Riccardo Tisci's last few collections at Givenchy haven't been rocked my boat. The embellishment that he showed for SS11 was beautiful, but felt like a step too far away from the signatures that we've all come to expect and love from him and last season, the accessories were definitely stronger the clothes. For SS13, though, Tisci was back on a track.

Like many other collections this season, everything was stripped back and the focus was on the clothes. The muted colour palette helped to show the pieces off as opposed to bright colours and embellishment, which designers have been known to use as a distraction. The lines were clean and modern and the black looks in particular tapped into the religious undertones that Tisci is known for; that and the metal collars that the models were wearing that felt like a fashion version of a priest's collar, of course.

See the collection after the jump

Miranda Kerr in US Harper's Bazaar September 2012 by Terry Richardson

With the new season accessories quickly lining shop floors, it's hard to talk about winter shoes without mentioning these boots. For the past few winters the ankle boot has dominated but thanks to Riccardo Tisci for Givenchy, for A/W12 the knee high boot has reclaimed it's position as the staple style of choice.

US Harper's Bazaar made the point clear in their September issue, showing Miranda Kerr striped down in nothing but the boots. The lesson to be learnt? As much as there's a lot to be excited about clothes-wise this season, it's now time to tap into those 'love forever' statement accessories and if you have the money to spare, these are definitely the way to go.

Inspired by the 1950s silhouettes of Bettie Page and 1970s French horseback riding, the boots with their heel hiding sheaths, captured everyone's imagination when they were included in the brand's pre-fall collection and were cemented as the 'IT' style of the season when they re-appeared in their equestrian-themed Fall 2012 show. So far, the boots have already sold out on Net-A-Porter several times despite the £1,405 price tag so if you want to get in on the action, get in fast.

See more images from the shoot after the jump

I'm usually the biggest fan of anything Riccardo Tisci does at Givenchy but the matador-meets-equestrian style Fall 2012 collection wasn't my favourite. Sadly that didn't change when Amanda Seyfried sported one of the dresses last night at the 2012 Tony Awards in New York. Putting my opinion of the collection aside, I'm still not convinced that it works on the actress.

What do you think?

Image via An Unknown Quality

Last month Paco Rabanne confirmed that Manish Arora had left his role as creative director of the revived brand and today announced the appointment of Lydia Maurer as his successor.

The news of Arora's departure was a surprise. Considering that he only served as artistic director for two seasons, the mutual decision to part ways seemed premature. Nonetheless, the critics response to Maurer's appointment has been good. Despite being only 29 years-old, she has a firm grounding having worked for brands like Yves Saint Laurent and Givenchy. The fact that she also headed the Paco Rabanne studio back in 2011 means that she understands the company and had worked under Arora during his time there.

Read more after the jump

Carine Roitfeld has been a long time collaborator and supporter of amfAR and this year she's working on a special project with me. Despite having several different ventures on the go like her upcoming MAC make-up line, new magazine and of course, being a new grand mother, Roitfeld will stage the gala's first fashion show.

The event, which takes place each year during the Cannes Film Festival to benefit the fight against AIDS, has always been known for delivering great red carpet looks so it makes sense that fashion will take such a prominent role. The idea behind the show is the 'perfect black wardrobe' and according to WWD, everyone from Christopher Kane and Alexander Wang to Givenchy and Louis Vuitton are involved.

Anticipation for this year's Met Gala was high and the event definitely didn't disappoint. While it's true, there were several disappointing looks from people like Coco Rocha and Jessica Chastain, the majority of the looks were really strong and it was really good to see people research and commit to this year's Schiaparelli theme.

The above is a round-up of my favourite looks. Regular readers will know that I was on the dubious side about Joseph Altuzarra teaming up with Lana Del Rey but I was pleasantly surprised by the results. Her dress, along with her new dark hair, looked beautiful and so did Carey Mulligan in her golden Prada creation. As an Olsen fan, I'm generally impressed by anything either twin turns up in and last night was no different. The black dress from The Row that Mary-Kate Olsen was classically simple but still powerful.

Which outfit is your favourite?

I've always been a trouser suit girl. Whether that's the result of falling in love with Helmut Newton's iconic 'Le Smoking' shot that appeared in Vogue Paris back in 1975 I'm not sure, but nonetheless it has always been a style that I've been particularly taken by. Anyone that follows The Fash Pack on Twitter will know that these recent images of Solange Knowles and Ashley Olsen wearing variations on the look has only fuelled my quest to find the perfect version.

The styles that appeared on the runway for S/S12 were particularly good because they came in a range of block colours from reds and multicoloured prints to pastel yellows and pale pinks. Preen really lead the pack showing a great classic version available in both pink and yellow while Givenchy had a much more modern feeling and came with skin tight trousers. For a budget friendly alternative head to Whistles as they undoubtedly have the most affordable but quality style on the market.

By his own admission, Julien Macdonald has never been a designer set on pushing boundaries. 'I've made my name by dressing celebrities and that's fine,' he said recently. 'Glamour is always in fashion' he added, and there definitely has to be some truth in that. To say that he's doing well is quite the understatement. What he doesn't have in sales numbers for his mainline, he definitely has with his collections for Debenhams (his line with them is their most successful designer collaboration) and his recent foray into reality TV on 'Britain and Ireland's Next Top Model' have ensured that he has found a place in all of our living rooms as well as our wardrobes.

Because of his focus on all things celebrity, he was never a designer that followed. That's not because I don't respect what he does - I really do - but rather, his penchant for all things glamour and IT girl isn't something that I'm particularly drawn to. That said, recently  I was lucky enough to join Shop Style on the Fashion Fringe roadshow where Collin McDowell spoke to the designer at the University of Brighton where he studied and I was totally won over. Not only is he incredibly charming, he is also incredibly outgoing (a characteristic, which Macdonald himself noted isn't very common amongst designers) and completely honest and unfiltered.

What was interesting about the talk was that a lot of us left realising just how little we knew about his incredible past.

Find out what these were and his best quotes after the jump