But Moda Operandi, being the wonderful and unique fashion hungry folks just like us, have got some of the best British designers at their fingertips RIGHT NOW for pre-ordering. Check out our selection, below, of some of the collections, including Mary Katrantzou, Peter Pilotto, Christopher Kane, and Jonathan Saunders.

The best thing? All of the items featured here are available to pre-order on Moda Operandi – but be quick! Peter Pilotto ends TONIGHT, at 11pm EST, Christopher Kane ends TOMORROW, March 12th, whilst Jonathan Saunders ends March 13th, and Mary Katrantzou ends March 16th.

See you at the finish line…

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The color palette was definitely appropriate for the season, of course, with black joining steel grays and hues of deep, luscious royal blues (see the vertically lined pony hair coat for the piece any smart buyer will invest in), as well as the all important pieces – layering DOES need to look chic, of course. But the tension between the strong and feminine, now that was the piece de resistance for Lynn. Not just because it worked so well, but because, when you think about it, a lace top and tailored but baggy trousers? It’s screaming to be heard, to be seen, but most importantly, to be worn. And with the healthy dose of hardened edge (leather biker jackets, sharp shoulders, and boxy silhouettes) meeting the even healthier dose of feminine charm (lace, legs, and billowing pleats), this is one collection that impresses, and lasts.

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Metallics and fur met in an unexpectedly sexy way, and in fact, the entire collection was an odd marriage of two factors; tough femininity (see the strong shoulders and bright palette), and sexy masculinity (see the casually draped outerwear, the tailored but loose pants, and the velvet heels) dominated, and it was clear that Finch knew what the modern woman under surveillance would want to wear. And that’s not just us saying it – after all, his show notes ended with the simple phrase “You like to watch, don’t you?” And next season, this is the wardrobe that will make you watch. Because we do (like to, that is.)

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Because once you get a taste of perfection, you don’t get rid of it, and you want to show more – more – more! And that’s exactly what Macdonald did. There were those intensely couture-esque qualities that Macdonald is known for (his embellishments are a fixture for celebrity red carpets), but the man knows a woman, and he knows what looks good, and where, and why. And that’s what this collection did. But that’s not all it did. It did something that not many designers can do nowadays – and that is create a collection that has a variety of pieces, for any woman, any age. There were thigh high mini dresses for the younger clientele, whilst there certainly more demure pieces for those in the audience that were equally as elegant. And that’s the tricky part, isn’t it?

But for a collection called ‘Viva Las Vegas’, there was no lack of theatrics. But that’s the thing – grand clothing needs an equally grand setting (the Goldsmiths Hall near London’s illustrious St. Paul’s Cathedral), and an even more equally as grand finale – that finale being four booming cannons releasing a shower of gold confetti to celebrate not just an outstanding collection, but an outstanding return to the London fashion calendar. Don’t leave us again, Julien, we beg of you. London needs a little glamour every now and then, and we’ll rely on you for that like we have season after season.

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Photos via catwalking.com

John Rocha’s collections are always completed to perfection. The fabric (rugged felts joined tweed, mohair, double jerseys, latex glazed lace, and of course, Rocha’s signature silk georgettes and chiffons), the cut, the silhouette – everything contributed to the fact that, no matter where you sat, stood, or peered, you could see every minute detail in the palette of black, meadow green, olive, lime, candy pink, red, and flame. And for finding inspiration from the landscapes in Wicklow, Ireland, it shows how nature truly is at the heart of his collections.

There is never boredom at a Rocha show, however. The dramatics, plus the clothes, plus the beautiful tulle headdresses and felt clutches – it all adds up to the fact that Rocha’s own show notes said there was “an almost couture sensibility”. And to that, we must deny that statement – there isn’t any ‘almost’ about it – this is London couture, at it’s finest, as if it’s been plucked right out of Paris. And even though London-designer upstart (and daughter) Simone Rocha sat front row, John showed us all who the top dog is on the runways this week.

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Photos via catwalking.com

Song of the week, heard at multiple shows, presentations and parties: “Losing You” – Solange

Hit play on our playlist below and enjoy the sounds of the runways! Scroll down for the full song list.

