In the midst of international fashion-week madness, Telegraph journalist Lisa Armstrong offers her take on which ones matter and how she sees them going forward.

While tens of millions of people are following fashion week reportage on social media, prominent consumer brands are turning to the industry’s social media stars to advertise their wares.

According to Fashionista,”Industry insiders agree that in the age of near-instantaneous runway images and livestreams, fashion week needs to be rethought“. 

Fab Links from Our Members

Laurinda informs us that Pantone’s Spring 2014 colour forecast for women’s and men’s fashion is out. She is happy to see some pretty blues and oranges for both men and women. Which colours are speaking to you the most?

Diana was really touched by this story about how a thrifted coat brought together a group of women in their battle against cancer.

Angie voted the Moschino Spring 2014 show at Milan Fashion Week the most fun. Teddy bear hats, astronomical bows, the largest cow print you’ve seen in your life, bunny ears and aircraft headgear. All amidst a romantic and graphic collection of black, white, red and pink. 

Vildy liked this demonstration of using the shape and placement of your facial features, as well as visual weight of your hair, in selecting prints.

And last but not least, Annagybe loves these ballet costumes designed by Prabal Gurung, Iris Van Herpen and Olivier Theyskens for the New York City Ballet.

This is one of my favourite ways to wear dressy bootcut trousers at the moment. Not with a blouse, shirt, or knitted top, but with a luxurious fluid pullover, or upscale sweatshirt. Something about the combination feels more modern and current. Wear the top untucked, or semi and faux tucked, with or without a belt. Add pretty shoes, a trench or wool coat, and you’re sorted. Easy, relaxed, polished and very comfortable. I’m even loving leaving off the jacket, which is unusual for me because I love jackets. But when it’s colder, I will add in the jacket as a layer under my coat. 

There are two ways to approach the top part of the outfit formula: 

1. Wear a pullover with sparkle or embellishment which creates enough visual interest to leave off the belt and eye-catching shoes. In some instances a patterned pullover or upscale sweatshirt will work as well.  
2. Wear a solid pullover, but add in a belt and statement shoes to compensate for the lack of jewellery and embellishment. 

Choose any colour palette. I’ve chosen black and grey bottoms because they are mainstream. I’m inspired by the colours of Spring 2014 on the runways of fashion week, so I’ve added blush, citron, gold and black into the mix.

Here are the components:

• Bootcut Trousers: Fabulous fit is key. You’re after great drape and long pant lengths in a wool or wool blend. Neutrals like black, grey, taupe, navy, brown or a pinstripe are versatile. Throw in a pair of bootcut tuxedo trousers too. 
• Pullover: You can go the embellished, patterned and bling-y route. Or the solid and plainer route by adding in the bells and whistles with statement shoes and belt. Choose luxe fabrications and a slightly roomy fit with a neckline of your choice. A welt on the hem creates structure so I’m all for that when matching this style of pullover with fluid bootcuts. High-low hemlines are another option. Leave the top untucked, or casually tucked. Scrunch the sleeves for structure. 
• Shoes: I vote pointy or almond toe heeled booties or pumps because pointy toes are a perfect match for wider hems. But round toes will also work, so don’t worry if you can’t wear or don’t like pointy toe footwear. I like to add an eye-catching shoe to the version with the solid plain pullover because it makes the outfit pop. I’d also add a belt to faux tuck the pullover, but that’s not essential. 
• Topper: Choose a trench coat, wool coat, or a dressy leather jacket if you need an extra layer. 
• Accessories: A structured bag adds a dressy touch to the outfit. An angular clutch will do the trick too. Incorporate jewellery, watch and eyewear as desired.

It’s a simple outfit where the individual pieces need to be strong and hold their own because you aren’t masking any imperfections with extra layers and scarves. 

Here’s a street style example of the formula in action. Lots of fabulous swagger and movement in that outfit. It’s one way to wear a more casual business casual outfit, or simply at times when you don’t want to dress up jeans.

This week’s roundup is for Team Grey. Solid grey items can look blah, but add in some texture, a subtle pattern, embellishment, blocking or trim, and grey springs to life. Note that some of the items also come in options other than grey, so be sure to check those out too. 

