ABC of Fashion Week Trends

This year's fashion weeks have unearthed a wealth of wearable and classic trends. Here is my ABC of fashion week designers' take on the most luscious looks.

A is for Aquascutum

In London, Aquascutum did monosyllabic colour to perfection. A simple palette of black, white and red was accented with flashes of cobalt blue and smidgens of gold.

Winter coats littered Aquascutum's runway in varying styles from modest to militant. The cape collar and shiny buttons on this coat save it from being labelled boring black and add to its classic with a twist appearance.



Flashes of white were added with the addition of this extremely wearable looking wool dress which looks as magnificent in monochrome as it would with any of the colourful coats it accompanied.



One of many red dresses this season, Aquascutum's chic cut and detailing makes for a refreshing change from the numerous ostentatious scarlett creations seen so far.



B is for Blumarine

In Milan, Anna Molinari for Blumarine sent some of the sweetest frills and feathers seen on any catwalk so far. Pale pinks were complimented with trimmings of sleek fur and sparkling sequins.

Cute cardies were kept interesting with clashing of textures including cashmere, chiffon, sequins and fur. These ensembles are anything but boring with their girly yet sophisticated allure.





Feathers fluttered all over the catwalk this season. Sexy but sweet, Molinari kept things light with this barely-there dress.



C is for Carolina Herrera

In New York, Carolina Herrera embraced our feathered friends also but unlike Molinari she used them to give a certain edge and fierce note to her clothes. Autumnal oranges, reds and greens went well with birds of prey's plumage as Herrera made hunting haute couture.

With the return of Halston, 70s styles were obligatory at most shows. Herrera updates this burnt orange 70s gown with a feathered collar bone.



A feather-print dress is given an eccentric touch with hunting hat and boots in flattering fall colours.



Not ignoring the gothic trend seen especially at London Fashion Week, Herrera chose to give the look a polished update with golden touches and black patent leather boots.

Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow: The Bowl Cut

As someone who is still recovering from the revolting return of the mullet, I am quaking in my boots at the thought of the reappearance of yet another dodgy-do': the bowl cut.
But why? I hear you cry. Other than the mighty Karen O, few have ever pulled off the style that warrants the insult 'pudding face.' Yet, for some strange and unthinkable reason the bowl cut has been seen everywhere recently - from silver screen to catwalk chic.


In No Country For Old Men, Javier Bardem wore his bowl cut with award-worthy results. Surely the fact that his haircut added to the terrifying nature of his character is enough to warrant the ban of such haircuts off the screen? Not according to Yves Saint Laurent's latest collection.


Italian Stefano Pilato sent his models down the YSL runway in shiny, black gossamer bowl cut wigs, which all but obscured the poor models vision but cleverly diverted our attention from their faces onto the clothes. While this works well on the catwalk, I can't see anyone drawing attention to anything BUT their hair should they be stupid enough to adopt the pudding style. Best leave this one to Karen and embrace the BIG hair comeback. After all, who would you rather trade places with, Bardot or Bardem? Thought so.

Foxy Lady

It seems only fair the fashion industry end its fixation with Owls and move onto a more grown up, dangerous, handsome icon: Foxy! That's right, foxes have been seen all over the catwalk with Jean Paul Gaultier taking the trend quite literally, sending his models down the runway with russet hair, feline kohl-rimmed eyes and, eh, fox skins on their heads.




Jean Paul Gaultier's Foxy

A more subtle (and safe) approach may be to interpret the look as many did with Foxy's predecessor Owl: invest in some fox jewellery.

A good start would be new kids on the block Zoe and Morgan's cute and very wearable collection cheekily titled 'Hey Foxy' which features an adorable gold fox ring for the bargainly sum of 60 pounds www.zoeandmorgan.com

I am adoring cuff links at the moment and what better way to show off slight wrists than with some foxy friends at your side? My favourite can be found at www.phoenixdesignjewellery.com

If crafty's more your bag then you may be delighted as I was to discover this natty necklace which is sure to have you stand out from the crowd www.chocosho.com

Another whimsical design which would look as great on an 80s taffeta prom dress as it would on a cosy tweed coat is this charming brooch from viennahorses online shop at www.etsy.com - never before have I been so drawn as to wear an animal's insides on my lapel.

If you've been pleased to hear about the return of the sovereign ring to fashion's forefront then no doubt you'll enjoy this knuckleduster from www.sculpturetowear.com

So wave goodbye to Owl and indulge your inner Foxy lady. Foxy.

Having a fashion moment: Gossip Girl

While we wait with baited breath for the return of Sex and the City to our (silver) screens this summer, may I direct your attention to another New York-set drama sure to induce serious wardrobe-envy: Gossip Girl.

With a Sex and the City costume luminary at its helm, Gossip Girl is O.C. creator Josh Schwartz's new teen drama, focussing on the students of an Upper East Side elite private school whose every move is documented by an online blogger, 'Gossip Girl.' While the series lacks the charm of predecessor O.C., it more than makes up for it in the style stakes.

Gossip Girl's 3 leading ladies - Serena, Blair, and Jenny - each have their own unique style.

Serena alternates between boho and punky looks. She dresses up her school uniform with leather and animal print and favours suede boots and flowery dresses at weekends.

Serena

Blair is classic Upper East Side. Prim and proper she wears her uniform with pretty flats and smart tailored coats, choosing pringle knits, blazers and fur-trimmed collars when off-duty.

Blair (right)

Jenny is the only girl who doesn't have an endless cash flow, Upper East Side penthouse and spoilt-brat parents. Cue an emo/vintage mix of polka dot pumps and tube socks in the classroom, with 80s prom dresses and home-sewn catwalk creations making an appearance at night.

Jenny

With its own online store where you can buy the looks seen on screen and countless websites and blogs dedicated to Gossip Girl fashion alone ( try www.gossipgirlfashion.com ) its easy to feed your wardrobe-envy cravings. Yum.

Ga-ga for Galliano

Paris, March the 1st.

Galliano's Fall 2008 show was an overflowing cauldron of colourful characters - Alice in Wonderland's Mad Hatter, Grey Gardens' Little Edie and the Great Gatsby's Daisy Buchanan were surely Galliano's inspirations for this most spellbinding of collections.

A magical mix of 1940s tea dresses, voluminous harem pants and silky sheaths of teal, burnt orange and sea green were topped off with giant and gloriously adorned head dresses, hats and turbans. Models were sent out wearing make-up last seen on clowns and sporting wigs made of feathers - think Jem and the Holograms.

Far from his usual avant-garde garb, Galliano has created a collection which can be as easily worn on the highstreet as it can on the catwalk.

This sexy teal dress would look gorgeous

during the day with tan leather riding boots and

a black poloneck. Just add lashings of black eyeliner

and some 60s nude lips and you're good to G(allian)O!

A coat too gorgeous to ever take off.

I'd wear it with everything from my favourite

jeans and converse to a sparkly vintage minidress.

And definitely invest in some coral kid gloves a la Galliano.

Gorgeous.

Loose the strange headgear and opt for a messy

plait or 4os waves to compliment this beautiful

dress. Leave your jewellery at home and let the

dress do all the talking.

Last but not least...

Unless you're planning on going to a fancy dress

party as Jem from the Holograms or you happen

to have been blessed with the fortune of waking

up as Agyness Dean, I'd leave this look where it

belongs-on the catwalk. DO, however, invest in

some fancy feathers to wear in your hair and DO

embrace colour in your eye make-up palette. Just

DON'T do them together.