“Nightcall” – Kavinsky from Aminaka Wilmont
“Get Close to Me (feat. Angelina Lucero)” – Lol Boys from Naeem Khan
“Lullabies (Jim-E Stack Remix)” – Yuna from Ralph Rucci
“Ping (Tolouse Low Trax Remix)” – Hauschka from Ralph Rucci
“Struggle For Pleasure (Mikimaz Remix)” – Wim Mertens from Ralph Rucci
“Babes” – Icky Blossoms from Ralph Rucci
“Flutes (Sasha Remix)” – Hot Chip from Custo Barcelona
“Disintegration ft. Dita Von Teese” – Monarchy from Custo Barcelona
“Swim Swim” – Mensch from Tibi
“So Long My Love” - Tomorrow’s World from Tibi
“On A Train (The Magician Remix) – Yuksek from Joanna Mastroianni
“Phone Sex (feat. Grimes)” – Blood Diamonds from Nicole Miller
“Lies” – CHVRCHES from Nicole Miller
“Forever (The Knocks Remix)” – Haim from Nicole Miller
“Everything is Embarrassing (Krystal Klear Remix)” – Sky Ferreira from Nicole Miller
“Pyramids” – Frank Ocean from Nicole Miller
“Light As A Feather” – Katy B ft. Diplo & Iggy Azaelia from Noon by Noor
“Your Drums, Your Love” – AlunaGeorge from Noon by Noor
“With Just One Glance ft Scout LaRue (Protyv Remix)” – Nicolas Jaar from  Tanya Taylor
“Jamaica Running” – The Pool from Tanya Taylor
“World Domination” – Joey Bada$$ from KYE
“Chipping Away” – The Courteeners from Richard Chai
“Let Go” - Frou Frou from Richard Chai
“Goooo” - TNGHT from General Idea

Photo Credit: Brittany Lamson

“There was no thought at all!” he says, when I ask him about this. We are sitting in a private room in Somerset House during London Fashion Week, the day after the final. His collection – all six pieces – sits behind him in a room with the other finalists’ collections. It stands out clearly – the heavy knitted pieces, dyed in a unique technique that Wijnants explored for the Prize, and it all works very clearly. “I was just totally empty, I wasn’t in this world anymore. It was very emotional, very unexpected – a big surprise, actually. I almost couldn’t believe it!” he laughs in his soft Belgian accent, his modesty shining through his eyes as he waves his hands trying to express his emotions – more of that charming endearment.

Having graduated from the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp, Belgium in 2000, he went on to win the Grand Prix at Festival de Hyères in France. He then started selling his collections across the globe including Colette in Paris and Henri Bendel in New York, and after working as creative assistant for Dries Van Noten in Antwerp and Angelo Terlazzi in Paris, he launched his own brand in 2003.

“It was very unpredictable,” he reiterates to me, when I mention how surprised I was that he was surprised he won. “You know, the jury members were very, very different – different characters, different personalities. I had no idea what kind of collection they would like or what they would appreciate, and the finalists were all so very different, we all have different point of views, different backgrounds, different countries, different continents, so we all had different interpretations of wool.”

Wijnants was in good company. Australian design stalwart Dion Lee was in the running, alongside Ban Xiao Xue (China), Pankaj & Nidhi (India), DRESSEDUNDRESSED (Japan), and Sophie Theallet (USA). All the designers were challenged by the Woolmark company to create a collection focusing on wool – and only six pieces would be presented to the judges mentioned earlier, as well as other industry veterans, such as journalist Tim Blanks, Paula Reed of Harvey Nichols, and Donatella Versace.

“I wanted to challenge myself by using just one yarn of wool, one thread, which would be the only thing I would use in the whole collection,” Wijnants says, grabbing the closest lookbook and flipping it open eagerly. “I used a little bit of jersey, but most of it is knitted with this same yarn.”

