Designer Label Fashion

Everyone has a favourite pair of dancing shoes - these sexy Carla T-bar shoes by D&G Dolce&Gabbana are sure to be your new faves, and they’ll go with anything from a seductive little black dress to a frothy pink number.

Online designer fashion boutique My Wardrobe have set up a whole page showing how to wear the T-bar - and these Carla T-bars in particular - with a range of designer outfits from slinky dresses to harem trousers to cute clutch bags. It’s a fantastic page if, like me, you spend ages trying to work out how to put together a perfect outfit or to partner your new designer fave with your existing wardrobe (I CAN do it, it just takes me hours so I either arrive looking late but fab, or on time but rubbish. My advice is, bring a book.)

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Now the sunshine is finally here and you’re back into your designer bikini or swimsuit, don’t forget that cover-up. Grab yourself a funky kaftan from our selection, below, and you can channel some 1970s glamour too. And once the weather breaks (because it will) wear these kaftans with some funky jeans and chunky heels until summer comes back. These designer kaftans start at only £67.

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The sun is out, and it’s actually warm (rather than the usual sunny-but-cold April day where we all dig out our sundresses and then spend the evening freezing outside some country pub, looking like a 1950s starlet but snarling at anyone who comes anywhere near “our” patio heater). So it’s time to find some new season summer clothes to update our wardrobes. After blogging about those fab nautical shorts from Nathan Jenden the other day, and the Chloe scalloped-edged shorts a few weeks ago, I’ve been looking for more on-trend shorts for you to update last year’s summer wardrobes. Check them out below.

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Just when you thought we had exhausted nautical before summer was even here… today we’ve had glorious warm sunshine, perfect shorts-wearing weather, and I’ve found these funky and smart navy and white nautical high waisted shorts by designer Nathan Jenden, available at Matches Fashion.

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Matches Fashion is calling them Marc Jacob’s homage to Coco Chanel - and these stunning quilted handbags in black, navy blue, and purple, plus this cute black purse, certainly manage to blend classic design with fashion-forward styling and colour. With prices from £135 (ooh!) to £1,365 (ouch), we can all have a bit of designer quilting.

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This capsule designer denim range from the Lanvin Acne collaboration offers what Browns Fashion calls feminine chic mixed with Parisian insoucience! Using the finest Italian and Japenese denim, this capusle collection from French design house Lanvin, and denim specialicsts Acne, includes dresses, coats, jackets and trousers - designer denim classics reworked by Lanvin Acne with a rocky, edgy style. Browse the Lanvin Acne collection at Browns Fashion, or check out our favourites below.
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Stella McCartney isn’t the only one doing nautical fashion this season - Cath Kidston, queen of cute clothes, bags and home accessories, has some funky nautical and boat print bags from saddles bags to satchels to book bags to make-up purses.
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Florals are everywhere this season - but as florals appear to be everywhere most seasons, the designer versions need to be a bit special to make us part with our cash. These florals (and some leafy foliage-als) are by Marni, Dries Van Noten, and Ossie Clark and they are unlike anything I’ve seen on the high street, or squashed into my wardrobe from last time florals were in (er, last summer?). Retro, sculpted, even a bit futuristic - no one is going to think you look sweet in these.

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An amazing Ossie Clark silk floral jumpsuit, all it needs are some chunky gold sandals, oodles of lipgloss and lots of thick gold bangles. With a low neckline and a necktie, with frills, this jumpsuit is sleeveless with a drawstring waist and wide leg trousers. Ossie Clark silk floral jumpsuit, £895 at Browns Fashion.

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A stunning white and gold pencil skirt by Dries Van Noten, with a striking pattern of gold metallic foliage. Dry clean only, this Dries Van Noten pencil skirt is 53% cotton, 35% silk and 12% polyurethane. Dries Van Noten white and gold floral pencil skirt, £420 at Browns Fashion.

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A romantic look with an edge, this gorgeous yellow Marni floral pleated dress has soft draping and frills to add structure. This Marni dress is 100% silk and is dry clean only. Yellow Marni floral silk dress with frills, £675 from Browns Fashion.

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View more designer florals at Browns Fashion or collections by Dries Van Noten, Marni and Ossie Clark.

Designer fashion house Chloe - under the eye of creative director Hannah MacGibbon - has gone mad for cute scallop detailing this season. Their scalloped edges (both large and small) add some cute interest to flirty, fun summer clothes in a frankly miserable and depressed world. Check out some of our favourite Chloe scallop-detail new season clothes and shoes, below, all from Matches Fashion. Or visit the Matches and Browns Fashion Chloe areas.

These lovely navy blue Chloe shorts have a cute black scallop edge on each leg and an elegant waist bow with black scalloped edging. Wear with little tees or long line jackets, with or without tights depending on when the sun makes an appearance… Chloe scallop edge navy blue and black shorts, £785 at Matches Fashion.

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If you can’t stretch to those shorts, these lovely summery white Chloe ballerina flats have a scallop edge - perfect with cut off jeans or a flirty skirt. White Chloe ballerina scalloped flats, £258 at Matches fashion.

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An elegant polkadot blue and white dress that channels French chic - this Chloe dress has a round neckline and long sleeves. The sleeves and dress have a large scalloped edge. Chloe blue and white scallop edge dress, £868 at Matches Fashion.

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These elegant black and nude peeptoe Chloe court shoes have a scalloped edge and are the perfect transitional Spring to Summer court shoe. Chloe black and nude peeptoe scallop edge courts, £328 at Matches Fashion.

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Visit the Matches and Browns Fashion Chloe areas.

Breton tops (those blue and white stripey ones beloved of authentic French fishermen) are enjoying a fashion resurgence this season, along with all things stripey.

This cute take on the stripey Breton top from designer label Demylee, £238 at Matches Fashion, is the nicest we’ve found so far - and it’s 100% cashmere so you’ll be cosy as well as on-trend. This striped Breton-style top has buttons on each shoulder and a fitted style, so it’s perfect over jeans of any description, cropped trousers (for some Spring French chic), or even with a smart pencil skirt.

I guess this also fits with the season’s all-things-nautical approach too (and it’s not even made by Stella McCartney!) so for one top you get to tick off two trends.

(Is it just me or are there a million more “essential key trends” this season - and in a year when we all have less money to spend? What happened to all those fashion futurologists who were supposed to pick five years ago exactly what we want to wearing now, and, you know, tell the designers? Spring / Summer 09 is apparently all about fringing. And stripes. And pinks. Oh and coral which is sort of pink. And neutrals, because of the recession. But don’t forget sparkle and lux, as we all need cheering up. And cobalt blue. And ruffles. And prints and colourblock too. And skirts and dresses and trousers and suits and tops and jumpers and… and… and…)