As of this Saturday, London’s V&A Museum throws open the doors of the newly renovated Fashion Galleries with an exhibition of exquisite ball gowns, red carpet evening dresses and catwalk showstoppers. Displayed over two floors, Ballgowns: British Glamour Since 1950, will feature more than sixty dresses by designers including Victor Stiebel, Zandra Rhodes, Jonathan Saunders, Hussein Chalayan, Alexander McQueen, Giles Deacon, Erdem and Jenny Packham.

An amazing selection of celebrities: from Princess Diana – to fashion legends like Daphne Guinness to movie stars such as Sandra Bullock, Annette Bening and Maggie Gyllenhaal are among the previous owners of these glamorous gowns.

Most women will never get to wear one – yet you’d be hard pressed to find one that wouldn’t be just a tiny bit impressed by seeing them up close like this!

LFW 2012- Amazing Ball gowns at the V&A Museum

It was a sad moment last week when we heard the news of groundbreaking hairdresser Vidal Sassoon’s passing. Starting with his London salons in the 1950’s, he really was, as the title of the documentary about him states: ‘The man who changed the world with a pair of scissors’.

The fashion editor of US Vogue, Grace Coddington, was one of his earliest models. She recalls, “He figured the five point cut out on me,” remembering endless trips with Sassoon to hair shows in the 1960′s. “He was key to that whole look in the early sixties, that youth quake thing in London. The cut gave you a certain freedom. You weren’t chained to the salon, and you certainly didn’t have to go and have it set with big rollers under a hair dryer for a couple of hours. He did it with a hand-held hair dryer, so it wasn’t quite drip-dry, but it was remarkable.”

Sassoon was a true visionary who changed the way women styled their hair for generations to come.

LFW 2012- Vidal Sassoon 1960's hair cut

Allan McGrath, Record Label Manager, 29

Shirt: Ben Sherman

Jeans: Levis

Shoes: Converse

How would you describe your style?

I wouldn’t quite know how to put my personal style into words. I suppose laid back cool would be the best way. I like British heritage brands, Ben Sherman, Ted Baker and Fred Perry to name but three.

What did you like best about London Fashion Week?

I don’t follow fashion avidly, I have to say, but I do like London Fashion Week because I’m proud to be a Londoner and it’s one of this city’s finest exports!

LFW 2012- Fashion Friday

This summer on the catwalks was one of the prettiest, most traditionally feminine seasons in a long while. A specific theme running through a number of collections was the idea of crisp, graphic flowers.

London Fashion Week designer, Ashish, was inspired by paintings and tapestries like Van Gogh’s sunflowers or this sequin-embellished sweater. Erdem, who does florals pretty much every season in some way or another, has gone for a sporty slant on the idea with a raglan t-shirt and paneled skirt. Christopher Kane wanted his flowers to look like cut-out stickers on someone’s school pencil case, we love the way they float on this simple chiffon slip. Louise Gray has never been troubled by convention, and sure enough, her embroidered, appliquéd flowers are more like sparkley starfish.

We love this modern twist on a feminine classic!

LFW 2012- Erdem

LFW 2012- Christopher Kane

LFW 2012- Louise Gray

The Met Ball 2012 just took place in New York – last year’s event was in honour of the late designer Alexander McQueen. This year’s gala was to launch the exhibition in New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute – Schiaparelli and Prada: Impossible Conversations. The exhibition is all about celebrating the lives and work of Miuccia Prada and Elsa Schiaparelli.

Although many of the stars turned up in Prada outfits – Anna Wintour managed to combine the two labels by digging out a Prada dress with an appliquéd golden lobster, which was one of Schiaparelli’s trademarks in her 1940s heyday. Elsewhere, the stars overwhelmingly chose glittery, metallic outfits, like Karolina Kurkova wearing a dress by Rachel Zoe collection, Chloe Sevigny in fierce Miu Miu armour, Scarlett Johansson in a dress by Dolce & Gabbana or even the slightly more muted Gwyneth Paltrow wearing a dress by Prada and jewellery by Anna Hu.

