Retro Futurism gets a Dragon Tattoo

Donatella has done it again! Versace's Ready to Wear collection, debuted at Milan Fashion Week yesterday is my favourite FW12 women's collection so far. With Rooney Mara inspired fringes (or Communion fringes as I see them)setting off the Haute Goth vibe, the familiar electro leather and stud embellishment meant the pieces retained an undeniable Versace edge that Gianni would be proud of. The collection took the retro-futuristic elements on the House of Gaga and presented them in a more wearable style for the fashion-forward average Jane (...Provided Jane is minted...)

Breaking the Rules

If you hate print look away now... because not only will this season's key trend no doubt be the central focus of the majority of forthcoming blog entries but this Spring the catwalks have re-written the Dos and Dont's of print and have decided the bolder and more mismatched the better. That means clashing prints are hot as are printed dresses over trousers, layered prints and even mismatched prints patchworked into one garment, ala Mary Katrantzou. And I'm clearly not the only one loving my lady of the moment, as Katrantzou's print-fluences can be seen in many Spring/Summer 12 high street collections as well as her very own Capsule collection for Topshop. Despite her capsule collection coming in at a cheaper price point than her main line, a dress from the range will still set you back an average of 350-450 euro. If you're passionate for prints on a smaller budget, get the look for less at Oasis as featured below.

Mary Katrantzou SS12

Mary Katrantzou Capsule Collection for Topshop

Oasis, 88 euro

Oasis, 56 euro

Putting the Wear in ''Ready To Wear''

Rachel Zoe, the celebrity-stylist turned entrepreneur turned reality star has now turned full fledged fashion designer. Her second Fall Winter Collection was debuted at New York Fashion Week last weekend. Zoe's vast experience as a stylist is instantly evident in the wearable element of her 46 look collection. Although the presentation felt a little more like a showcase of one fabulous vintage-inspired wardrobe than a contingent design collection, Zoe's superstyling skill gives the overall impression that most of the pieces could be mixed and matched to suit the average lifestyle of the not so average budget. Yes the John Gallianos and Gareth Pughs of the Fashion World make for a more 'entertaining' show in terms of artistic creativity, it seems RZ knows the wants and needs of her fashionable clientele and this collection will no doubt be as commercially successful as everything else this Superwoman has thus far achieved.

Jason Woooooooo

Jason Wu debuted his Fall 2012 Collection at New York Fashion Week yesterday. The Irish mist means it still feels like winter 2011 here, so even thinking of NEXT winter seems ambitious but Wu's stunning mix of charcoals, rich reds and subtle prints brings a winter warmth that pushes the current spring pastels to the back of one's mind. The collection has a definite ''power dressing'' feel to it with its sharp tailored pencil skirts, angled shoulder cuts and cinched waists. Wu has successfully achieved power-femme style whilst avoiding obvious androgyny, a visual we haven't seen done well on the catwalks in recent years. For a young designer and even younger fashion house, I see a bright future ahead for Jason Wu.

Colour me Beautiful

Love love love me a coloured jean and this Spring it's the brighter the better when it comes to your denims. Be careful when styling your brights and keep the upper half a more neutral hue of pastels, nudes, creams or darker colours to avoid overdoing the colour block trend and looking like a five year old.

Red jeans look best with navy/white/cream to pick up on this season's nautical trend. Bright blue are a little easier to style and go well with most Spring shades. For a more subtle take on the trend, try the understated colour variations like bottle green and burgundy.

Oasis, 56 euro