Milan Fashion Week A/W'12

These are some of my favourite collections from the recent Milan Autumn/Winter 2012 fashion week.

Dolce & Gabbana

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Dolce and Gabbana staged a glamorous collection inspired by traditional Sicilian Baroque style architecture. Their designs had a rich, opulent feel with gold gilded detail emblazed over black coats, corsets and gowns.  Models wore large chandelier earrings in keeping with the elegant theme. The collection featured numerous capes which are set to be a key trend for the season. I loved the dainty lace socks tied with ribbons worn with pointed curl boots. 

Alberta Ferretti 

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Alberta Ferretti used lots of rich jewelled colours including deep blues and purples for her fall collection. The line had a romantic, feminine vibe with sheer blouses and a mixture of wools, leathers and jewelled pieces. I loved the belted fur princess coats. Ferretti gave the collection a masculine edge with pinstripe jackets and by styling fisherman jumpers over dresses. Numerous models wore long leather gloves, a trend seen across the catwalks at London fashion week.  The chiffon evening dresses featured feathers shaped into flowers.

Prada

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Prada's show began with black jewelled coats and dresses but quickly moved on to their colourful geometric prints. The collection featured belted trousers suits in a range of bright colours. They paired skirts over trousers and turned trousers up at the ankles to shown off Mary Janes and brogues. I loved the clashing colours and mosaic patterns in the collection. Many pieces were embellished with decadent jewels. Models carried large handbags and wore dip-dye hair extensions in keeping with the colour clash vibe. 

Jil Sander

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I loved the simplicity of the designs in Jil Sander's collection. Their fall line had a feminine, romantic feel. Raf Simons final collection for the fashion house focused on simple clean lines using calm and pretty colours to produce easily wearable pieces. Pinks and nudes were key tones for his simple yet super stylish designs. Soft collarless cashmere coats were worn loose over metallic leather dresses. I loved the white high waisted wide legged trousers styled with the nude bustier top. Elegant black evening dresses perfect for any glamorous event featured in the shows finale. 

Some of my other highlights were the collections from Marni, Gucci, Emilio Pucci and Roberto Cavalli

Who were your runway favourites at Milan fashion week?

What They Wore... The Oscars

The 84th Annual Academy Awards lit up Hollywood last night. All eyes were on the stars arrivals to see what and who they would be wearing. There was lots of amazing dresses on display on the red carpet, it was hard to choose an overall best dressed!

The usual black, white and nude gowns were red carpet favourites with flashes of reds and metallics too. Bare shoulders, beading detail and peplum waists were also popular trends. 

Angelina Jolie wore a black velvet Atelier Versace gown with a thigh high split which showed off her bizarre leg stance which she did again later in the evening when on stage to present an award earning her right leg it's own twitter account with over 10,000 followers already! 

'Bridesmaids' star Rose Byrne dazzled on the red carpet in a black sequinned backless Vivienne Westwood gown. She looked elegant and was one of my best dressed of the night. 

Jessica Chastain is fast becoming one of my ones to watch on the red carpet. She wore a bespoke black McQueen gown with gold embellishment. Her hair was styled in loose curls with half pinned up to finish her natural look. 

Sandra Bullock chose one of my favourite designers and red carpet favourite Marchesa. She wore a monochrome Marchesa gown with a draped back and embellished gold detail on the sleeves and waist. 

Milla Jovovich was one of the first to arrive on the red carpet and one of my best dressed at the awards. She wore a stunning white one shouldered sequinned Elie Saab couture gown. Red lips finished her glamorous look. 

I loved Gwyneth Paltrow's super chic white Tom Ford gown with matching cape. Her sleek low slung ponytail and a silver cuff completed this super stylish look. 

Octavia Spencer wore a hand beaded ivory Tadashi Shoji cap sleeve gown. She won 'Best Supporting Actress' for her role in 'The Help.'

J Lo was another of my best dressed in a gorgeous gold striped art deco style Zuhair Murad dress. Her hair was styled in a high bun and she carried a silver Salvatore Ferragamo clutch. 

I'm not usually a fan of Rooney Mara's style but was pleased to see her in something other than black on the red carpet! I really liked her white Givenchy gown. The jury's still out on that severe fringe though!

I think her sister Kate slightly upstaged her on the red carpet with her gorgeous pale pink embellished Jack Guisso couture gown which could easily be confused for Elie Saab! 

