Gossip Girl Returns in Style

Season 4 of Gossip Girl has finally hit our screens after an absence of what seems an age. The Summer was all too long without seeing those Park Avenue princesses scheming away and looking fabulous. Now we're two episodes in to the new series and it's better than ever! I won't give away any storylines, but here are a few fashion spoilers...

Images from Marie Claire. See them all at:

Gossip Girl Season 4 On-Set Style Gossip Girl fashion Chuck Bass Leighton Meester Blake Lively Celebrity Pictures Marie Claire

Update your Coat for A/W

Buying a new winter coat can be an expensive business - especially with the number of different styles around to catch your eye (will it be the aviator, the cape, the fur? ...the list goes on). It can be tempting to give in and buy more than one if, like me, you get board of wearing the same one day in day out. But never fear, those clever folks at ASOS are stocking fake fur collars and cuffs which will give a whole new lease of life to your old coat. What's more, with the cuffs priced at only £8 and collars starting from £16 it feels like you've got a new coat without the huge credit card bill dropping on your doorstep at the end of the month! They have even solved the problem of how to keep your arms warm when you're wearing a cape or 3/4 length sleeve with their furry arm warmers. Fantasy fur (as Karl Largerfeld likes to call it) has become big news for A/W after the Chanel catwalk was awash with the stuff, so get over to ASOS to pick up a little winter warmer for yourself.

Update your Shoe Collection for A/W

CLOGS
Clogs have been the shoe of the Summer. Carry the look through to Autumn by adding sheepskin trim, or why not invest in a pair of clog ankle boots?

French Connection £130




River Island £49.99









BROGUES
For a retake on the classic brogue, add a heel. Whilst a knee-high boot version would be great addition to you footwear collection for the winter months ahead.

Office £125






River Island £54.99







LOAFERS
Loafers with a wedge! A fab modern twist on a granny chic shoe. Plus wedges have the advantage of gaining height without the pain - perfect.

River Island £64.99









COURTS
Inject some colour into a ladylike look for Autumn by going for court shoes in ochre.

Hobbs £159

LFW: Trend Report

So, we've had a sneak peek into the future, but Fashion Week has been and gone in a flash. Now we just have to get through the cold winter months - counting down the days until we can actually contemplate wearing the trends for Spring/Summer 2011 that have been on show over the past few days.

Here is your guide to what's going to be HOT for Summer...


THE DECADES:

There were two main historical influences at odds on the catwalk, namely the 1950s and the 1970s. Both eras were heavily referenced for the sophisticated A/W looks around at the moment, and this continues though the S/S collections, all be it with a younger, fresher vibe. The question is whether come spring you'll opt for prom princess and go for the ladylike silhouette seen at Jasper Conran and Caroline Charles or be a disco diva a la House of Holland and Topshop Unique?













THE COLOURS:

There was a surprising amount of black around for saying that these were collections for the season of folly and fancy. Designers including John Rocha, Mark Fast, David Koma and Richard Nicoll all featured a lot of black and white pieces.

Neutral tones also stay firmly on the radar for S/S. Amanda Wakeley showed a beautifully wearable collection in nude and earthy tones. However, there was the usual array of Summer brights in other quarters. Who could fail to notice Christopher Kane's collection of acid brights? The designer's sister Tammy hit the nail on the head when she described it as 'Princess Margaret on acid'. Shockingly bright pink, green and yellow were used against a ladylike silhouette . It is this bright canary yellow that has been seen absolutely everywhere over the course of the week. Although, I have to say that I prefer how Maria Grachvogel combined it with neutrals - making the colour stand out without appearing garish.

Another popular colour choice was a delicious shade of mint green. Olivia Palermo was responsible for what had to be the worst quote of the week - when she told next.com that it was 'so refreshing' to see mint green without the slightest hint of irony in her voice.

THE PRINTS:

I'm a girl who loves prints. I say why by something plain when you can get something beautifully patterned? Animal prints ruled the day on the Burberry Prorsum catwalk, but it was the tribal prints seen at Holly Fulton that caught my interest. These bold, graphic prints are bound to be a huge hit for S/S.

THE STRUCTURE:

There have been a lot of very structured shoulder lines around - perfectly exemplified by the dresses shown by Hannah Marshall and Mary Katrantzou. Once again, the boys will be locking their wardrobes as the borrowed from my boyfriend look continues to thrive - as seen in Paul Smith's collection of oversized shirts, chinos and ties.

THE FABRICS:

Sheer silk chiffon was a very popular choice - especially when used to contrast against a more weighty fabric. I loved how Hannah Marshall layered an opaque mini dress underneath a sheer maxi so that the models legs were clearly visible.

Leather played a big part in Burberry's extreme biker look - whether in traditional black, or metallic silver.