1. Halogen Print Pencil Skirt: Thick, stretchy and over the knee. 
2. Halogen Embellished Cashmere Sweater: Non-itchy and fun over the printed pencil skirt. 
3. Halogen Dolman Sleeve Tunic Sweater: Throw-on-and-go tunics with open necklines have been hard to find. This one comes in several colours and is an easy option over skinnies matched with jacket, boots and scarf. 
4. Via Spiga Knit Collar Wool Blend Topper: Streamlined, yet roomy. Great pattern and cozy knit inserts. Unfortunately no side entry pockets so sport a cute pair of gloves instead. 
5. Via Spiga Zip Front Mixed Media Coat: Tailored and sporty, with a hint of retro. The diagonal lines created by the colour blocked insets both in the front and back are extremely flattering. 
6. Eileen Fisher Asymmetrical Merino Wool Sweater: Graphic, swingy, and with the elusive V-neck. The charcoal inset is repeated in the back. Size down. 
7. Vince Tri Colour-block Turtleneck: Oversized and chunky, yet streamlined and pretty flattering because of the drape and high-low hemline. Non-itchy. I bought this turtleneck last year in ink and charcoal and love it. It’s no wonder that they repeated the winner this season.  
8. Vince Textured Drape Cardigan: This sweater coat is stunning and you might need to size down. It’s a great item to have for working at home, or popping on fast when you’re rushing out the door. It’s stylish, cozy, casual and very comfortable. 
9. Kristen Blake Faux Shearling & Faux Fur Moto Jacket: A little ’70s magic for Team Boho. Fun piece. 
10. Elizabeth and James Layla Foiled Pencil Skirt: Metallic fabness. Glam yet sporty. Fashion forward yet classic. An interesting skirt that is begging to be matched with pastel cashmere.

I don’t wear grey well at all, so I match it with a bright, black, ink, or white to avoid looking deathly. I also like the look of grey warmed up with cognac accessories or footwear.

Knitwear designer Kristabel Plummer was born and bred in London. She likes to collect things with her initial on them and documents her quirky, playful outfits over at I Want You To Know. Kristabel has an amazing collection of unique jewellery, she also loves chunky footwear and can’t say no to fun patterned hosiery. Her style is creative, relaxed and adventurous, demonstrating that she is not afraid to try something different and has fun with fashion every day of the week. 

Short shorts + eye-catching patterned hosiery + chunkier footwear is one of Kristabel’s signature looks. It’s youthful and cheeky, and fits her style persona to a T. Sporting patterned tights is an easy way to add texture to an ensemble. They also do a great job of de-bomshelling the short tailored shorts. So does the Peter Pan collar, which can sometimes feel a bit twee, but not in this outfit. The romantic scalloped edge reads ladylike and a little retro. It’s a sweet juxtaposition against the tougher black leather shorts and white chunky-heeled sneakers. These also show that you don’t need to have light-coloured hair to bookend light footwear. The crisp white collar — attached to a mock shirt, not an actual shirt — does the trick here. I adore how our blogger added the vibrant red cable-knit sweater as a nod to the Christmas period. It gives the entire outfit a strong graphic vibe, that is further enhanced by the addition of a black canvas tote bag with a big white letter K. To stay in the holiday spirit, Kristabel picked a gold-coloured ring in the shape of a gift wrap bow as her statement accessory.

Isn’t this telephone-dial print T-shirt terrific! I share Kristabel’s love for clothes and accessories with a typographical theme, and that’s why I’m choosing this outfit as my favourite. The entire look has a ladylike tomboy vibe that I adore. The semi-tucked tee reveals a simple brown belt that plays well with the light beige trench. The fluid fit of the coat contrasts nicely with the slim-fit boyfriend jeans. Scrunching the sleeves and baring forearms adds extra structure. Pink red lipstick and the red Swedish Hasbeens provide a happy pop of colour. Also note how the light-coloured wooden soles and red leather of the clog sandals echo the colours in Kristabel’s tee and trench. Our blogger has an impressive collection of quirky and striking jewellery. Here she’s opted for a sweet tortoise pendant, architectural gold ring and spiky bracelet. Light blue and white nail polish in a chevron pattern — fun nail art is another of Kristabel’s style trademarks — finishes off the look.

