Irony -  check.  Careful, considered design — check.  Desirable product with cache — most definitely check. Natalia Brilli has managed to create a signature that is immediately identifiable with her blend of taking the every day and creating a finished product that appears as if dipped into leather. A laptop bag becomes a functional leather laptop case that has the keyboard carved out in the leather, a wallet has the credit cards and coins moulded onto the zip front cover, a pair of sunglasses are embossed into the leather sunglass case. At once quirky and humorous but undeniably cool and chic, the latest Men’s 09 Collection is no exception to this designers range and ability.  — Kate Vandermeer

Mark our words: skinny legs are on their way out. Hard to believe, we know, given that every hipster from Hobart to Helsinki is sporting licorice legs right now but the tide is slowly turning, thanks to the world's top designers who have decided that they've had enough of the look. Enter Prada, who are still setting global trends and leading the way in true fashion innovation, despite being a global mega brand (which usually spells one thing: boring). The brilliant fashion house is on a mission to bring back seriously voluminous  "flares," but with a fabulous signature quirky Prada twist in the form of lavish fabrication and intricate prints. Not for the faint-fashion hearted. 



Still with Prada, parts of their beautiful new shoe collection look as if they have slipped straight out of a Salvador Dali painting or some other strange alternative universe where there are no design rules. We love the decorative heels, which look more like pieces of grand, hand-carved furniture than a pair of pumps. They're almost too good to wear. By Lisa Evans

Collaborations are the way forward now in a rapidly changing fashion landscape. Everyone from high-street retailers right through to smaller, niche labels are collaborating with interesting creatives from all disciplines in an effort to bring a bit of true individuality, exclusivity and authenticity back into fashion.



French label Surface 2 Air Paris has taken a unique approach to the concept by collaborating with cult French dance music outfit Justice to produce a mini collection. Epitomizing the personal style of Justice members, the collection includes 2 worn-in biker-style leather jackets, which are fitted to the body, in keeping with the 'super-skinny' silhouette still favoured by most hipsters around the world. Jeans are also part of the collection, which, you guessed it -are super skinny. The result is a hot look but one that requires the long-term abstinence from traditional French staples - cheese and croissants - what we do for fashion. By Lisa Evans
 

For all you sneaker addicts - here's two new crazy styles that have just been released. Arriving in Dover Street Market (London) on 15th May — the Pierre Hardy special limited edition ‘Cruzeiro’ in metallic calfskin (above) and below, the must-have terry toweling inspired sneaker by Japanese brand realMadHectic - the Pile.

At last...an alternative to jeans for men. NYC company Bonobos has created a range of great-fitting men's casual trousers that'll take you from the office to drinks. Available only online, the brand uses lightweight corduroy, stretch corduroy, twill and tigersharks wool - all comfy fabrics that hug the body without suffocating it. And that means across the backside too (if you know what we mean)....so if you've got it good, flaunt it. By Lisa Evans

Britain’s Oliver Goldsmith has been making iconic eyewear since 1926. In 1935, it was Charles Glodsmith who made sunglasses a must-have accessory for anyone who was, or wanted to look like, a celebrity. There’s hardly a Hollywood movie icon or international celebrity who hasn’t been photographed wearing Oliver Goldsmiths. Since its 2005 re-launch, led by Oliver Goldsmith’s great granddaughter, Claire Goldsmith, the brand has experienced a strong revival.

Another UK native, Aseef Vaza, burst into the limited-edition luxury handbag scene in 2004 with his collection of bags in fine Parisian silks and dyed skins of ostrich, stingray, shark, alligator and python. Today, there’s hardly a red-carpet event where the leading ladies aren’t clutching a Vaza.

Now take the 1969 Oliver Goldsmith TAK sunglasses known for their unique detailing and sexy Hollywood proportions. Give the design to English craftsmen. Then give them some Bengal Blue vintage acetate discovered in an abandoned Italian factory and have them recreate TAKs by hand. Then have Vaza design a luxurious pouch in metallic graphite-grey ostrich with a black patent trim and lined in the Vaza trademark pink suede decorated with a hand-painted gold monogram. Only 50 sets of VazaTak sunglass and pouch sets were created. With £800, one of them can be yours. By Tuija Seipell
 

If you want your hair neat and tidy and your head covered in sensible headwear, Soren Bach is not your choice of a stylist. However, if you want to be ahead-of-everyone-else fashion-forward for spring 2008 with wild headgear and crazy colours then by all means get in touch with Soren through the London-based Frank Agency. With Soren by your side, expect to prance about in creations that will make Cher’s wildest get-up look lame and that will draw envious glances from even the most hat-happy Rastafarians. Tequila sunrise helmets and ostrich feathers rule! By Tuija Seipell

 

Matthew Williamson was called 'the king of bling' by the Sydney Morning Herald for a reason.
 
Since his London debut in 1996, one thing has remained constant: Williamson's models will sparkle. His 2003 spring collection saw gold-sequined blouses and brocade jackets, while the fall of 2005 line had shiny velvets and satins and the fall of 2006 featured shimmering gold and silver jumpers, to name a few.
 
