First published 19th February 2012

I’ve been glued to the LFW Live channel since 10am and have done my best to compile a report of my favourite fashion moments from the last couple of days. I hope you love them as much as I do…

First up, arms. Come AW12, the Venus de Milo look will reign as our appendages detach themselves from our torsos in favour of furry arm warmers, uber-long gloves and sleeveless jackets worn over tops in juxtaposing colours and fabrics. At this morning’s show, Todd Lynn’s armpit-tickling leather gloves took on a sci-fi feel teamed with scapula-skimming blouses in muted metallics, while Antipodium and House of Holland nailed the Sulley from Monsters Inc look with fur-sleeved bomber jackets and enormous fluffy arm sheathes. Holland divorced his models’ limbs from their trunks with complimentary primary brights, while Clements Ribeiro’s white leather panel shift featured contrasting black lacy sleeves, suggesting that fashion’s love affair with filigree is far from over.

Todd Lynn

Blown-up prints. One of my favourite collections so far, Antoni and Alison took textiles such as tartan, houndstooth and herringbone and magnified them tenfold, making the models appear as Borrowers with their elfin crops and pointy shoes. Giant potato prints stamped on cardboard-brown dresses gave a playschool feel to the show, while pieces were held together by oversized buttons and pins, as if on loan from the ‘human beans’. House of Holland was another aficionado of amped-up prints, basing much of its vibrant collection on monster houndstooth. Whether on a silk shirt, woollen trousers or a leather-sleeved dress, the Mancunian designer generally favoured bluish tones of fuchsia, pillar box and ultramarine, ending the show with a sleeveless maxi dress emblazoned with a deconstructed version of the print in black and metallic turquoise, with individual components appearing to crawl down the fabric like migrating scarab beetles. Sticking to classic monochrome, PPQ and Clements Ribeiro also showed magnificently swollen patterns – the former with plaid scarves in the fluffiest angora and the latter with chequer-board tartans.

House of Holland

S/S12 updated. While many of the shows so far have embraced fresh, new looks and ideas, it was great to see that AW12’s designers weren’t afraid to experiment with modified versions of the current season’s trends. At Simone Rocha in particular, summer’s neons and metallics were still very much a la mode, along with clean, utilitarian tailoring, gigantic peplums and an emphasis on collars. Todd Lynn was big on tarnished bronzes in the form of high-collared gilets and leather gauntlets, and matte silvers and golds shone subtly on wide-leg silk trousers and deconstructed jackets. Meanwhile, Issa London nodded to spring/summer’s Mary Katrantzou-led print worship with its paisley dress-and-legging sets, wacky jumpsuits and retro kaftans.

Simone Rocha

Amazing outerwear. Clements Ribeiro’s coats were the epitome of modern simplicity, with clean cocoon shapes in super-fresh shades of brilliant white and tomato worn open over foil skirts and leather trousers. Felty fabrics added to the luxe feel, while double-breasted shiny black buttons kept things smart. Moschino Cheap and Chic was heavenly. Coats were prim and pretty, and came in the form of ultra-girly army jackets, ladylike lipstick-print designs and rainbow-coloured fur. Paired with highlighter-pink pleated skirts and candy-cane collared shirts, these were every Park Avenue princess’s dream. The best jackets came from Antipodium, who showed super-cute sheer bombers and waist-cinched peplum styles, as well as a completely adorable powder-blue coat that I think I might actually die without.

Clements Ribeiro

Eccentric accessories. Whether it was backless felt bonnets and bicycles at PPQ or fluffy pillbox hats and marabou scarves at Moschino Cheap and Chic, outfits were served up with a large side of quirk at the autumn/winter shows. At Moschino, hair was swept into messy chignons and finished with ballerina headbands, a slick of iced pink lipstick and a smile. Pointy patent flats showed a flash of toe cleavage while bags were kept woma

Moschino Cheap & Chic

Leotards at PPQ. The duo behind London-based label PPQ has achieved the seemingly impossible this season by turning the notoriously difficult-to-wear leotard into a credible everyday item in its own right. The first look saw it transformed into a tailored Victorian jacket, complete with dozens of tiny brass buttons and exaggerated flute sleeves. Next came a playsuit style with mohair pants and shiny PU top, played down with a beautiful cropped tweedy cape and opaque tights. The pleated black chiffon knickers worn with a matching white blouse offered a sexy take on the girl tux.

PPQ

The ‘dado rail’ effect at Antoni and Alison. The witty design duo didn’t fail to disappoint this season, but while their childlike experiments in print and texture may have appeared scissor happy, there was something very clever going on. The strong contrast between the top and bottom of the pieces, or the ‘dado rail’, provided a visual aid to accentuating their textural qualities. The tuxedo dress, for example, simultaneously oozed red carpet glamour with its sequin-dipped, figure-hugging skirt; elegant masculinity with its shirt-and-tie top and tailored jacket; and casual chic with its tongue-in-cheek drawn-on detail. Similarly, the grey and tweed maxi dress screamed country bumpkin, childlike naivety and high fashion in one deliciously simple piece. The sweet-wrapper cellophane and haphazard fabric samples were fantastically nuts too.

Antoni & Alison