When one looks at the collection, it’s clear to see why Wijnants was the winner. Taking a single yarn and creating an entire, literally seamless garment almost seems implausible, and yet, there it was. “I wanted to challenge myself in the sense of trying to make an exciting collection, just by using white yarn and still being able to make different interesting shapes and volumes, and working around the idea of a cocoon shape, so a lot of round shapes like sleeves which are –“ he opens the closest lookbook to him again, all eager hands and flurry of a hint of nervousness, “- representing, for me, a comfort zone, for protection. The type of words I’d define wool as are comfort, and something warm, and all of this is what I wanted to represent in these round, organic shapes, but on the other hand, I wanted it to be fresh and sexy, and I wanted to also accentuate the body. So some parts are more fine knitted,“ as he shows me an example of a piece from the collection, pointing out the detail, “and then I would go more increasing with different yarns and go bigger and bigger. So there was a whole research of shapes and volume and technique.”

The whole collection is hand knitted. And with not a single seam throughout the collection, it seems almost, well, couture like. Something that’s fitted to the body, but comfortable, with that amount of technique? It again seems implausible to have done. “We tie dyed them, with a shibori technique, where you fold and you impress some parts to keep some parts white…” But these key elements of the collection were what Wijnants describes as an “homage to wool, to try to see what you can achieve by just using this simple idea of one yarn, and I also like the idea of touching the wool constantly.”

It was an organic process – no machine stitching, all hand knitted, all hand dyed. So it seemed natural that the entire collection looked both sartorially smart as well as immensely comfortable. But when I mention how the judges agreed that he focused on the comfort of wool, as well as the immense femininity of the collection and how he approached that, he gets quite serious about his work – “It’s a collection of six pieces, and obviously some of the pieces are a little bit more comfortable than others, but that’s something I always pay attention to when designing clothes. [The clothes] not moving in a natural way would not be part of my view of fashion; clothing should have some sort of freedom, and have some sort of comfort to what you wear. So wool was perfect for this type of project, because it has a natural elasticity, and it adds to the shape of the body as well.”

Wijnants’ win is not as humble as he is, however. The Woolmark Prize grants the winner $100,000 AUD, to invest in their brand and develop their business, as well as stocking the winning collection in leading department tores across the globe, including Bergdorf Goodman in New York, Harvey Nichols in London, David Jones in Australia, and Joyce in China. Wijnants knows this, but is keen to make sure the brand is represented perfectly – something the collection does. “I like to associate the word wool with something fresh, and modern, so that is definitely key. To have wool coming out as something that isn’t traditionally classic, but something that is extremely innovative or can be playful or colourful.”

So how did he condense the ideas? “That was the nice thing about it. In my own collections, I don’t go that deep in to research, and experiments, so it was a nice project… It was a totally new approach for me to work on this project, and it was refreshing to work on this alongside my other collection, which has to be extremely commercial, but to have another approach.” I tell him there’s nothing wrong with being commercial, and he smiles reasonably, telling me that the refreshing approach helped him.

Has this experience changed his perception of wool, and is he going to carry anything over to his own collections? “I’m going to present a collection in Paris during fashion week, and I will integrate the pieces and the concept, but like you said, not only these, but with some wool jersey and fabric, but I want to have something for retail.”

With Wijnants’ recognition post-win on the rise, it seems only appropriate that showing in Paris this season will be key in showing the world what this man can do. And with such a good pedigree behind him, I can’t help but think as I leave and congratulate him for a fourth time – that’s one show everyone will need to keep an eye on this season. Because Wijnants is only just hitting his stride, and despite his tenure, it’s about time he receives the recognition he deserves.

Christian Wijnants’ collection will be available in the mentioned retailers later this year, and his AW13 collection recently showed at Paris Fashion Week on February 28th. For more details on the Woolmark Company, the International Woolmark Prize, and the other finalists, please visit www.woolmarkprize.com

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Nothing – NOTHING – says it’s the fall and winter season like three things – black, leather, and fur. So when the models at the Aminaka Wilmont show came stomping out to the hard beats of a pounding soundtrack, it was clear that the Aminaka Wilmont wardrobe was the ultimate in what every wardrobe will need.

The question though is why. Why will every wardrobe need an item in this collection? The answer is simple – it has got the essentials throughout. Abstract but wearable and non-threatening print? Check. Fur coats and shrugs? Check. Full leather and leather trimmed jackets, coats and blazers? Check, check and check. So, in reality, it’s essentially the luxe wardrobe that every woman dreams of having, and thanks to Aminaka and Wilmont – that dream is now a reality. So please, when you go for this collection, run – do not walk.

