Sometimes at fashion week, if you are lucky, a moment comes along that leaves you with a positively evangelical desire to preach the beauty and wonder of what you have seen. Raf Simons collection did just that, leaving us buzzing on a sartorial high way in to the rain-soaked night. Simons showed a collection rich with vivid colours, most notably a violent violet. Parkas and preppy sweaters were reworked in standaway couture shapes with college scarves wrapped around necks. Key fabrics were neoprene in outerwear and mohair and fair isle in knitwear. The invitation carried the message, "Rise of the craftsman and fall of the prince", a reference, perhaps, to the news that broke later that day that Raf had parted company with his business partners. Let's not dwell on the potential production doom that forebodes, and instead celebrate a true master at work Photograph: PR
It's no secret that the Observer loves Dries Van Noten's threads, and once again we were not disappointed. A collection of elegant masculine glamour greeted us at the Musee Bordelle. Upturned collars and sumptuous fur lapels poked out of belted coats and jackets. Trousers were both wide-legged (continuing with the change in silhouette that hit the catwalks last season) and narrow with zips, and knitwear was thick, in mottled wools with chunky turtlenecks. There was a regimental feel to the upright styling but the Dries twist came in the influence of David Bowie, from the soundtrack to the dyed auburn slicked hair sported by all the models. The final flourish was jackets embellished with gold frogging - as the man himself said, "Every man needs a touch of gold in his wardrobe." Hear, hear!
Photograph: Helen Seamons using Canon G12
The Baroque salon at Hotel Westin was the setting for Thom Browne's Tim Burtonesque dinner party. It was a sit-down dinner for 42 models, who daintily skewered tiny morsels with mechanical precision from a plate of perfectly placed sweetcorn and broad beans. The table was resplendent with moss-covered candlesticks, a trio of roast turkeys, woodland foliage, foxes, white rabbits, winter berries and blackbirds. As the strains of 18th century courtly dance music started up, so commenced an intricately choreographed procession of musical chairs. The 'guests' rose at random intervals and circled the table at a ceremonially slow pace, swapping places with their opposites and allowing the audience to view the mainly tailored check-based breeches and blazer collection. This was a superb way to close fashion week
Photograph: Helen Seamons using Canon G12
The effect of the world's weather showed on the catwalk this season more then ever. Puffa coats popped up in collection after collection. At Paul Smith they arrived in silver as part of the Frank Zappa meets Nasa-themed collection. At Lanvin a black jacket version came with a large quilted collar to protect from harsh winters. At Louis Vuitton the puffa detail was strong throughout, including coats and jackets with a zip-on puffa gilet attachment at the pockets (worn hanging down on the catwalk to show the multi-purpose function). These came in black, red and brown - the other colour to emerge as a key trend for A/W and the perfect antidote to the brights for colourphobes Photograph: YOUSSEF-BOUDLAL/PR
As noted during Milan, the king of colour for AW11/12 has been crowned as red. At Dior Homme, designer Kris Van Assche featured our favourite pop of red in two all-red fluid tailored exits and a simple top teamed with billowing pleat-front grey trousers. It also sprang up in suit form at Ann Demeulemeester (when the queen of black shows colour, you know it's time to sit up and take notice). At Louis Vuitton they christened their shade 'motel red' and indeed it shone out of the darkened venue like a neon sign, appearing on scarves, hybrid quilted puffas/tailored blazers, and of course the bags, which were either large and square or clutch style
Photograph: Helen Seamons using Canon G12
The soundtrack of a Woody Allen movie and a park bench conjured up a stroll through Central Park on a winter's morning. A stream of models meandered out in an effortless everyday wardrobe. Fair isle knitted blazers, pea coats, duffle coats and a quilted gilet - what's not to like? No male shopper could feel threatened by this collection, but when you looked closer there were the design details that set Junya Watanabe apart: a leather donkey jacket with plaid yoke; the recurring reversible theme in jackets; contrast elbow patches; and the kind of top-stitching clothing geeks get all hot under the collar about
Photograph: Helen Seamons using Canon G12
Paris welcomed Phillip Lim to fashion week and we welcomed his collection with open arms. The presentation rather then catwalk show meant we were able to get within touching distance of the elegant tailored car coats (worn draped on the shoulders), melange marl evening trackpants, notched neck knitwear and one of the pieces we coveted most: a sleeveless ribbed navy rollneck, purposely cut to fit smoothly under tailoring and avoid the bulky unsightly arm-gathering that occurs when you squeeze a knit under a jacket. The shoes here were divine. Thick soles have been the leading trend of the shows and, along with those at YSL, these were the best
Photograph: Helen Seamons using Canon G12
Get ahead, get a hat as the saying goes, and there was barely a show that didn't take this on board. Headgear was pulled down against imaginary catwalk winds at many a label. Favourites included moulded caps with dog ears at Givency for the sheer 'why the hell not?' attitude; wide-brimmed hats at Lanvin, worn pulled down over one eye to evoke the spirit of Dick Tracy's fedora; felted plain caps at Acne; and classic trilbies at Margaret Howell, made in collaboration with Christys'. The Observer fashion desk is partial to a gent in a hat - there's something very smart and considered about it. We hope it catches on Photograph: PR
A trip to Adam Kimmel's Paris showroom and a talk through the collection from the man himself is always a treat. Kimmel is a man who not only makes great (albeit expensive) clothes, he also exudes a contagious passion for his muse and collection that is impossible not to soak up. This season he teamed up with artist Dan Attoe and headed to the 'down and dirty midwest' to make a film where motorcycle punk meets Twin Peaks meets mountain man. The resulting collection ranges from leather biker and hunting jackets right through to a doublebreasted suit. For those of you without the budget for the mainline collection, a capsule collection for Carhartt will be available from May Photograph: PR
A more contemporary version of the signature Demeulemeester tortured poet look was refreshing to see this season. A few splashes of colour lifted the usual black palette - a red suit here, an orange waistcoat there. The waistcoat was styled with heavy gauntlet gloves (sub-trend alert: Thierry Mugler also showed long leather gloves). Horse hair was worn as a hairband (sub-trend alert number two: if your hair isn't slicked down with liberal amounts of gel or hidden under a hat, then it should be topped with a hairpiece - see Comme des Garcons for more details). We liked the understated drama of this collection, and if Patti Smith gives a show a standing ovation, who are we to argue? Photograph: PIERRE VERDY/AFP