Cameron Diaz looked picture perfect in a nude Gucci Premiere gown which featured intricate beading on the skirt. She accessorised with jewellery from Tiffany & Co.

Kristin Wiig was another of my fashion favourites in a nude tulle strapless gown by J Mendel. I loved the layered skirt. 

Meryl Streep wore Lanvin's first ever custom made eco gown as part of Livia Firth's green carpet challenge for more recycled eco friendly outfits on the red carpet. Meryl looked radiant in the gold gown and went on to have a winning evening taking home the Oscar for 'Best Actress' for her portrayal of Margaret Thatcher in 'The Iron Lady.'

Also going for gold, Stacy Keibler wore a liquid gold Marchesa gown. I'm still unsure if I love it or if she resembles an Oscars statue a little too much! 

Emma Stone showed how red heads can wear reds in a bright fuchsia Giambattista Valli couture gown. The shoulder bow design is similar to the Balenciaga gown Nicole Kidman wore to the awards in 1997. 

Michelle Williams also braved red in this coral coloured Louis Vuitton dress with a peplum waist and bow detail. She carried a pink Bottega Veneta clutch. 

Also rocking the peplum trend Tina Fey wore a navy Carolina Herrera floor length gown. I think the style really suited Tina and it was one of my favourite outfits I've seen her in on the red carpet. Her hair was styled in a bun and she accessorised with dazzling jewellery from Bulgari.

Penelope Cruz was another of my best dressed. I loved the lavender colour of her Armani Prive gown and her retro hair style which complemented her look.

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Elie Saab is always popular on the red carpet and it's clear to see why with his gorgeous couture designs. 'The Artist's' Berenice Bejo wore an embellished mint green Elie Saab gown.

Viola Davis chose a bright green shoulderless Vera Wang gown. She decided not to wear a wig as usual but show off her natural cropped hair which I think finished her look perfectly. 

Who was your best dressed at the Oscars?

Did your favourites win on the night?

London Fashion Week A/W'12

These are my highlights from last weeks London fashion week which saw numerous designers showcase their Autumn/Winter 2012 collections.

Temperley London 

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Temperley London staged another stunning collection, it's easy to see why Kate Middleton is a fan of their designs. Their fall line featured day dresses alongside glamorous evening gowns styled with fur hats. Many pieces were worn with jewelled belts and chains. There was a mixture of fabrics and colours with luxurious velvet designs and metallic golds. Laser cut detail was used to create patterns. I loved the beading detail on the last dress which was paired with a jade green statement necklace. 

Burberry Prorsum

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Burberry featured their iconic trench coat updated for the season with a gathered waist cinched in with a bow belt. There was a strong country feel with many models wearing cord and tweed pieces and tweed caps. Lace peplum skirts were paired with bomber jackets. Colourful stripes featured heavily throughout the collection. The end of the show saw Burberry create a rain shower as the models paraded down the catwalk carrying colourful umbrellas. 

Erdem

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Erdem's collection filled the runway with bright colours. Purple was heavily featured with neon accents and teamed alongside black and navy.  There was a feminine feel with pretty A-line skirts and dresses layered with lace detail. I loved the colourful blue floral print dress styled with matching ankle boots. One of my favourite looks from the collection was the peplum style top paired with the floral silk cigarette pants.

Giles

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Giles Deacon put on another wonderful show. He used porcupine and ostrich feather head pieces created by Stephen Jones. He opted for a romantic feel using luxurious chiffon fabrics and intricate beading detail. Models wore tuxedo style jackets in various fabrics including velvet. In contrast with the softer feel of the collection one of my favourite designs were the charred style evening dresses, glittering crystals created the charred patch effect. 

McQ

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Sarah Burton put together an impressive collection, the first from the McQ line to hit the catwalk. There was an autumn feel as models walked through leaves in khaki green military style coats with large fur collars. McQ also featured black belts with gold chains. The collection softened with lace, tartan dress and kilts. The models wore long leather gloves, a trend seen across the fall shows and had halo styled hair. My favourite pieces were the feminine ballgowns, in particular the red and black leaf gown with a lace skirt underneath. 

Some of my other favourites were the collections from  Mulberry, Issa London, Jonathan Saunders, Mary Katrantzou and Matthew Williamson

Who were your catwalk favourites at London fashion week?