Simone Rocha

‘Respect Your Elders’ was the title of the Rocha’s new collection in London this week, and it seemed quite apt, given that the entire week was a family affair – father John was one of the designers that opened the proceedings of fashion week, whilst Simone was one of the many to close the five day journey. And what a way to end, than on a high note?

The collection was perfectly pretty – but in an urban, London-cool-kid kind of way. Simone tapped in to her father’s couture-like sensibilities, providing fashion hungry viewers tailored but voluminous coats and jackets, but in dusty pinks and hazy creams, as well as heavy, shimmering pieces to close the collection. But it’s only natural – Simone’s clients are the young, the cool, the fashion-inclined hipsters who drive trends, not make them. Leopard fur coats joined the myriad of designs and textures, broadening Rocha’s skills, but also her customer base – despite her younger aesthetic, her designs will reach out to women of all ages for their simple, but feminine nature. But that feminine nature seems to be a family trait – and we’re not complaining whatsoever.

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Images: Catwalking

Eugene Lin’s masterful mind knows how to please the audience – following his ‘Judgement of Paris’ collection in September, the ‘Cupid de Locke’ collection was a perfect example of staying true to your design, but reinventing it for the new season, in order to give a prescription of what can only be described as nothing short of amazing. Everything that made it a Eugene Lin show was there, and it was divine – the reconstructed trench coats, the exuberant and intricate prints, and the precise tailoring, it all came together in a collection that highlighted the immense design talent of one of London’s young designers. And with such an exquisite collection with such an acclaimed response, it doesn’t seem like Lin will stop at any time soon – thank goodness for that.

Antonio Berardi

Workwear seems to be on the minds of London’s designers. But it’s not as simple as that, really, now is it? The question is always ‘how do we dress for work?’, or, ‘what will we wear to work?’. And Berardi, being the mastermind of modernity that he remains to be, has shown the world what is being hailed as the new workwear. No longer are pant suits boring and dated, but luxurious and interesting. Boardroom dresses were infused with a perfection playfulness between sexy but demure, and outerwear (jackets, coats, and capes) and sweaters were given a new lease of life with new shapes and new textures. Of course, the reworking of the tuxedo with a long train embellished with crystals, as well as their sister gowns, were a reminder of the glamorous side of working, as well as being Berardi necessities, for that added oomph of femininity. Perhaps you’re truly on to something, Mr. Berardi. And we’re not complaining.

Erdem

Erdem Moralioglu can adapt himself faster than anyone else. In a world where designers stick to what they know and try to reinvent that, Moralioglu knows how to take what he does best – that is, feminine clothing that simultaneously flatters and empowers, with a penchant for florals – but turn it on its head. Whilst spring was about feminine and pretty neon, autumn will be all about sophisticated and gothic darks. Black dominated, but bright pops of floral colors and embellishments and brocades came through, leaving behind a subtle waft of elegance and a hint of sultry attitude. But not only that, Erdem showed off his ability to be just as dark as his contemporaries – there was something decidedly dark about the new collection, but in the most feminine way possible. Seems like being an Erdem femme fatale is going to be on everyone’s cards next season.

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Images: Style.com

And what beauty there was. But it wasn’t just pretty – there was a harder, edgier beauty in the Schwab collection for autumn, playing with textures like velvet adorned with crushed antiques, and sheer fabrics meshed with Swarovski Crystal, or even the embroidered PVC. This edgy beauty – paired with Schwab’s pretty-beauty – was rife, but it also revolutionized a collection that was revolutionary to begin with. Why? Because this was a girl – no, woman – that was strong, powerful, feminine, but still sexy. In fact, the PVC, lace, and velvet textures lent themselves to a sort of perverse, almost heightened, sexuality, despite the somewhat demure silhouettes and pieces. And nothing speaks more for the collection than the wonderful gowns that rounded off the collection – Schwab showed the world how to create for a woman’s body, but still keep true to their harder qualities, their strong will, and the inner beauty. And that’s one trick of the trade Schwab will definitely keep under wraps – and we certainly can’t blame him.

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Images: Style.com