Admittedly, the return of fusty velvet may well fill with you with dread but, this season, it’s time for a rethink. Velvet has thrown of its dowdy image for Autumn to become a catwalk star as it takes on a luxurious feel with generous swathes of fabric in deep jewel colours of grape, berry, teal and saphire.

It’s time to play a demure game of peek-a-boo for the new provocative way to dress is strategically sexy: discreetly revealing, transparent but not trashy. Without a doubt, the emerging trend for Autumn/Winter ‘09 lies in the ability to slice away, with a surgeon’s skill, cut-out peek-a-boo holes. Design houses including Rick Owens, Sonia Rykiel, Jonathan Saunders,...

This season, knitwear is no longer a support act – it’s the star turn. Colourful, adventurous and vibrant knitwear was really celebrated at the Autumn/Winter ‘09 collections.  Be it patterned or textured, sloppy or sleek: decorative knits made a return in multiple bold guises on the runways of designers such as Matthew Williamson, Paul Smith and Mark Fast. ...

Tweed is a perennial fashion favourite, and Autumn/Winter ‘09 is no exception. Yes, it’s time to think tweedy - but certainly neither twee nor traditional.Cast aside any Miss Marple connotations for this season the British country classic gets a slick urban update; tweed has become sexy, smart and tailored. Oh, and practical too. From Vivienne Westwood to Burberry...

Be you a dynasty dame or a disco diva, it’s time to make for the return of the era of excess. Yes, it’s time to tune into the glamour of the Eighties with cocktail extravaganzas in flamboyant silks and metallics. This season, nostaliga for the exuberant and excessive 1980s club scene has led to designers bringing us a fun Eighties flash-back from those who where...

The fashion gods have spoken: This autumn, the sartorial spotlight is on the hard shoulder. This new focus on a well-defined shoulder represents the season’s biggest shift in silhouette. Structured pieces such as coats and jackets came with architectural and austere shoulders on the Autumn/Winter runways while exaggerated puffs and pagodas emphasised the look on dresses...

Elegant and sophisticated are terms not often associated with leather… Until now. Soft, pliable and beautifully cut in feminine, luxurious and bourgeois silhouettes, leather takes on a fresh character this season. Tough looks get a ladylike spin this season as cut like silk, leather is now delicate enough to make the transition from the bike to the boardroom. Challenging...

As the economic downturn bites, designers understand that you might not be hankering after glitz and glamour –at least not all the time – and are going back to basics. So it is that an understated classic – the classic camel coat – has been resurrected. Of course, the classic coat has undergone a serious makeover this season designers such as Maxmara, Jason...

Powerful, sexy, and slightly hard-core, the thigh-high boot makes a fierce and unexpected statement for Autumn. This bondagesque trend debuted—ever so briefly though unforgettably—on the Givenchy Spring runway and has since made an appearance in almost every Autumn/Winter ‘09 show in luxe leathers, suedes and everything in between.

Coquettish, frivolous and a total vamp after dark, this season, fashion’s darling, la Parisienne, makes an uber-glamorous return. Yes, ready-to-wear meets couture this season as the Parisienne look brings glamorous and dramatic silhouettes with bold shoulders, soft draping, ruffles and big bows taking centre stage. The City of Lights inspired some of the season’s...