claire Barrow at Fashion East.

Gorgeous lilac tulle on denim at Marques' Almeida

 Jourdan Dunn outside Rag and Bone

Models in Barbie-esque boxes at Sophia Webster

SUNDAY

Finale at the lush Lucas Nascimento

Vivienne Westwood erects her climate protest flag, with a little help from Alice Dellal, in the middle of the Foreign and Commonwealth office. Love Viv.

The ACNE man plies us with drinks

Anna dello Russo arrives at the Phillip Treacy show

MONDAY

Really sweet make-up at Michael van der Ham

 Working the Alexander McQueen visor at Christopher Kane

 A sliver of Andy Murray's jumper and his girlfriend's side profile heading into Burberry to cosy up to Anna Wintour.

 Saskia de Brauw at Giles. Love her and want her hair.

Ballgown backview at Giles

 J.W Anderson talks to Tim Blanks after his show

TUESDAY

Poolside drinks at Tata Naka

 The set at Simone Rocha's super show

 And outside her show, there were perspex brogues galore on loyal fans- a definite signature

  Pretty, happy model backstage at Meadham Kirchhoff

 A box of Meadham Kirchhoff hats

 And part of the catwalk set-up at MK, think mussed up chateau with cake

LONDON COLLECTIONS MEN'S: FEAL FAVOURITES

Posted by Bethan Holt, Fashion Junior at Large

This weekend, London got its first ever dedicated menswear shows. Prince Charles, Tinie Tempah and David Gandy among others were out to show that British menswear is as exciting and as relevant as ever.  What other city can you think of where traditional tailored attire seems just as linked to its history and culture as mad, experimental and verging on the unwearable looks? 

We've picked the three shows from the weekend's line-up which we not only adored but also show the huge variety coming out of London's menswear scene....

#1 J.W ANDERSON

Mr Anderson is a hands down LFW fave - there were queues round the block at 7am on the day of his show in February, many hours before it was due to start, and the same was true this Sunday morning for his 9am show.  This collection with its lace tops and suits, cartoon tees and oversized pink Samurai coat was squarely aimed at the directionally- minded fashionisto, but delve a bit deeper and the perfect white shirt, cool and quirky prints and a fine selection of neat trousers are in place. Something for every man actually, styled in J Dubs's particular brand of avant garde cool. 

Images from Catwalking.com

#2 MR START

Mr Start, the menswear label from East London's favourite designer store Start, designed by the stores owner/founder, the multi-talented Philip Start, showed a slick collection which gave a modern twist to the Savile Row look so entrenched in London's menswear history. It takes the fuddy duddy out of of that tradition while keeping the sleek lines and formal lines which would make any man look irresistible. These are the clothes I'd like to see my boyfriend in.

Mr Philip Start with models wearing Mr Start  

Images from Mr Start

#3 MEADHAM KIRCHHOFF

We appreciated the setting for this presentation -  the morning after the night before at a rave, in a squat. It immediately brought to life what Ben Kirchhoff and Edward Meadham are always showing us in their inventive catwalk spectacles; namely the kind of louche creative squalor beloved of art students. A kind of uncompromising freedom from everything in "normal" life. This presentation provided total immersion as models reclined on collapsed beds, surrounded by empty bottles and discarded pizza boxes. With their dip dyed shaggy hair dos, the models genuinely looked like the kind of guys who might end up hanging here after a night in Vauxhall. As for the clothes, there was much to covet including proper boyish jumpers and sporty pieces as well as embellished sheer tops and floral pieces which have gone straight on the wish lists of lots of fashion girls as well as boys. Oh, and form an orderly queue now for the fluoro high tops.

 Pepto Bismol boy

Images from Meadham Kirchhoff