The trend continued most recently during February's New York Fashion Week. Williamson paraded his traditional flashy jewel-hued mini minis and doll-sized dresses - but this year there was also a noticeable smattering of fashions to file under - the bigger the better. Models processed down the runway in gaping shorts and trousers that were paper-bag-synched at the waist, as well as tent-sized sparkly muumuus and necklaces boasting fist-sized shell pendants. The most innovative of these enormous fashions could be credited to the pioneering of jewellery designer Scott Wilson.



Wilson and Williamson are both decorated alumni from the UK's finest art institutions. Wilson studied jewellery design at Middlesex Polytechnic and millinery at the Royal College of Art while Williamson began his career at star-spangled Central St. Martins. Both designers earned coveted fashion positions early in their careers. Immediately after graduation Williamson began working for Marni, while Wilson earned employment with Karl Lagerfeld as an undergrad. Williamson eventually went on to launch his own successful eponymous line. On the other hand, Wilson has garnered much of his renown through his collaborative efforts with showstoppers Burberry, Rifat Ozbek and Hussein Chalayan in particular � though he continues to maintain his own jewellery line. As Wilson explained to the International Herald Tribune, 'One-off pieces are the ultimate expression of my work, but they can be very time-consuming.'
 
In their collaboration, Wilson clearly embraced Williamson's predilection for shine with his jewelled bracelets, which are evocative of bedazzled bocce balls. The enormous bangles were seen on the lanky limbs of Hilary Rochas and Maryna Linchuk during Matthew Williamson's parade of jewel-colored frocks at New York Fashion Week in February. According to Fashion Wire Daily, Wilson's 'sequined bracelets [were] a deft accessory addition to a collection that underlined how British designers stint showing in America has helped him mature into a producer of highly wearable, yet always hip, clothes.'
 
The funky though undeniably glamorous bracelets have most recently been spotted cuffing the delicate wrists of Mischa Barton on the cover of UK Elle. The bracelets are custom-made, and available to the most audacious of luxury collectors for a mere $900 each. Contact the creator himself at (TK Scott Wilson's email address). By L. Harper

Consider it an antidote to the mass-produced “designer” fashions of Target and Wal-Mart. CoLab, an eyewear accessory collaboration, hand selects talented “street artists” from all over the world to become CoLab professors. These wisemen of design infuse their artistic aesthetic into the humble sunglass frame, creating a tantalizingly unique summer accessory.

CoLab is a brand-new venture out of Sydney with the aim of creating matchless art disguised as fashion. For the Spring/Summer 2007 season, CoLab invited Perks and Mini (PAM) of Australia, EBoy of Germany, Geoff McFetridge of the US, Rockin’ Jellybean of Japan, and Neasden Control Center of the UK into their “Colaboratory” to create inspired eyewear. Each pair will be sold as a limited edition, with no more than 1000 pairs of each design sold. Come next season, CoLab will select an entirely different slew of artists.

Each artist has contributed anywhere from three to five designs, culminating in a CoLab portfolio of 20 sunglass designs. Despite the commerciality of fashioning art into sunglasses, the project is inherently appealing to the underground artist as CoLab dictates: “There is no constraint, no rules to follow, no target market to appease.”

The designs intimately reflect this freedom, from blue goggle-shaped “Eyes” frames by PAM, to decal-ridden EBoy shades, to vintage inspired oglers by Rockin’ Jellybean.

The tragically hip lenses can be found through worldwide stockists, most notably, Paris’s Colette, which became CoLab’s first global stockist in January of this year.

In its distinctive pursuit, CoLab has created a brand without a brand — a welcome respite to those beleagured by the choice: Ray-Bans or absurdly-priced “designer” shades. By L. Harper

Emma Hope has come a long way from the overbearing florals of Laura Ashley fashions. After designing and manufacturing six collections with the company, Hope jetted on to bigger and better things - namely, her eccentric Emma Hope collection.

Since the commencement of her designing efforts, Hope has garnered five Design Council Awards, the Martini Style Award, and the Harpers & Queen Design Award. Hope's eponymous collection began solely with shoes - footwear could be considered Hope's forte, she's designed shoes for Paul Smith, Anna Sui and Mulberry. Hope later expanded her offerings to include handbags with quirky creations like a henna suede tote bag with delicate floral silhouettes carved out of its base, or a pair of men's white leopard print sneakers fashioned from ponyskin .

The designer's most eye-catching number is easily a velvet sneaker bag which offered in bright hues of violet, gold and fuchsia, among others. The unlikely juxtaposition of luxurious velvet to hold your sweaty workout ensembles seems a perfect fit for the celebs who emerge daintily coiffed - with nary a bead of sweat - after hours-long training sessions. And for the obsessively coordinated amongst us, Hope even offers matching "Magic Basket" sneakers, which are swathed in the same unlikely shades of velvet. These indulgent workout fashions are available at either of Emma Hope's three shops in London (Sloane Square, Westbourne Grove and Islington) as well as 150 additional stores, including Neiman Marcus, Bergdorf Goodman and Harrods. By Harper Walsh