A few months back fringing was named as one of the top ten trends men hate - but they had better get used to it. Mark Fast, Henry Holland and Betty Jackson all used fringing to great effect in their collections.

FASHION FOOTNOTE:

Over the past couple of years London Fashion Week has made more headlines for the tantrums, scandals and debates over the health and size of models than the actual talent on display. So this year I was waiting to see what would kick-off this time around. I am pleased to report that fashion was quite rightly the order of the day. However, if there was anything negative to grab headlines it would be the inappropriate footwear on display - from the parade of platform clad models at Alexander McQueen's memorial (where Daphne Guinness stumbled), to the model falling on the Burberry catwalk. Then there was the publication of Northumbria University's findings that men don't even notice what shoes adorn the fairer sex. It was no wonder then that for many shows the models stepped out in flats. This gave the collections a young, playful look - plus it was a welcome change to see smiles rather than grimaces of heel-induced pain.

Erdem SS11 at London Fashion Week

Burberry SS11 at London Fashion Week

LFW Highlights: Tuesday 21st September

I've just watched the live stream of the Burberry Prorsum show - here are some of my favourite looks...













































There were lots of famous faces to spot in the crowd watching Christopher Bailey's biker inspired collection for S/S; SJP, Serena Williams, Alexa Chung, Andy Murray, Cat Deeley and, of course, Anna Wintour were just some of the names in a star-studded front row.

The highlight of the show was Bailey's reinvention of Burberry's classic trench, achieved by incorporating biker jacket detailing such as quilted leather sleeves and studded spikes. All the looks were accented with a pop of colour from bags and belts in mint, lime, acqua or lemon.

The latter half of the show heavily featured python printed on more belts, biker jackets etc. which wasn't to my personal taste - being totally freaked out by snakes! Also, a number of the models looked in pain as they struggled to walk the catwalk. One poor girl even fell over, suggesting that there was some problem with the footwear - who ever said modelling was easy!?

This didn't detract from the fact that Bailey has triumphed again. As chief creative director he has managed to breathe new life into Burberry. The 146 year old company experienced crippling losses after chavs and football hooligans adopted the brand's signature Nova check as their badge of honour. Ever since Burberry have gone to pains to redefine their image by associating themselves with young British acting and musical talent, signing up the likes of Emma Watson and George Craig to front their campaigns. Now, with each successive collection Burberry goes from strength to strength. Plus, thanks to some genius marketing the jackets and bags went on sale straight after the catwalk show had finished. So, Burberry may have just redefined Fashion Week too.

Mark Fast SS11 at London Fashion Week

LFW Highlights: Monday 20th September

Back in February Mark Fast was the name on everybody's lips - not so much for his collection of cobweb knitwear as for his choice of plus size models to wear it. His stylist stormed out and a media frenzy ensued. The debate about plus size models on the catwalk has still not died down, as more and more designers convert to booking bigger girls. Even Karl Lagerfeld, the champion of the skinny model, has signed-up Crystal Renn to star in a new Chanel ad campaign. Back to Fast, I was glad to see that he had not abandoned the cause of the plus size, as models with varying body shapes hit the catwalk. But enough of models - Fast's collection deserves discussion.

The collection was inspired by an oil slick and subsequent rejuvenation, so we see a progression from black to gradually more colourful pieces, and finally pure white. The cobweb knitwear Fast is becoming known for was very much evident, but my favourite pieces were those which incorporated fringing - the effect of the movement was stunning.


Mark Fast S/S '11

Images from style.com

Richard Nicoll SS11 at London Fashion Week

LFW Highlights: Sunday 19th September

Today the big hitters were out in force, as some of the top names in British fashion revealed their eagerly anticipated collections for S/S '11. Vivienne Westwood, Julien Macdonald, Jasper Conran, Matthew Williamson and Richard Nicoll all held shows, but it was a relatively new designer who caught my attention. You may recognise the name Mary Katrantzou from her collaboration with Topshop. She has shown amazing creativity with her collection for S/S '11 - producing a range of dresses featuring prints of interior design. I absolutely adore how the shape of the curtains forms a bolero jacket (below left). The models even sported chandelier necklaces and lampshade skirts! Pure genius ...













Look out for Mary's second capsule collection for Topshop!

LFW Highlights: Saturday 18th Sept

Yesterday may have seen a continuation of the 1950s references from A/W, but today was definitely all about the '70s - with both top tickets in town heavily referencing the era. The models at House of Holland strutted their stuff down the catwalk to the strains of Donna Summer, perfectly complimenting the disco look on show. There was lots of gold lame and spangly stars - not to mention flares! I love the combination of mint geen blazer with gold pleated skirt (pictured top left).

House of Holland S/S '11

Images from style.com

Topshop Unique went for more of a hippy vibe with their collection of floaty ethnic print jumpsuits, wide-leg trousers and kaftans.