House of Holland

Henry Holland, famous for his crudely printed slogan T-shirts and associations with top british supermodel Agyness Deyn, has managed to impress critics this year with first his surprising Autumn/Winter and now his spring/summer collections 2009. Scottish heritage and reworked tartan made up the main themes of his a/w catwalk collections, but this season he has taken on a surprisingly light, more subtle emphasis. Conforming to the florals and pornstar heels that have heavily graced the catwalks since London fashion week, House of Holland enthusiasts will not be disappointed to discover that the clothing still radiates a distinctively unique stamp of day-glo and neon colouring.

It's hard to miss Henry Holland. The self-taught designer has been the talk of the fashion world since his first appearance on the scene at the beginning of 2007. His bold-statement, decadent clothing and varied pallet of colours made his work instantly recognisable. Whilst his new collection still reeks of his cutting-edge style, he has taken a much more sophisticated approach this year.  Going beyond what critics thought possible of him, Holland proves that he is not just a flash-in-the-pan designer. The collection features more than just bright clothing; it is a homage to summer, the individuality of the 80s and beachwear. 

Florals have been excessively overused this year, featuring on the catwalks of Paul Smith, Luella, Gucci and even Chanel, to name but a few. For his s/s collection, Holland styled his florals in pastel shades of maroon, coral, white, buttercup yellow, calm orange, lilac, deep red, forget-me-not blue, and pale-pink, printed onto light chiffon, offsetting these subtle prints with quirky polka dot skirts and tops. Turning away from the 80s trash look of designers such as Stephen Sprouse, Holland's collection is both mature  and appealing, as well as being characteristically funky.

Holland has been criticised for his rudimentary T-shirts which earnt him a reputation as 'just a t-shirt designer'. His latest collections, however, contain such a mixture of styling that it is impossible not to give him due credit. Straw summer-hats, floral bathing suits, polka-dot cu-out jeans, flower emblazoned denim, kitch trilbies, graphic print skirt-suit combos, and vibrant cycle shorts all made an appearance on the catwalk. A wealth of colour, textures and tailoring, alongside Holland's outrageous creativity make this a fantastically original collection for the spring/summer period. 

Shoes

My last entry was entitled 'shoes and florals', however I was unable to finish this, so here is my commentary on shoes. I have found that the new super-high style of this season are, I have to say, a little daunting. Being the type of girl who usually chooses a pair of converse or some patent brogues as my footwear of choice, seeing perspex platforms, dizzyingly high heels and what can only be classed as stripper shoes plastered all over the catwalks is rather worrying. Should I give in to discomfort and purchase the ultimate heels that I have avoided my entire life, or should I go against the trend and stick with my perfect-pink brogues?

One of the nicer things about high-heels is that they will certainly complement my size 14 legs, and possibly open up opportunities for me to wear the gorgeous bandeau harem jumpuit that I have been eyeing up on ASOS for the past few weeks. Harem pants should certainly not be attempted by someone of my weight without a good pair of heels.

At least the newly fashionable prostitute shoes at least come with platforms this season, as I can hardly see myself ambling about on a pair of stilettos. There are some beautiful examples of platform shoes, which designers have spruced up with the kind of beautiful architecture that you would normally find on grand designs and not in Vogue! The red shoes I have featured are by Gucci, and I love the buckles and the beautiful shape which curves around the ankle. The grey and pink shoes are by Topshop. The subtle colouring on them and the combination of textures are amazing. Plus their peep-toe, high topped shape seem to make them somewhere in-between a boot and a sandal, so they are the perfect transitional shoe for this season. The fluorescent pink pair of shoes are by Fendi. If they were not completely out of my budget I would definitely be buying these. They are the perfect statement shoe. They would look amazing teamed with a black dress, or pastel-yellow tights. Agnes Deyn would look amazing in these shoes.

Shoes and Florals

The weather is blooming this spring, and so are the catwalks. Floral is back again for the summer and this time it doesn't just come in subtle, flowing, delicate dresses and jumpsuits. Textures, colouring and tailoring have all been reworked, as ever. I'm currently loving roses. Rose necklaces, rose printed dresses, rosy cheeks and rose lipstick.  It's all about teaming silky floral smocks in a romantic, opaque fabric with a pair of black, scruffy buckle-edged boots and some chunky african-beaded jewelry.

Here are some amazing examples: This scarf is by Missoni, the briefs are by Dolce & Gabbana, the blusher is by Benefit and the cardigan is by orion. I also love this summery picture by Tim Walker. It really sums up the dreamy and enchanting appeal of summer flowers.