The ubiquitous little black dress is a staple in ever girls wardrobe. It is a classic item that every girl has at least one of. It is perfect for any evening do or party. On those occasions when you just can’t  find anything to wear, the little black dress is always the perfect choice.

In case you get bored of the plain little black dress, Luella has included a fun and updated version in her SS10 collection shown at London Fashion Week this week. The little black dress which featured a bell style skirt, sleeveless bodice and high neck had  a new take on the sweetheart neckline with a cut out heart shape. A hint of romance and a feminine fun dress, I love it.

Update your wardrobe for winter with this updated version of the Little Black dress by Kaliko.

At the spring summer catwalk shows many designers decided to rebel against the doom and gloom of  the financial climate and  brighten up proceedings with some of my favourite colour - hot pink.

Hot pink can be used to describe a range of pinks from Fuscia to cerise and neon. It just doesn’t include those pale and sugary pale pinks. Hot pink is just about the most flamboyant colour that you can get and is perfect for girls who like to get noticed.

The best thing about hot pink is that when you wear it, it will brighten up your day and that of everyone you meet. The perfect colour for cheering yourself up - give it a try.

Hot pink looks great on its own, with neutral shades of beige or with bright tangerine oranges.

Richard Nicholl - Hot pink looks great in this dress with a bit of bright orange and pale pink.

Luella - Luella combines a bright pink with lavender coloured lace for a very feminine look.

Diane Von Furstenberg - The combination of hot pink and brightly coloured patterns makes this outfit rich and interesting.

Max Mara - the shiny finish of this hot pink outfit makes it impossible to miss. Definitely not for shy retiring types.

Jucca - this hot pink chiffon top is perfect for an evening out.

I love a bit of glitz and an award ceremony for a bit of dress watching. Even better a fashion award ceremony, where the stars, designers and models all turn out in some of the best fashion out there. Yesterday the British Fashion awards, sponsored by Swarovski and hosted by Mariella Frostrup was held in London and attended by amongst others Claudia Schiffer, David Furnish, Emilia Fox, Erin O Connor and Sophie Ellis Bextor, .

The winner was non other than Luella Bartley, ex fashion journalist with Vogue and Dazed and Confused. Luella who launched her label in 1999 is pretty much self taught and has inspired  a huge following of the fashion elite with her quirky London style. Luella returned to London fashion week last September much to my delight. Other awards went to the following:

Menswear Designer of the Year - Christopher Bailey

Outstanding Achievement in Fashion Design - Stephen Jones

Designer Brand award - Jimmy Choo

The Isabella Blow Award for Fashion Creator - Tim Walker (photographer)

Accessory Award - Rupert Sanderson

Emerging Talent award - Louise Goldin

Red Carpet Designer - Matthew Williamson

Model of the year - Jourdan Dunn

Bespoke Award - Richard James of Saville Row

Emerging Talent award for accessories - Nicholas Kirkwood

If you want a bit of Luella’s award winning cool London style, try wearing this satin blouse from her Autumn winter 08 collection.

London Fashion Week is upon us again and I am particularly excited about the Luella show.  It was probably the best I have seen of Luella yet. With clashing purples, pinks and oranges, assymetrical details and ladylike pearls and tweed. Luella used a lot of traditional stuff but still managed to keep the look young and edgy.

 The lace and frills were feminine but not too much so. I loved the way she created gorgeous and unusual assymetrical shapes using frills and lace. A very clever collection and one that is sure to replicated on the high street in one way or another and I can’t wait.

Anyone would think a dress with fowers and frills would be a bit OTT bit not this one. It strikes just the right balance between pretty and sexy.

The pinks in this dress are just divine, add in the clever detail and it is a dress that I would just love to have.

I love the ruched details on this dress, again pretty and pink but looks great with the contrasting hair piece.

The contrast between bold candy stripes and pretty florals makes this an eyecatching outfit with a real wow factor.

pictures from www.style.com

If you love the grown up floral look at Luella then try this Hotch Potch Jersey Dress from Boden.

I realise that for some, grunge has never really gone away. I however have not really had much experience with the grungy look since my teenage years. I am feeling quite glad that grunge is back but this time in an altogether more polished and grown up sort of way. This is great news for me as the grunge look is easy to wear, comfy and practical, all qualities that I love in my clothes. So where did this new grunge emerge from?

At the Autumn Winter Burberry Prorsum show, grunge completely dominated the catwalk. Christopher Bailey really showed what he was made of with a stunning collection of luxe grunge featuring cool cashmere beanie hats, opaque tights and striped knits.

At Luella the look was perhaps more slightly on the gothic side of grunge with crimped hair and white foundation. But the opaque tights and grungy greens and blues had a definite wearability about them perhaps more than anything else that I have seen on the catwalk this season.

Pictures from Style.com

This Burberry short sleeved T shirt is a bit of luxury and a great colour for next seasons grunge trend.