What a great night for fashion!

LFW 2012- Karolina Kurkova

LFW 2012- Chloe Sevigny

LFW 2012- Scarlett Johansson

LFW 2012- Gwyneth Paltrow

Jake Greenfield, Waiter, 19

Jacket: from Camden Market

Bag: vintage

Shirt and trousers: H&M

Brothel Creepers: by Underground

Hat: from somewhere in Birmingham

How would you describe your style?

I would describe my personal style as usually a lot better than this! Its early morning and I’ve just thrown this on to walk up the road, if I had to describe it in words it would be: recycled.

What did you like best about London Fashion Week?

What I like best about London Fashion Week is menswear day. I do put that in my diary and I love to check in with the latest ideas from London men’s designers.

LFW 2012- Fashion Friday

British supermodel Rosie Huntington-Whiteley already has a strong working relationship with M&S as the face of many of their campaigns, and a wealth of experience modelling underwear for brands including US giant, Victoria’s Secret. So it is with great pleasure that M&S have announced that Rosie will launch her own line of lingerie for the High Street giant. How exciting!

The range is planned to be inspired by 1920’s style and will be called ‘Rosie’ for Autograph. The model said: “M&S is an iconic British brand, adored by many, so I’m very excited to be launching my debut lingerie line with them. I thoroughly enjoyed collaborating with the design team to create my dream collection, and I’m looking forward to a fun and creative time ahead.”

It sounds like a match made in heaven! The range will form part of the successful Autograph range and will launch in stores in September.

LFW 2012- Rosie Huntington-Whiteley

This weekend marked the one year anniversary for Wills and Kate, or, as they are known officially – the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. We’d just like to say congratulations! And, despite the worst economic conditions this country has seen since the Seventies, apparently the fashion and beauty industries are doing very nicely – kept afloat by young women keen to emulate the style of lovely Kate.

Among the trends experiencing such a boost are nude tights, Burberry trench coats, all brands favoured by the Duchess, like Reiss, Libelula and L.K. Bennett. Lacey wedding dresses have never been more in demand, be they haute designers such as Alexander McQueen whose creative director Sarah Burton created the original, or bargain brands like Peacocks. Wow! Also experiencing a surge in demand, according to hairdressers are bouncy blow dries.

Congratulations to the happy couple and we can’t wait to see what Kate will wear next!

LFW 2012- Kate Middleton in Reiss

Michael Barker, User Experience Designer, 31

Rainbow trim track top: River Island

Jeans: River Island

Trainers: Topman Sports

How would you describe your style?

Somewhere between a 70′s classic genre and the modern poet movement. I try to be underground but noticeable, I like to offend without causing offence. I see style as an expression of inner-thought, and I like people to know I’m angry… but balanced.

What did you like best about London Fashion Week?

As a Northerner, London fashion for me is like a firework display of both classic styles and modern expressions, gilded by a common confusion about how to visually display yourself in an increasingly confusing fashion culture. I feel like most people are doing a great job of truly accomplishing this with gusto, while others are wearing each item from a shop window mannequin and have little clue what personal style is, or can be.

LFW 2012- Fashion Friday

Was there something fishy going on when designers created their Spring Summer 2012 collections?

Sarah Burton’s collection for Alexander McQueen was a fantasy of elaborate, anemone-like creatures – in the form of textured ball gowns. Over in the photographic prints corner, London designer Mary Katrantzou was inspired by all things natural, and along with feathers and flowers, she created this stunning aquarium print – complete with vibrantly-coloured tropical fish!

Finally, at Chanel there was definitely more than a hint of an underwater theme with the set of their runway show formed of huge plastic shells. With plenty of iridescent details, both pearls as well as the clam shells they originate from, and an original performance from Florence Welch, singing ‘What the Water Gave Me’.

LFW 2012- Mary Katrantzou

LFW 2012- Florence Welch Chanel