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Photography by Orlando Gili

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“The first fashion-show season with Twitter in full force is like Gossip Girl on crack!” So reads designer Henry Holland’s (henryholland) Twitter, summing up the latest obsession to take LFW in less than 140 characters. If we’re not tweeting about spotting Donatella Versace/Joan Collins/Martine McCutcheon, we’re tweeting mini trend reports as they happen: “RoboCop shoulders at Todd Lynn!”; “Polka-dot shoes at Luella!” in a barrage of sartorial sound bites. But what’s the official code of conduct at the shows? Is it offensive to a designer if we watch-n-tweet or is it a compliment that we can’t wait? “I tweet before the shows but not during,” says Stacey Duguid, Executive Fashion Editor of Elle.

“A designer has spent four months of preparation for a seven-to-eight minute show and people spend four minutes tweeting? It’s rude. Also, you haven’t really formed an opinion about the show, so it’s competitive tweeting. It becomes a big tweet-off!”

For some fashion editors, it’s all for the readers. “We’re about fashion as it happens and opening up our world, so it’s important that we tweet,” says Hattie Brett, Web Editor of Grazia Daily (Grazia_Live). “But I would only tweet in a show if something unmissable happens.” What ’s ‘unmissable’? A model tumble? A seizure? “I tweeted a TwitPic during Danielle Scutt’s show,” admits Duguid, “because the hair was so incredible.”
The buyers are brandishing their BlackBerrys, too, with online stores leading the charge. Net-A-Porter (Luxury_Fashion) tweets at almost every show. But not East End fashion boutique Start. Owner Brix Smith-Start (Brixsmithstart) says, “I focus on the energy of the moment.”

To see fashion pack tweets from the London shows, go to londonfashionwk on Twitter.

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Report by Julia Robson

Photography by Marcus Dawes

Forget fashion’s current leopard-print fad, cats of the domestic variety are the mascots of next season. Backstage at her recent presentation, Suzanne Clements, of design duo Clements Ribeiro, revealed the two reasons why their Spring/Summer 2010 collection has such a feline theme: “Toulouse and Marie, our new British Blue pet cats.” Cat fans will go gaga over the new Clements Ribeiro range, which features embellished cats on preppy cashmere cardigans and a cat print on silk dresses. It’s purrrfect!

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Compiled by Cat Catalogue

Photography by Anna Bauer

Take a dip—and leave your hair wet afterwards. Swimmer’s hair is in. Basso & Brooke channelled model Stephanie Seymour surfacing from the pool in that Herb Ritts photo, keeping it wet with L’Oréal Paris Studio Line Design Wet Gel. Guido Palau went for damp and slightly 1990s grunge at Jonathan Saunders [see above] and hair stylist Malcolm Edwards did a twisted-hair look at Amanda Wakeley that recalled a 1970s Marie Helvin. Whatever the inspiration, it makes summer a whole lot easier.

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Compiled by Cat Catalogue

Photography by Jason Lloyd-Evans

Elevate your ponytail into high fashion with a simple twist and tie. Charles Worthington and stylist Marc Trinder were inspired by how Japanese girls knot their hair at Erdem [see above], while Sam McKnight braided, pinned and knotted high ponytails at Jaeger.

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Compiled by Cat Catalogue

Photography by Tyrone Lebon

Bracelets that look like a string of Smarties, keepsakes hanging from necklaces and handmade tulle confections dripping from fingers [see Betty Jackson, above] –  jewellery will be about wearing things that make you smile. Get thee to a haberdashery and go DIY!

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Compiled by Cat Catalogue

Photography by Jason Lloyd Evans

Get your legs out without fear, with St Tropez’s new runway-tested products. Models glistened at Louise Goldin (Wash Off Instant Glow Mousse), gleamed at Roksanda Ilincic [see left, using New Radiance Mousse] and went bling at Marios Schwab (Wash Off Instant Glow Shimmer Stick).

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Compiled by Cat Catalogue

Illustration by Iona Hutley

Forget It bags! It’s all about shoes, shoes, shoes next summer, from painted slingbacks at new luxury label Veryta to feathery confections at Roksanda Ilincic and Jonathan Saunders’ neon-flash towering stilettos. “It’s definitely gone from being It bag to It shoes,” says hot new cobbler Michael Lewis (who has worked at Louis Vuitton, Burberry and Gucci). While platforms are still huge news, the most exciting new shoe shape is… the return of the kitten heel.

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Compiled by Cat Catologue

Photography by Tyrone Lebon

Most peeps think that fashion folk slavishly wear what’s on the runway. Not so. However, what does emerge around showtime is what’s best described as a fashion week uniform. A great indicator of how to work the clothes for the current season [that’s Autumn/Winter 2009], London Fashion Week’s fashion pack were working Breton tops [see above], bare legs and er, ankle socks – obviously not both together.

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