Casual chic comes with some conditions. Thankfully, they are down to you, every time. There's no set rhythm or glossy-magazine rule to your ultimate style relaxation. Without you, clothes are just that. In the immortal words of Bella Freud, 'inside your wardrobe hang your brains'.

I was reminded of this when walking past Selfridges last week. I saw a slick display of a banana top... complete with a big banana with the Chloé brand on the fruit...

Okay, first things first: I don't actually hate the hipsters. That would be a little too far. But, what I do have a problem with, is fashion's current fixation with street style.

It is quicker and better to circumvent a murky supply chain altogether by reframing our love for fashion in two ways: first, decide that it is better to buy from independent designers rather than a multinational corporation and second, look for labels that are manufactured locally.

As far as London Fashion Week was concerned, there is little doubt that a feeling of pride in British heritage and a look back into its sartorial history were undoubtedly at the root of the extremely accomplished womenswear collections.

For many years, Korea has been developing its reputation as an exporter of high quality textiles and fabrics, but it appears that it is now on the cusp of evolving from being merely a fabric exporter to setting the direction of what the world's designers are sending down the runway.

A new era is here, now, and Pringle of Scotland AW13 collection managed to show that - at the latest London Fashion Week this February. After so many years in a state of anxiety due to such a complex crisis, mainly of ideas; there is a growing confidence that the worst is over.

Somerset House is quiet, tents around the city have come down and the editors, buyers and bloggers have decamped to Milan. After five fashion-packed days featuring collections from more than 120 designers, Fall/Winter in London looks set to be jewel-dark, with deep wine and sapphire tones, split sleeves, caped shoulders, gothic styling and animal print...

The Milan Fashion Week schedule is an impressive list of powerhouse labels from Armani, Prada, Fendi, Cavalli, Versace and Gucci. Italian luxury brands also appear impervious to the economic crisis thanks to demand from wealthy consumers in the Far East. So why is the Italian fashion establishment worried?

As someone who makes a living by travelling the world seeking out the latest trends and undiscovered designers, I believe that to find truly innovative fashion design, you need to visit growing cities that are eager to establish themselves on the fashion scene.

All in all, London Fashion Week is a circus of extravagant looks, with each caricature out to compete against the other. Next time you decide to make a trip, it may be a thought to check out your local fancy dress shop first. Who knows, you may decide to dress up as a zebra!

As New York Fashion Week is closing and the London fashionistas are eagerly awaiting their five minutes of fame on the fashion stage, there has never been a better time to take an interest in the direction our fashion industry is taking.

It's London Fashion Week - #LFW is trending on twitter, the BBC are pretending to have a clue what 'on the bias' means, everyone who's anyone is in the front row of something or other and I'm at home listening to Radio 4.