London

Read the LFW round-up here

Read the first blog instalment here

While Vogue hosted a high-octane gala dinner and party at the V&A to celebrate ‘The Golden Age of Couture’ exhibition, London’s more creatively attired (ie the club kids) were raving it up in Hoxton Bar and Grill to celebrate the launch of the MAC-sponsored BoomBox book. The atmosphere was wild and the music was pumping. We practically danced our feet off with all the Time Out cover stars from last week including Chycca and The-O, who masterfully fashioned covers from our own fair magazine into outfits. Now there’s an idea. Check out more pics by the club’s in-house photographer Alistair Allan at www.dirtydirtydancing.com . A few bleary eyes at this morning’s elegant Roksanda Ilincic show then, where guests sipped coffee at Mayfair’s palatial Lansdowne Club, as Ilincic’s gracefully, floor-sweeping evening gowns wafted by (watch out Alber Elbaz at Lanvin: RK is fast becoming queen of the LBD). Feature continues

Basso & Brooke

But what else worth noting this week? On Monday afternoon old school Brit designer Margaret Howell opened up her flagship store on Wigmore Street to show a typically posh-but-slouchy shirting collection of classics and originals which included a cropped Harrington jacket (and the best edit of models so far this week). Basso & Brooke delivered a fine and more-wearable-than-usual collection of floaty summer dresses with watercolour prints, all worn with sweet embellished boxy jackets and flat circular hats that looked like giant artists' palettes. Jonathan Saunders, who is off to New York to show next season, presented a very commercial collection at the Barbican, with fashion icon Diane von Furstenberg in the front row (man, she has BIG hair).

Saunders, the designer who made his name with vibrant prints, went all pared-down and muted, with subtle angular jackets, fringed tight-fitting frocks and cute 1920s-style drop-waisted dresses with neat panelling. Yesterday, we dug Sinha-Stanic’s intricately-tailored minimalist garments and Jens Laugesen’s glam rock tux-inspired collection, with his trademark super-sharp tailoring and skinny silhoutte contrasting with huge geometric circles sewn on to puff ball skirts which flopped about like Mickey Mouse ears. There were great accessories, too, with Georg Jensen jewellery, Swarovski crystal belts and platform heels from Topshop.