The A/W12 collections are officially lining shop floors so you know what that means. Now is the best time to start picking up those pieces that you've been lusting over for the past six months after the shows before they all disappear (coats especially). As you would expect, my shopping list is large. The winter collections are always my favourite and tend to have the best pieces and this pair of dungarees from Topshop is at the top of my list.
In the past I've made a point about staying away from dungarees. The denim styles don't seem to go away (thanks Alexa Chung) and while they may look nice at the front, they're far from flattering at the back making me committed to the idea that they're a style best kept in childhood photos. As you can see, though, the Unqiue style are definitely worth embracing. First up, they're not denim so avoids the whole long bum thing that denim tends to give. The dark velvet will work (and look) brilliant in winter and if you're still not convinced, the easiness of them should persuade you. I mean, all you need to do is pick a shirt to go underneath and you're good to go. What else do you need?
The dungarees are on sale now in Topshop stores and online priced at £175.
Zoe Saldana has kept a relatively low profile recently but last night she made a return to the red carpet last night in a major way at the Hollywood premiere of her new movie, 'The Words'.
The actress opted for this gold emboridered knee-length cocktail dress from Elie Saab's A/W12 collection to do so and finished the look off with a relaxed up-do and T-bar heels. Everything about the look works, something that isn't hard when you're wearing one of Saab's designs, and I'm sure this is only the start of what is set to be a strong series of red carpet looks from her as the promotional tour begins.
When it comes to runway shoes, it doesn't get much better that Nicholas Kirkwood's collaboration with Erdem. The pair started working together for the designer's A/W10 show after meeting through a mutual friend in Paris. Their partnership for Fall 2012, though, is one of their most memorable collaborations yet and was without doubt some of the most memorable styles from London.
The collaboration between the two has always been an interesting one. Erdem is known for his romantic femininity and delicate prints, which at first thought seems at odds with Kirwood's directional architectural style but the combination works. For Fall 2012 the shoes were covered with the prints and fabrications that we saw on the clothes, while Kirkwood was given free reign on the perspex heels.
'Erdem and Kirkwood wanted to create something bold, modern yet feminine,' the press release states. 'The heel, inspired by Le Corbusier whose known for his signature bold shapes, were the perfect starting point to create a strong grounding silhouette to build the shoe around while the use of the Erdem prints and fabrics add a feminine element.'
The collection is now available on Net-A-Porter with prices starting at £795.
Most of the Fall 2012 ad campaigns are out and have been for a while but it was only last week that Christian Dior decided to release the images of their Miss Dior handbags campaign starring Mila Kunis.
The campaign, which was styled by Carine Roitfeld and shot by Mario Sorrenti, plays off her star power by portraying her as 'the kind of woman accustomed to attention from throngs of paparaazzi.'
Regular readers will know that I have desperately tried to like the brand's partnership with Kunis but even now, I'm not convinced that the pairing makes sense. As a result, it will be interesting to see whether the actress is kept on board as the face of the line for another season now Raf Simons has taken the reigns at the house.
Are you a fan or do you want to see a new face too?
Whether you're a fan of their collections or not, there's no disputing that G-Star deliver as far as their campaigns are concerned. Last season was the first time that I really sat up and noticed them after Clémence Poésy nailed it in their S/S12 ads. If you liked that one, you'll be happy to see their A/W12 campaign.
This season the brand opted for Arizona Muse, who was unveiled as their new face yesterday at the Butter tradeshow in Berlin. In the campaign, Muse appears alongside American actor Caleb Landry Jones shot by Anton Corbijn, who is the man behind Poésy's campaign too.
Over the last few seasons Muse has been everywhere. Much like Lara Stone, the continued interest in her has, at times, reached overkill proportions. The fact, then, that she's had a fairly quiet campaign season for A/W12 makes this one feel special.
We've already seen one shot from the Juergen Teller-lensed Marc Jacobs fall ad campaign and now all ten images have dropped and they're good.
Tati Cotilar, Magda Laguinge, Rose Geroigiou, Marie Piovesan and MarteMei Van Haaster appear in posing in a field sporting those Jamiroquai-style Stephen Jones hats and elf shoes that Jacobs' has been running around in recently.
Kanye West's debut collection didn't go down well last season but his fall collection was definitely a step in the right direction. The show was refined - featuring only 20 looks - and centred around black leather on simple silhouettes and it worked. More so than least season, the collection featured pieces that real women would actually want to wear rather than something you would see in a music video, which was the feeling last season.
It was clear that West had learned from his mistakes. While he wasn't happy about the criticisms, you could see that he had sat back and taken them on board and used them to help take his design aesthetic forward. As you would expect, there were sexy pieces like one look that saw the model come down the runway in a skin tight pair of leather trousers and cropped jacket with what looked like a whip, but equally he showed loose fitted sequin tops with simple trousers and great coats that will be more retail friendly. Hopefully this is the start of good things to come.
Last seasonClaire Waight Keller arrived at Chloé after a fairly long stint at Pringle of Scotland and unfortunately, she failed to get the press and buyers excited. The second collection for the brand was different. Waight Keller tapped into the essence of the brand and really got into her stride.
Anyone that has been a fan of Chloé will be happy with the brand's fall offerings, as all of the foundations were there. As Mickey Boardman said a few years ago, if the French mother is wearing Yves Saint Laurent or Lanvin her daughter is wearing Chloé and it's true. The fresh colour palette and combination of femininity meets masculine tailoring is the perfect uniform for the young woman and that exactly what Waight Keller delivered.
While most designers are showing the peplum silhouettes that Riccardo Tisci showed last season at Givenchy, he's already moved on. Last night he showed a collection heavily dominated by equestrian touches. It featured a lot more trousers than he's shown in the past in a simple jodhpurs style and leather popped up throughout on everything from riding boots to turtleneck dresses and cropped shorts. Suedes and furs on outerwear was introduced, though, to help break the leather up and add an interesting additional layer.
Where the start of the collection was very strong and masculine with the boxy cuts and tailoring, the end was a lot more feminine. The flash of a red subtly pleated dress under heavy weight leather coats helped add a womanly sensuality to some of the looks and several of the dresses came with lace inserts and spaghetti straps which showed off the chest and emphasised the bondage-esque scarf tied around the neck. After all, it wouldn't be Tisci at Givenchy without some sort of sexual undercurrent.