Kristabel is a skirt and frock girl at heart, and this multi-coloured knit tube skirt, made with silk, wool, viscose and cotton yarns, is very special. It’s one of her own designs and was part of her graduation collection. She pulled it out of storage to attend London Fashion Week two years ago. This beautiful skirt is the well-deserved star of the show. A black sheer blouse adds ladylike lightness, while Kristabel’s trusted black leather jacket toughens up the look. Chunky black wedge booties with silver grommets ground the outfit. It can be difficult to pull off a midi with ankle socks, but our fashion-forward blogger hits exactly the right mark. Both the socks and the school bag vibe of the Cambridge satchel add a playful feel. I especially love the addition of the ink blue bag here, because pairing this dark blue with black feels sophisticated and fresh.

This leopard print mixed with stripes look perfectly showcases Kristabel’s eclectic style tendencies. I like that the background of the faux fur coat is slightly yellowish, while the sweater is optical white with black. It makes the pattern mixing even more dramatic. I just adore the retro feel of this topper! It took Kristabel a long time to come round to leopard print, but now she couldn’t live without her cosy, plush coat that “goes with everything”. Red is undoubtedly one of Kristabel’s go-to colours, and it looks amazing here with the black and white prints. The flirty skater style skirt hits mid-thigh, and is de-bomshelled by pairing it with opaque white hose and cute animal print socks, that add an extra animal print into the mix. Black zip-up suede wedge booties provide textural interest and bookend our blogger’s dark locks. A red tote with gold hardware is a fun matchy-matchy tie in with the skirt. Kristabel’s choice of jewellery is a great example of her “mixing different styles” skills: one wouldn’t immediately expect a very clean, avant-garde looking ring, a bold spiky bracelet and arts and crafts-inspired multi-coloured necklace to play well together, but Kristabel pulls it off with aplomb.

There’s a bit of a preppy school uniform look going on here, but with cheeky shorts instead of a skirt. Short shorts like these are great on younger gals, and the geometric patterned tights definitely add extra pizzazz. The  ton-sur-ton buttoned-up tonal floral print shirt reads strict and feminine at the same time. The light blue looks wonderful with the light grey and burgundy, don’t you think? The longer length one-button blazer has a low stance that is very on trend this Fall, so is the burgundy colour. Wearing the blazer open creates and attractive vertical line down the front of the body. I don’t often think of pairing bright red with burgundy, but I love the addition of the red satchel here. It’s fresh and interesting. Kristabel picked blue-grey nail polish, small earrings and a slim pendant as her low-key accessories. I really like how the delicate necklace contrasts with the black chunky lace-up ankle boots, that add a spot of punky RATE (Rough Around the Edges) to the outfit. A juxtaposition that is an integral part of Kristabel’s creative style.

This is why a dress is such a versatile piece. It makes a statement on its own, and can take you practically anywhere when you add a striking pair of shoes and fab bag. The simplicity of this two-piece outfit is right up my alley. So is the black, ink blue and white colour combo. Strong and minimalist. It was the perfect choice to wear to the Vogue Festival 2013, effortlessly fashion-forward and completely in line with Kristabel’s playful style persona. The knee-length drop-waist sack dress is voluminous and unstructured. The black leather jacket reins in the volume, and hits her at exactly the right spot to make the overall proportions work. The column of colour creates a long lean line. As you’ve probably gathered from the photos, Kristabel is a huge fan of the Cambridge style satchels. She has them in quite a few colours. Here, the white version packs instant punch. Together with the iridescent metallic oxfords it adds an androgynous touch, creating a fun contrast with the girly frock. A bold red lip, oversized sunnies, “confetti” nails and a quirky bright-coloured necklace are all that’s needed to make our blogger “fashion event-ready”.

Be sure to click on all the outfit links to view close-ups of Kristabel’s fab jewellery and nail art. Browse her archives for a good look at the rest of her outfits. And then check out her colourful pinboards for even more inspiration. But first let us know in the comments what you think of Kristabel’s playful and quirky style.