As Fashion week is in full swing in Milan and London fashion week has now come to a close, I have two reflections on my mind. Looking back over LFW and some of my personal highlights, including the British influence throughout many of the shows and the eye catching and mouth watering colour combinations. Emelia Wickstead created an English infused, lady like collection; the collaboration of scarlet and blush pink was neither garish nor over-the-top,

Penelope Cruz for PETA

instead it slipped in perfectly with lady of Britain theme. Continuing this British influence Corrie Nelson’s A/W collection with the beautifully crafted designs and beautiful over flow of tartan patterns onto the models faces, bought some drama to the catwalk and the gorgeous use of collars and bows in Bora Aksu (collars being a personal love of mine) with the stunning flower patterns, as a stark contrast to Nelson, were simply beautiful. Both Zoe Jordan and PPQ stood out for me for the great use of texture, the designs were all rich with detail and luxury, with the embellished tights of PPQ and the fantastic Spanish hats of Jordan, the collections did not disappoint. The beautiful prints, colours and fabrics applied within the Moschino Cheap and Chic show, were an absolute highlight to LFW, the colours were pieced together in such a fun and elegant way that you could feel as if you were watching some of your grown up dress-up fantasies come to life. One show to be commended for its signature architectural design is that of Holly Fulton, in three words the designs were intricate, rich and stunning, and one would expect nothing less. Of course, I wouldn’t feel right commenting on LFW without the mention of Vivienne Westwood Red Label. A show with such a great range, with influences ranging from British punk to tribal, androgyny to draping dresses, it was difficult to find fault. Since the last Red Label show Westwood has raised £1.15 million for Cool Earth, giving the show a deeper meaning and influence, that reaches further out from the beautiful fashion.

However my second reflection upon LFW sprung to my mind when going through the Mulberry A/W 12/13 Ready-to-wear collection and that was fur. All my life I have been an animal lover and along with being a bit of a self-confessed feminist, I am a firm fighter for animal rights and this is the dilemma. I love fashion and culture and every element, the expression the unique ability to portray your mood, feelings and attitude through the clothes and accessories you adorn, however in the 21st Century we are still resorting to using fur as a statement of luxury and wealth. Faux-fur has come a long way from the costumes you would find in the drama cupboard at school;  it can make the same statement, create the same image and portray the same glamour without the slaughter (to many this may seem a strong word, but for me it is quite apt) of beautiful innocent animals. On safari at seven years old I was lucky enough to see in the flesh a majestic elephant with incredible ivory tusks as big as me at the time; I hope that this elephant stayed how I remembered it and was not the victim of poachers, after its tusks to be made into someone’s grand piano keys. I plea that the ‘I would rather go naked than wear fur’ campaign created by PETA, continues to flourish and that more designers follow the path of Stella McCartney in going against the grain to create fashion without suffering.