Photo Credit: ELLE UK ,Style.com and Topshop’s Inside Out Blog.

Surely it is shear lust, errm I mean sheer lust that has me drooling about shearling outerwear when my mind should be on all things spring!

Shearling made an appearance in a number of autumn winter 2010 -2011 collections. Two of my favourites were Topshop Unique and Burberry Prorsum. Unique’s anorak coats with shearling collars are reminiscent of one of my childhood winter coats.

Meanwhile over at Burberry Prorsum, Christopher Bailey’s execution of his reversed shearling bomber jackets was impeccable.

I know it’s only March and yes I know it only just got a bit warmer but with coats that brilliant, you cannot blame a girl for wishing winter 2010 would hurry up along.

Photo credit:Style.com

Checking out the Viktor & Rolf collection was like wearing a pair of glasses that promises to ‘magnify everything to surreal cartoon-esque proportions.

The Jack and The Beanstalk giant would have been quite happy size wise in the humongous capes, gargantuan ruffs, and gigantic coats. There was heavy layering with at least seven to nine layers of clothes.

Kristen McMenamy (who opened the show in copious layers topped off with a tweed cape) deserves an award for not toppling over in that mountain of weight! Proving the wear all your wardrobe look is wearable maybe?

Viktor & Rolf’s collection have always dabbled in the fantastically surreal. Their latest offering is most definitely high fashion on steroids meets Sumo wrestler..

Photo Credit Glamour magazine UK

Following her Merit Award for autumn/winter 2010-11 (Fashion Vauxhall ones to watch), Hermione de Paula’s show was one that I was looking forward to.

It was a collection with short and razor sharp silhouettes.

Her short tulip dress shapes had overlaid bibs which the designer explained was inspired by imagining a woman’s form squeezed, exposing spilt cleavage and hips. The overlaid bodices created an exaggerated Jessica Rabbit type female figure.

Hermione’s girl was punky with ruffles (on shoulder and along the edge of secondary bodices), panelled and bodice plastic, grey rose prints,

Photo Credit Elle UK

For his autumn/winter 2010-2011 line up, Osman Yousefzada known for his minimalistic chic, showed a line up of effortless draped dresses, palazzo pants, mohair check separates & coats, slouchy print cotton separates, tunics, boob tubes and jewel encrusted separates.

His colour palette was aubergine, grey, navy, pink, pale blue and accessories were suede wedge loafers and thigh high wader boats.

Photo Credit: Maaike Mekking

Dutch born, London based Maaike Mekking entitled her autumn/winter 2010-2011 collection ‘WITCH-CRAFT-WO-MAN-SHIP’.
Mekking’s collection was inspired by films such as ‘Badlands’(1973) and ‘Christiane F’(1981).

The designer’s fervent line up employed a palette of ochre, sand, blush and charcoal black fabrics. The line up explores masculine American classics ( denim jeans, leather biker jackets etc) with textured camel wool, dependable denim and jersey and ethereal silk chiffon.

For the collection, the designer (she has a postgraduate degree in womenswear from The Royal College of Art) collaborated with artists such as Joseph Xorto, Tania Leshkina and Anastasia Freyang.

More on Maaike Mekking here.

Photo Credit Elle UK

The look at the Betty Jackson autumn/winter 2010 collection was relaxed utilitarian meets military. It was khaki jackets, mid riff baring tops, cord separates, thick knits, slouchy cropped tapered pants, loose leather shift dresses, skater miniskirts and separates.

Betty put her girl into cord knee length shorts paired with leather bra’s worn over chunky knits and shirts. Garments featured combat tab pockets.

Models sauntered in ankle tie stacked platforms & clogs.

After the BLOW Presents Charlie le Mindu autumn/winter 2010-2011 show (think epic hair pieces, crosses and a lot of attitude that will knock the inches off your skyscraper wearing heels), I threw a few questions backstage at talented French designer, le Mindu.

Marian – Your Autumn/Winter 2010-2011 in five words?
Charlie - Sensual porno anorexia bulimic fur.

Marian - I loved the Faberge type hair covered hair piece with ballerina. Please share a bit about this?
Charlie - I love Russian things, I think Russian women are the most sexy and chic, in terms of fashion it is really inspiration from Russia.

Marian -Who is the Charlie le Mindu muse?
Charlie -Well I m still searching for a muse but my fave model for the moment is called Daphne, she walks in my show all the time. She is hot!!!!!

Kind thanks to Charlie Le Mindu and Ashley at BLOW for the interview. More on Charlie le Mindu on his site here.

Also check out the fab BlOW Presents blog. With lots of backstage shots and information on all the BLOW Presents clients, collections and much more. Check it out here.

Photo Credit Elle UK

It was an all black collection highlighted by gold. PPQ have always had the recipe to ‘cheeky sexy It London girl’ and this collection was exactly on that money.

Black 80’s inspired strapless velvet mini dresses with gold fringing and braiding, gold leather shorts, those little black dresses your closet did not even know it needed, PPQ logo lame knit wraps, chic coats, relaxed wide leg slouchy pants etc.

There was also a strong 70’s influence seen in long sleeve black jersey crepe maxi gowns with high neck and keyhole insert, in the cropped jumpsuits, the caped garments, the large bunny-esque bow platform heels, gold striped lame knits etc.

‘Impish fun young sexy London sophisticate’ was the order of the day at the PPQ show, its allure was so strong that the door drama and the dearly departed camera was all too soon forgotten as the garments strutted past me.

Photo Credit: Mission Media

Susan Woo recently showed her third collection at New York’s Bryant Park Hotel.

Woo’s background includes working with Derek Lam, Chanel and Louis Vuitton.

The designer is steadily becoming known for her chic eco-friendly and environmental sustainable designs. I recall drooling over a blouse from her first collection.

For her third collection there was a distinct geometry in the lines of the designs. Woo’s presentation was a line-up of gowns, belted knee length dresses, collarless jackets & coats, tapered silk pants, sheer black blouses and high waist miniskirts.

The clean graphic feel of her autumn (fall)/winter 2010-2011 line is refreshing as it is un-fussed and sophisticated.
Woo’s colour palette was white, scarlet red, green, navy blue, blacks and brown.

The eco- friendly designer used organic cotton jersey, alpaca wool for a fur like textured effect and silk crepe.

Streamlined gowns in monochrome colour with cut outs and contrasting coloured piping were the highlights of this 18 look collection.

The collection is promising, I think the overall styling of presentation (hair, makeup and garments) could have been stronger thus giving the modern meets effortless sexy line-up an even more svelte and refined finish.

Never the less, with chic eco brands like this, looking good never felt so ethically good too.

Photo Credit Elle UK

It is official, I want to be a woodland creature that wears faux antlers and has furry eyebrows!

Topshop Unique’s autumn/winter 2010-2011 collection was a happy place somewhere between enchanted forest, woodland creature and a mythical Narnia.

Models with furry bushy brows bedecked in an assortment of fake antlers, faux badger and fox (and other animals) headpieces, traipsed on a catwalk strewn with moss.

The line-up included harnessed sheepskin and inside out shearling jackets, impish brownie like tailored boy skirt and micro short two piece, shaggy faux fur trimmed anorak coats, thigh high thick knit granny socks, ethereal silk chiffon skirts & dresses etc.

I never thought I’d wish that I had a fur-esque bushy brow but I so do! The styling of this collection was spot on. I want to swathe myself in faux furs and shearling and make like Topshop Unique’s autumn/winter 2010-2011 woodland creature girl.