Burberry Prorsum Spring 2013 RTW

Jourdan Dunn

Kate King

Charlotte Wiggins

Cara Delevigne

Constance Jablonski

Edie Campbell

Ginta Lapina

Tilda Lindstam

Christopher Bailey has outdone himself this Spring. By uniquely combining materials and techniques, Bailey makes ruched satin look otherworldly. Old glamour returned to the catwalk and Burberry provided a vibrant and rich palette that only they could. I for one have my eyes firmly on the pink and tangerine trench and the clear yellow bag. After Bailey's effort in Spring 2012, I was concerned he had turned down a path he couldn't come back from. Not to worry, he has well and truly made up for the last disaster.

Dion Lee Spring RTW 2013

Amanda Ware

Eloise

Jemma Baines

Josefine Nielsen

Liao Shiya

Liao Shiya

Montana Cox

Santa Urbane

Dion Lee has evolved as a designer, from his debut collection in Spring 2011 featuring ink blot prints, cut out dresses and blazers and pleated drapery, heavily littered with mauve and sky blue to his now very mature-looking experimentation with clean and modern neutrals, elegant cut-outs, and sheer and opaque contrasts. Lee seems to be joining a minimalist trend once started by Phoebe Philo for Céline and now taken up by many in the industry when they need a creative clear-out. It looks as though Dion Lee is a high fashion stayer and certainly the most successful and important designer to show overseas in a long time.  I know I'll be following his work closely.

Antonio Berardi Spring 2013 RTW

Andie Arthur

Ava Smith

Agne Konciute

Mackenzie Drazan

Elza Luijendijk

Juliana Schurig

Irina Nikolaeva

Mackenzie Drazan

Tilda Lindstam

Where Antonio Berardi's last Spring show only displayed hints of brilliance, this Spring it became very clear that Berardi has arrived with a comprehensive collection and look that displays his own passions. Embroidery, embellishment, sporty, tailored but often loose, feminine but with an edge, there is much more to come from this designer. Keep an eye on Antonio Berardi - I know I'll be looking out for his pieces in Australia.

Christopher Kane Spring 2012 RTW

Romee Strijd

Romee Strijd

Romee Strijd detail

Nadine Ponce

Nadine Ponce detail

Maud Welzen

Marte Mei Van Haaster

Marte Mei Van Haaster detail

Lindsay Lullman

Lindsay Lullman detail

Josephine Skriver

Hanna Sorheim

Elinor Weedon

Elinor Weedon

Ros Georgiou detail

Let's just get this out of the way first. The shoes or thick clompy sandals are hideous and almost ruin the whole feminine, detailed and refined look of the collection. Thankfully, I can look past this eyesore and see a beautiful vision. Certainly no where near as beautiful as his iconic fluorescent and laser-cut leather collection last Spring which I reviewed here. He has created a subtle contrast here between the geometric  cuts of the fabric and the soft floral prints and materials. Also, some beautiful embellishment and embroidery features in this collection paired with a matte satin look. What I particularly like is the velvet vintage floral coat that Lindsay Lullman wears. The material Kane uses makes it look almost translucent and magical. It is a little disappointing that he could not execute the same level of vision and cohesive look that he did last Spring but designers all have their ups and downs. It's part of the creative cycle. I look forward to next Spring then!

Giles Spring 2012 RTW

Ruby Jean Wilson

Nyasha Matonhodze

Emily Baker

Julia Nobis

Erjona Ala

Fei Fei Sun

Caterina Ravaglia

Frida Gustavsson

There was a lot that I didn't like at Giles, but as you can see, there were a couple of themes his Giles Deacon did well. Metallic cut-outs and printed silk dresses beautifully draped were two obvious ones. Some of the cuts were a little off - they didn't sit well on the figure of the models and they're thin - if it had been a normal sized person the cuts would have been really out. They either had no shape or the shape they had stuck out in all the wrong places. Having said that, the pieces above are not of that quality and are beautiful examples of what Giles can do. What I loved the most was the precision - they must have been laser-cut - of the doily patterned outfits. It is a way of combining the old with the new (futuristic silver metallic leather). Any woman would be honoured to wear something so original and flattering as these pieces above, I'm sure.

Antonio Berardi Spring 2012 RTW

Bette Franke

Karo Mrozkova

Jia Jing

Bette Franke

Julia Nobis

Suzie Bird

Rose Smith

Josephine Skriver

Bette Franke

I have posted on Antonio Berardi's collection because I like the (typically masculine) strength he displays in the feminine style, cuts and embellishments he uses. It may not be a first class collection but Berardi shows a lot of potential and I hope he will refine his vision a little more. The body-con look and the sheer cut-outs, in addition to his stunning drapery and tailoring, are strengths he should definitely pursue. The sparkling embellished tribal pants remind me of Australian label Sass & Bide's long flirtation with the tribal look and I'd love to see it taken on by someone with a priority for quality fabric and cuts. In this collection Berardi has done a bit of everything which shows his range but he has also struggled to create a cohesive theme and purpose. I need to know who a Berardi woman is and right now I'm not sure. Good work though.