News in Womenswear

Seems our current thing for all things Danish just doesn't want to die. Our latest squeeze, Pernille Corydon, do that special Scandi thing in a fine line of bling. Just the right amount of pretty and delicate, stylish and simple. Oh and we do always fall for a star!

Dreaming of far off places? Let this lovely lot from womenswear newcomer Rabens Saloner take you there. In spirit if nothing else. And frankly we're happy with that because this is a collection that says I've been to far-flung exotic places but I'm perfectly capable of slotting into everyday life.

Maybe it's because designer Birgitte Raben Olrik divides her time between Copenhagen and her most beautiful house in Thailand. We can see inspiration from both. Oversized striped mohair jumpers, super cool gold lurex slouchy chinos and a pallette of pink and grey lend the laid back Danish feel while the loose fitting linen pieces and tie dye silk have jetted in from some dreamy sun drenched location. 

It's a funny fashion thing. Designers naming their creations as if they were pets. Sometimes obscure. Often daft. Save 0039 Italy's 'Holiday'. If ever a dress were more aptly named this is it. We're not quite sure what we packed before this heavy linen scoop neck tunic came along. This season it returns (alongside some other great linen staples) all the better for some subtle refinements; less material, more shape, slightly nipped, longer as a tunic, shorter as a top, in some great new colours including our favourite bright, bright pink. 

Hands up. There's no denying we've gone crazy for all things bright and pink up in womenswear this season. But the latest addition to our hoard takes bright and pink to a new extreme. The iconic 1950s summer shoe - the Riviera - has arrived in an eye popping acid pink. Put your sunglasses on and step outside, boldest foot first. Or opt for the other end of the scale, with navy or beige for extreme summer chic.

A little less of the masculine/feminine structured/unstructured dual going on in this High Summer collection. Expect to find some good old fashioned lady dressing. We are loving a Jackie O inspired silver jacket, a chiffon blouse in duck egg blue and a nod to geometric print maxi dress. And there is of course the ultimate lady accessory in a cool as you like silk scarf.

And we thought it couldn't get any better. Hot (and we use the word advisedly) on the heels of a beautiful Spring collection and Beck Sondergaard are all about Summer. We want to use words like neon and popping and pretty and stars and glitter and stripes and sunny and bright, bright, bright. This collection is a total smile.

Every Christys' Panama hat starts life not in Panama, but on the coastal plains of Ecuador, where most of the world's Toquilla straw is grown and from where the world's Panama hats are exported. Christy's hats are handwoven (in its natural state toquilla is too fragile to weave by machine) and the hoods are then shipped to the Christy's factory in Witney to be shaped and trimmed into the finished hats. This summer we are all about a trilby: classic narrow brim in cream, navy or pink and wider down turned brim. May the season's sunshine rain down on us.
 

Collette Dinnigan is back with a high summer collection of extraordinary beauty. Situation normal then. This is what we have come to expect from Australia's designer of choice for laid back chic. This season sees classic lace, embroidery and a super pretty print on her trademark tunics, tops and sunny dresses.

Staying true to their name, we love that we never know quite what to expect from YMC, apart from great quality and detailing. Here they go mix it up again with a collection we think granny had a hand in. Highlights include a whimisical 40s floral tea dress crafted in colourful sand washed silk, a patchwork crocheted cardigan in sugary brights, and a highly practical classic swing cut mac in an uplifting shade of lime.

This season Peter Jensen adds Barbara Hepworth to his collection of oddball muses. And oddly enough, cites her blandness as his inspiration. Jensen, as we know, doesn't do bland and there is certainly not a dull moment here. We see a a nod to the artist's smock in the the shapes of the dresses; a depiction of her home town of St Ives with a fun and colourful beach print; a play on her specialty for organic shapes in a series of pebble, pink and white dresses; more reference to her work on layers and holes in beautiful broderie anglaise; a definite sculptural form to the coats; as well as an effort to capture the austerity of her era with a print of hand-drawn sequins. What that all adds up to is a collection with Jensen's unique chic meets charming mastery written all over.