As readers of my FightForYrWrite blog will know, I'm a huge fan of the American fashion and lifestyle brand Kate Spade New York so, as they prepare for the next phase of their UK store expansion, and with our weather far more autumn than summer right now, I wanted to bring you this little peek at some of my highlights from the new AW12 collection.
Pieces from the Kate Spade New York AW12 collection.
Kate Spade New York does playful uptown girl sophistication like no other. For Autumn though, the all American girl seems to be drawing on her European gap year as ladylike chic, so on trend for Winter, gets a French twist.
Respected illustrator, photographer and uber fashion blogger Garance Dore collaborated with the brand to create her first ever fabric print with these charming, quintessentially French hand drawn illustrations, pictured below.
Gorgeous Garance Dore illustrations feature in this French-inspired Fall collection.
Witty and wearable, Kate Spade collections always have a warmth and humour to them. The AW12 collection mixes uptown winter chic with fun, autumnal fabrics including tweeds and faux fur, all sat alongside trans-seasonal brights, Garance's gorgeous prints and - as ever - a cornucopia of glam accessories. I absolutely adore the cotton and silk black short sleeved Kimberly skater dress with it's delicate jewelled collar, along with the faux fur Carriage House Massie handbag and matching Rossalyn coat, as well as the bright red and gold typewriter clutch (pictured bottom, next to the polka dot gloves).
With spot prints still very much on fashion's frontline next season, the Kate take on this print trend sees prim and preppy classic shapes, very much in keeping with vogue for all things ladylike, given a quirky update with monochrome polka dots.
Some of my favourite pieces from the forthcoming Kate Spade New York AW12 collection.
What I particularly love about Kate Spade collections is how each theme clearly runs through the accessories as well as the clothing range so you can experiment with how far to take a look. Their bangles and necklaces just cry out for piling on and stacking up although sometimes just a simple cuff and maybe a matching ring will work best if you just want to add a colour update - something the brand is well known for - to an outfit.
If you're still looking for some Summer pieces to pep up your wardrobe or some holiday swimwear, here are a few of my picks from Kate Spade New York SS12 collection - one of my fans of the season. Given the brand started out in handbags, it's not surprising the bags are always something of a highlight but, really, how cute is the straw print leopard bag? And how Joan Collins in the South of France is the sun hat with the feathered brim? I think the sporty stripes in a very now dropped waist t-shirt dress is probably my top choice but it's a tough call.
Sadly there's no UK online shop just yet but you can browse online (or shop if you're US-based) then have a look for yourself in store (where I believe the Summer sales have just kicked off...). Check for yourself at www.katespade.com
Some of my favourite pieces from the Spring Summer 2012 collection.