I’ve been attending London Fashion Week for a fair few seasons now and it’s exciting to see the rapidly increasing buzz and excitement that surrounds the shows and designers. It isn’t just the new designers, for which London is becoming synonymous but the established names including the arrival of one Mr Tom Ford which is fast making the city a force to reckoned with on the fashion scene.

Christopher Kane is fast becoming one of the hottest tickets of the week. This season was arguably one of his best; a collection inspired by teenage girl’s dear diary paraphernalia of appliqué flowers, jacquard metallics and pretty brocades. Shift dresses, tunic dresses and matching skirts all sure to provoke a rather apt teenage like envy to those lucky enough to get their hands on these pieces!

Mulberry showed a collection of clothing good enough to eat all in ice-cream pastels inspired by the British seaside. Models paraded the runway with backbrushed hair – those that paid enough attention to take it in did well indeed given the starry front row- Kate Moss and Kristen Stewart no less.

When I sat down to watch the last Burberry show I did so with a certain amount of trepidation. For me Christopher Bailey’s last good collection was his shearling aviator show of autumn/winter 2010. So you can imagine my elation at his spring/summer 2012 catwalk – Bailey is back to his best! 50′s midi-skirts ruled with what is set to be the defining silhouette of the season. The earthy palette of greens and autumnal rust was a nice diversion from the sickly sweet offerings of countless other designers for spring/summer.

Finally the lovely Roksanda Ilincic. Roksanda’s previous collection on sumptous evening gowns in jewel coloured silks put her firmly on the fashion map and landed a few of her designs on the red carpet. This season she took her collection to a new sportier level with a much more playful silhouette.

Now the dust has settled on the month long fashion marathon that is New York, London, Milan and Paris it’s the perfect time to sit back and revise the collections. Here is the first of four posts picking my favourite looks from the shows.

First up was New York. Ralph Lauren is one of the highlights of the week. This season I couldn’t help but fall for the ladylike take on the twenties with inspiration taken from The Great Gatsby. Floral dresses, pastel skirts and delicate pyjama pieces. And then of course the eveningwear – elegant dresses in metallic and whites.

Given my devotion to all things minimalist Calvin Klein is always a favourite show of mine. This season there was a real softness to the collection in contrast to the traditional stiff lines of Francisco Costa’s collections. As for the palette; nudes and creams graduating into classic black and back again.

Finally even your inner most diva can’t help but take a little peak at Herve Leger. Traditionally the domain of reality stars and footballer’s wives but covetable nonetheless. Max Azria’s signature bandage dresses took a turn for the fierce this season with metal accents, buckles and harnesses. Expect to see a few of these adorning a certain XFactor judge come Saturday/Sunday nights.

New York is increasingly becoming a little bit of an oddity in the fashion week schedules. Whilst it hosts some big names in the fashion world – Ralph Lauren, Tommy Hilfiger, Michael Kors etc. The weight it holds in terms of proper ‘fashion’ is in rapid decline. With all the uncertainties currently surrounding the status of fashion week next year and the possibly overlap of London and Milan the question of why New York Fashion Week is spread across so many days can’t be avoided.

Kate Moss made her return to the catwalk yesterday when she appeared at Marc Jacob’s autumn/winter runway show for Louis Vuitton. Kate is no stranger to the runways but has with the benefit of celebrity status steered clear of them for some years. It was the draw of the Louis Vuitton show and it’s collection that many fashion editors are hailing ‘a fashion moment’ that brought her back to the runway, strutting around in a pair of hotpants and smoking…well what else?!

Paris Fashion week draws to a close tomorrow, ending the massive commute for editors, models and eager front row celebs from New York to London, onto Milan and finally Paris. Today was one of the highlights of the schedule when Karl Lagerfeld presented his fall/winter 2011 collection for Chanel. The front row was heavy with British stars; Lily Allen and Alexa Chung taking pride of place.

Lily Allen debuted a more grown-up look sporting a green tweed coat from the pre-fall collection with a pop of colour provided by her classic red Chanel handbag. Alexa Chung went for a look that could have walked straight off the pages of a Jane Austen novel (minus the short hemline), but as usual for Alexa it’s one of those ‘so weird it actually works’ looks.

Superstar stylist Caroline Sieber always gets my attention for her immaculate looks she is usually snapped wearing. For the Chanel show Caroline rocked a Chanel look in a tweed jacket from the spring/summer collection teamed with a teeny tiny black lace skirt and gold sandals also from spring/summer.

For Nicola Formichetti’s debut catwalk presentation as creative director of Mugler expectations were high. Formichetti, who’s cv includes fashion director of Vogue Japan and high street chain Uniqlo, is perhaps best known for his work with outrageous pop songstress Lady Gaga. Remember that meat dress or the more recent incubation egg pod? All Formichetti.

The show began with anticipation at fevour pitch, greatly aided by the twitter declaration by Gaga herself that she would be taking to the runway. What Formichetti presented was akin to an ode to Gaga herself. With a backdrop of Gaga beats models sported sharp shouldered suits, latex trousers, sheer tops and exposed bra detailing in abundance. A collection fit for stage costumes and red carpet looks for a world famous superstar Yes. Wearable for everyone else? Not so much.

