Necklines and vines

Fendi and Gucci take the eyes up and down and all over, like a newspaper. They're visually giving us a party in colours and textures, the block out is carrying on from last season but it's working and translating well into the warmer attire for the northern hemisphere. There's not much that I can criticism when it comes to these two quintessential Milanese design houses. They set the standard for what's to trickle down en masse.

Bally AW 2011

Don't mess with a formula when it's working. That must truly have been Bally's philosophy when they decided to extend their collection to include more clothes and to actually showcase them during fashion week as well. They're famous for their leather goods and that's all well and fine until they've waved their magic wand over the Bally wearer's mind and read exactly what they're after. The pea coats and long skirts are right on trend. There's not much more they could have experimented with for this collection. It's safe but will translate well through the accessories in bally stores worldwide.

Prada AW2011

The silhouettes are stunning, the texture not so breathtaking. There's plastic scales reminiscent of Nemo all over the place, scary stuff. There's not too much for occasion to wear these styles, but the other more subdued pieces take the Prada brand to the masses. Given the coats and woolen pieces are in a pretty standard shape and fabric, they'll become staples in wardrobes worldwide, minus the plastic discs.

London AW2011

There were elements that stood out from the rest during London Fashion Week.
At Mulberry, they stayed true to their philosophy and gave us quintessential British cool.
Matthew Williamson kept colours bright and provided a very wearable range, nothing out of the ordinary or to write home about.
Top Shop Unique is taking off worldwide, it's wonderful that they've now established themselves on the London Fashion Week Timetable. Always pushing the boundaries, winter in London looks set to thrill.
Christopher Kane looked set to take inspiration from Missoni this season. I'd swear the picture was from the Italian powerhouse, but Kane has adopted it. Perhaps not far enough away from the signature stripes and zigzags that made Missoni famous but still, it shows what's old is new again.
And last but not least, Burberry wasn't exactly all that I expected it to me. There were very European elements that I truly can't see working in Australia but time will only tell. As long as the accessories have legs then the collection will carry through Australian boutiques.

New York Fashion Week Closes

With the creative streak even stronger as the Olsen twins develop their signature range, they've given us a nice little offering between what someone in their 50's might wear and someone in their 20's. There's an incredible spectrum of shapes and silhouettes and it's great to see them playing with proportion with the faux fur cascading around one side of the face. I know I can hear you saying that it's silly and no one one the street would wear it but that's Australia. New Yorkers might. And the French women definitely would. There's more to fashion than pure practicality.
On the other hand, there's Monique L'hullier. She takes every feminine fantasy and whisks it into a delightful soirre of all that is glamorous. There's a stunning wintery feel to this collection that gives it the longevity to stand out in a sea of merely any other range. It's stands apart from the crowd.
She's following in the footsteps of Carolina Herrera, a woman who knows how to adapt her signature classic styles into something relevant for today's savvy shopper. Their her clients and Herrera knows them well. She doesn't necessarily need to advertise, she's got a following all her own.
This week has so far been very exciting. I met the Governor General and my very own website went live. Please check it regularly as this blog will be winding down. By the time Paris Fashion Week graces us with its presence, I'll be writing primarily through the blog on teganasha.com, found under the navigation heading 'tegan asha writes'.
Thank you for your loyalty and I hope you will follow me to teganasha.com where the future lies, always with a smile.

Preen Fall 2011

Blowing all the other options out of the equation, Preen has taken everything they've designed over the past couple of seasons, learned all their mistakes and turned them into gold for what has proven to be their best season yet. This is polished. This is colourful. This gives the shape of a woman the most flattering opportunity to highlight it's best forms, and this, this my dear readers, is very New York.
Again, how to get my hands on this. I know we're in trouble in the retail world in Australia thanks to the wonderful American dollar. But I say for some instances given we're so far away, it's time to snap up the best of the best. It's impossible to comprehend this given we're only in week one of what is four fabulous weeks that always only seem to get better, but ti's true. The standard is set. Stay. Good dog.

Victoria Beckham Fall 2011

Showing in New York gives Beckham's collection a whole new edge. She's relaxed the silhouettes and pushed the boundaries when it comes to raw edges to shake up her prim tone of previous collections. Definitely a step in the right direction.
I hope her collections don't suffer due to the arrival of her fourth child, she's always shown that she's the queen of multi-tasking and always has time for her children. How she manages to create fragrances, design, wear those platforms, keep that hair in check, make sure her figure remains completely unchanged in a decade and have time for a fourth is just another reason to wonder how she does it all. Much like Stella McCartney minus the paparazzi fueled outings and ridiculous footwear.
Go Vicki, can't wait to see your next project. All of them.

DKNY Fall 2011

There's nothing I love more than a practical, fashionable, fun and catchy collection. Case in point, DKNY. Oh how does she do it. That's a statement not a question. Donna Karan, you've thought of everything I've wanted in my wardrobe for a long time to take me from work to the weekend and now I just have to find a way to get it. I want that orange outfit immediately if not sooner.
Give me those stripes any day, and I'm loving all the pants as well. There's a French flirty feel filtering through this collection and she's executed it with excellent precision.

Willow Takes New York

Placing the fact that she had her second baby only three months ago aside, this is a collection vastly differing from the one she sent out to great applause and praise last season. It went back to basics, but not necessarily her basics, and that's the only thing that was wrong with it. It could have been anybody's range, I was thinking it looked heavily influenced by Camilla and Marc and Zimmermann, two other successful Australian brands.
There wasn't her signature fun texture, like fringing from last season or top stitching in ranges gone by. Only a repeated horsehair print and some biker leather. It was also statically shot rather than paraded on a catwalk, so there were no big names, no reasons to generate buzz and sadly, no movement in an example of the clothes. It was all very 2D. Better luck next time.

Jason Wu I Heart You

Fall 2011/2012. Jason Wu. How do you do?
He's designing with the confidence and sophistication of his American peers and mentors such as Oscar De La Renta and Carolina Herrera. Wu knows his style, he knows his clients and he knows how to stay on trend whilst combining all these critical factors.
There were solid shapes versus fluid shapes, a lot of black accented and softened with surface embellishments and sparkles in just the right doses.
For someone whom Diane Kruger and Camilla Belle go to for show stopping gowns, he hasn't left them wanting for this collection. There's something for every occasion.
Well done Jason Wu.

Rachel Zoe's Touch

What do you expect from the woman that's created the strongest and most copied celebrity trends of the past decade? What do you expect when she designs her own range? When it comes to expectations, I've learned through more lessons of my own than I care to count, that it's best not to expect anything at all. You might find you will pleasantly surprised.
So here's when Rachel Zoe steps up to the plate and bats it out of the ball park. She may be heavily influenced by Michael Kors, Chloe, Celine, Marc Jacobs and Lanvin, but she's a stylist by trade. And you know what that means. Stylist by nature.
Her whole premise has been based on taking elements from various designers and bringing the look together for her clients, some including Nicole Richie, Mischa Barton, Anne Hathaway, Kiera Knightly and more. You can see where I'm going with this. If there was a trend to set. This woman set it.
So let's get critical. What do you think?