“I imagined a woman explorer who stopped in a Bertolucci movie, and I imagined her in these explorer-like military outfits from the desert, picking up local outfits and mixing them together in their own look.  When you think of the desert you think of sandy colors, like beige and gray, but then there is the brightness of the sun. In these times, I wanted to send a message of vibrancy.”

1. Michael Lewis: Lewis is footwear’s best kept secret and has impressed the likes of Marc Jacobs at Louis Vuitton, Christopher Bailey at Burberry and Tom Ford at Gucci with his shoe-shaped talents – before recently stepping into the role of creative consultant at Kurt Geiger. He brings his own label collection to LFW for the first time this season.

Has an eye for: What women really want – fun yet luxurious, affordable shoes.

Is inspired by: “Early Kenzo and Russian fairytales.”

Shop it: Exclusively at Dover Street Market for autumn/winter 2009.

2. Michael van der Ham: The Dutch born designer’s Warhol art-inspired dresses caught the attention of more than one fashion insider during his autumn/winter 2009 Central St Martins show – for which he also scooped the L’Oreal Professional Award. Prior to this, the young impresario honed his talents with stints at Alexander McQueen and Sophia Kokosalaki.

Has an eye for: The eclectic – van der Ham’s mismatch approach to design ensures there’s never a dull moment.

Is inspired by: Women who aren’t afraid to be bold.

Will be: Showcasing as part of NEWGEN’s Ready-to-Wear exhibition at Somerset House.

3. Fred Butler: New kid on the block Fred began life as a set designer and prop maker before packing a style punch with her first jewellery collection of bold, bright and sculptural designs for autumn/winter 2009. Since then she has presented workshops at London’s Design Museum, guest lectured at the London College of Fashion and collaborated with Asos.com on their limited edition ‘Hit’ line.

Has an eye for: Creating “wearable sculpture,” by using graphic shapes, clashing colours and tactile forms.

Is inspired by: The unpredictable in the everyday.

Shop it: Online at Kabiri.co.uk this season.

4. Mark Fast: Since the success of the 28 year old Canadian’s Central St Martins graduate collection in 2007 (which was quickly snapped up by Browns Focus) the young designer has gone from strength to strength. His autumn/winter 2009 show featured a bold collection of black knitted body-con dresses, embellished with fringing and dramatic cut-out panels.

Has an eye for: Exquisite pieces that are contoured to the body.

Is inspired by: Finding innovative ways with knitwear.

Will be: Available from Browns Focus.

5. Eun Jeong: 2008’s Fashion Fringe winner, Eun Jeong leapt on the scene with a collection made entirely from white cotton lace. The Korean designer has since been working hard to develop her own label ‘1st element by hong eun jeong’.

Has an eye for: Neat pleats and effortless tailoring.

Is inspired by: Uniqueness in others.

Shop it: at Net-a-porter.com

6. Emilio de la Morena: Having trained as a sculptor in his native Spain before sharpening his fashion skills at Central St Martins in 2002, de la Morena’s designs are inspired by structural shapes and traditional Spanish artisan techniques.

Has an eye for: Fluid and feminine sculptural lines.

Is inspired by: The relationship between organic shapes and defined silhouettes.

Shop it: Online at Browns Focus.

7. Josh Goot: His sleek and monochromatic autumn/winter 2009 collection had London based Goot dubbed the new king of modernism, for his simple yet sophisticated use of black and white on shifts and neatly tailored suits.

Has an eye for: Colour blocking and clean lines.

Is inspired by: Human anatomy and abstract forms for spring/summer 2009.

Shop it: At Liberty.co.uk.

8. Mary Katrantzou: Since her fun graphic print collection for autumn/winter 2009, that featured dresses emblazoned with images of perfume bottles, we have not been able to shake the feeling that Katrantzou is going places. Having worked under fellow Greek, Sophia Kokosalaki and freelanced for Bill Blass, the young print designer also makes jewellery to complement her collections.

Has an eye for: Digital prints and bold, industrial jewellery.

Is inspired by: Antique perfume bottles and 18th century portraits for spring/summer 2010.

Shop it: At Browns Focus and Harvey Nichols.

9: Maria Francesca Pepe: With style insiders dipping into Pepe’s jewellery box for her hand-crafted Italian pieces to adorn their fashion pages – including Harper’s Bazaar – it is little wonder the designer already has a loyal following. You might have seen her designs embellishing the shows of Roksanda Illincic (S/S09 and A/W09), Emilio De La Morena (A/W09) and Louise Grey (A/W09), for which she designed a shoe collection.

Has an eye for: Chunky tubular necklaces made using old, handcrafted Italian techniques.

Is inspired by: Pieces that appeal to all tastes and ages.

Shop it: At Dover Street Market and the label’s own online store that launches this December.

Mfpepe.com.

10. Veryta: Designer and Fashion illustrator Tanya Ling brings her talents to the role of Creative Director of not-for-profit label Veryta, which appears for the first time this season. Launched with the backing of Yves Saint Laurent’s Stefano Pilati and Filippo Binaghi of Italian Silk manufacturer, Lorma, 10 percent of sales from the collection will go direct to children’s charities in India.

Is inspired by: Her native India.

Veryta.com

(Harper’s Bazaar U.K.)

If you ever think your going above and beyond to promote something, think again, I know I just did. In light of the new fragrance for women named Flower, Kenzo planted 200, 000 Poppy flowers in Toulouse, France! The art installation is set up in the center of Place du Capitole. After this we might just have to give Flower a try, I mean look at the effort people!

LINKAGE: Fashion Week Daily

Kinda like these, not sure yet, but for $40 bucks they’re super cute. Available in four different colors, cute with teeshirt dresses or shorts!

Buy them at ShopBop

Kenzo chose color for their Spring collection, and they did a great job in doing so. The bright mix of color combined with metallic accents and vibrant accessories makes this collection impossible to ignore. I’m just concerned about the practicality of their pieces. What do you think indies is this a “Spotted in the streets of Soho” collection, or a “wouldn’t be caught dead wearing” collection?

Gallery: Kenzo: Spring 2009 Collection

via Men’s Rag

Today is the day of crappy ads for S/S 09. Kenzo completely disappointed me this season with this series of trashy romance novel, badly Photoshopped advertisements. I don’t even know why you would want your brand’s clothing shown in this epically bad light. Time to get a new marketing team. FAIL.

Thanks to Fashion Copious for the horrendous eyesore of a photo.

Kenzo Takada, founder of Kenzo, is putting his Japanese inspired Paris pad on the market. After living in the house for twenty years, Kenzo is saying goodbye to his 1,300 square meter casa and Koi pond. Save your pennies Indies because your going to need every last one of them if you want to jump into a crib like this.

Thanks Brandish for the pics.

I’m not sure where to start with this one. The vibes I’m getting are very Kenzo, but they are women’s Kenzo. It’s Garden of Eden meets Japanese hideaway with flowers engulfing the entire spread. The light is hitting the fog to create a very ethereal mood. The vine wrapped around the wide-eyed model is sensual, yet innocent. I very much like this ad, but I wonder how Kenzo’s desired target market will react. What do you think?