Milan fashion week started this week with some of the world’s most famous designers showcasing their collections for autumn/winter 2011. First up was Frida Giannini for Gucci with a runway that took inspiration from Angelica Huston (circa 1970) and Florence Welch (the couture clad stage rocker from Florence and the Machine). The 70s providing the overriding theme so hang on to those pussybow blouses and flared trousers for winter. Whilst many designers have referenced this era for the past few seasons at Gucci the trend took on a new type of indulgence with the presence of luxurious fur and snake skins and a rich palette of emerald greens, purples and petrol blues. For nightime a glorious display of risque evening gowns cut high on the thigh and low on the neck for a fabulous fashion start to Milan Fashion week.

Next up went Prada, following a bold spring/summer collection that singlehandedly made banana print the height of fashion Miuccia Prada took a more refined approach to autumn/winter 2011. It was a collection that looked to a girlier more innocent way of dressing, with dropped waist dresses, shift shapes, pleated skirts and modest Mary Jane heels. Animal print cocoon silhouetted coats and fur adorned overcoats provided a luxurious edge that above all else presented itself as essentially wearable.

If you read this blog regularly you’ll know how much love I have for Erdem. The girly dress lover in me lets out a rather high pitched squeal with each new collection. Today he showed his autumn/winter collection to a crowd with high expectations, it would after all be rather difficult to top his acclaimed last collection.

So where would Erdem Moralioglu go this season? Florals were not included, instead we saw a foray into digital prints where abstract paint splatter pieces were the inspiration. The palette was markedly darker intermingled with flashes of reds and pinks. The parade of chic cocktail dresses all carried a distinctly ladylike feel; no mini hemlines and low-necks here, Erdem’s girl exudes class. All designs carried a caveat; ‘red carpet ready,’ Erdem clearly has his recently acquired red carpet fanbase in mind when designing, one that is sure to extend following this showcase.

Christopher Kane like Erdem has had a stellar few seasons, his work at Versus in addition to his own line have made him the designer du jour. With such strong themes running through his collections (leather and lace, celestial prints and lurid neons) it is always a wonder to see where his next endeavour would take him.

Wonder is probably an apt word to describe the printed leather and plastic adornments. Where last season Kane’s girls were flirty and fun this time around they’d grown up into elegant separates and womanly dresses. Memorable numbers included super sexy sheer lace panelled numbers before a finale of awe-inspiring gauzy numbers.

London Fashion Week is renowned for its showcasing of up and coming talent and you don’t get much brighter than these two rising stars. Osman Yousefzada and Jonathan Saunders showed their collections for autumn/winter 2011 this weekend at London Fashion Week.

For Osman, a favourite with first ladies (Sam Cam has worn his designs) his show marked a breakaway from a preference for neutral colours to a much brighter and more exciting palette. Spring is all about colour-blocking and going by this collection autumnw/winter may well be too. Osman showed a collection of simple gowns and clean lined tunic sets all in clashing hues of striking brights. Where the dazzling shades may scare of Osman’s dedicated fans, the elegant evening dresses may well attract a new ones.

Jonathan Saunders has been for some years now a highlight in the London Fashion Week schedule. His famed expertise in print took a turn for the chic in his autumn/winter collection. First thing that grabbed my attention were the silhouettes; forties inspired cinched waists with mid length hems. Then came the colours; emerald greens and ocean blues combined with rusty maroons, not a normal combination but a compelling one it seems. Finally the last stroke of genius; intricate floral prints spun along sleeves, hems and around waistlines.

Today was the big one, the highlight of London Fashion Week and the show to be seen at before flying out to Milan. Burberry Prorsum held its autumn/winter catwalk show at Kensington Gardens this afternoon. A celeb heavy event the big names on the front row included Hollywood starlets Kate Bosworth and Rachel Bilson, wife of the Prime Minister Samantha Cameron, British it-girl Alexa Chung, the Duran Duran boys and singer Ellie Goulding.

There was of course the usual suspects from the editorial world including Anna Wintour, Emmanuelle Alt (French Vogue’s new editor in chief) and even photographer Mario Testino. But the real show stealer…other than the clothes of course (more on this later) was Kate Bosworth who rocked a leather jacket and studded skirt from Burberry’s spring 2011 collection.

I attended the Sass & Bide show on Friday and for a few moments got lost in my seasons. It is a slightly unnatural feeling watching autumn/winter catwalk shows when your preparing your wardrobe for spring/summer but the Sass & Bide show proved even more unnerving.

The trademark Sass & Bide ‘warrior chick gone surfing’ vibe was present throughout the collection with tribal prints and rustic accessories but it was the colour that made an overriding statement. Shades of coral mixed with shocks of red made for a very bright collection but one that would be better suited for spring/summer. I guess now would be a good time to mention that Sass & Bide is Australian so reversed seasons actually make perfect sense!