fiona paxton

Fiona Paxton is very talented jewellery designer from the UK, these pieces are inspired by the embroidery and craftsmanship of Indian artisans; mosiac, beads, chains and hand embroidery are all features of her beautiful work.

Sylvie

Tulle necklace

Bianca

Visit here http://www.ninaandlola.com/fiona-paxton.html to find out more.

that's tight!

British-born Maria Lau certainly knows how to make a pair of tights look like couture! Inspired by ethnic adornments, Japanese craft and the female form this collection of jewellery pieces is a brilliant mix of casual and luxe. Knotted and braided tights are twisted and shaped to form intricate necklaces. Named 'A Skin Less Ordinary' this collection shows Lau's talent for making something seemingly mundane into beautiful decoration.

Go here to see more http://www.kabiri.co.uk/designers/maria_lau/jewellery/

gfw '09

A run through of some of my favourites from Graduate Fashion Week 2009; starting with Bristol UWE (biased I know!)

Lauren Champion - Her elegant draped fabrics in muted and sumptuous colours were offset beautifully by contrasting detail.

Hannah Mayhew - Her use of florals is exquisite and lends itself well to the ruffled folds of her clothes.

Kimberly Naylor - Colours are fantastic and I love the energy and dynamism of the clothes.

And the best of the rest...

A very promising menswear collection (Kingston University)

Philippa Jenkins - Great oversized accessories and use of colour, it's exciting to see menswear and men's accessories (which are becoming more and more popular with the rise of the 'man-bag' and 'meggings'*) thought about so in-depth.

*I am part of the camp in favour of these daring creations, it's like taking skinny jeans to the next level. This obviously depends on who is wearing them - this is NOT a trend any man other than a dangerously thin man can pull off. I don't think that many fall into this catagory so for those of you who are shocked and appalled at the thought of men in leggings, you may be spared.

Tribal awareness (Middlesex University)

Iwona Pilch - Beautiful designs with a deeper meaning; inspired by the ritual scarring that tribes perform and the practises of cults. Beads were pushed into soft fabrics to create a bubbled look which was taken throughout her whole collection in the form of edging and embellishment.

Luxury Knitwear (Kingston University)

Akosua Afriyie-Kumi - These bold colourful knits commanded the catwalk, also loving the structural shoulders and the knitted helmets - obviously essential for the colder weather!!?!

Decadent Sportswear + Underwear (University of Westminster)

Anna Rose Underwood - The contrasts of structural underwear and comfortable and baggy rompersuit style clothing come together to create a relaxed yet seductive look in this collection. The designs are also inspired by sportswear.

Well done to everyone who showed their collections, must be a nerve-racking thing to be involved in and the culmination of a lot of hard work.

blugirl a/w 09

From the intensely creative mind of Anna Molinari, this is the ready-to-wear younger sister to Blumarine born 1995 and first shown in Milan in 2002. The designs are romantic, fun and constantly new and the Autumn/Winter '09 collection is no different. Just some examples of why Blugirl A/W 09 has caught my eye...

I love the feathered headgear and sparkling embellishments on collars of structured blazers and jackets.

Oversize gilets in demure pastels or eye-popping brights.

Contrasting textures of floral printing on silk slips paired with long ribbed socks worn over tights.