MANCHESTER

Going to university is arguably one of the best experiences of a young person's life. But visiting your friend at their university? Even better. All the fun, none of the work and the chance to catch up with one of your best friends halfway across the country.

After an eight hour coach/ train/ taxi trek from Sussex to Manchester, my first stop in Manchester was Status at Boutique.   

After a much-needed lie in, I was ready to shop. It may have only been Manchester rather than some far-flung corner of the world, but as I'd seen the day before Mancunian girls had a style all of their own: big hair, high heels and false lashes seemed to be daily attire and the glamorous girls looked polished and expensive. I was excited to see what the city had to offer. 

No trip to Manchester would have been complete without checking out their local branch of my favourite vintage shop, COW, where I picked up a purple floral playsuit and a Hawaiian shirt (don't judge me).  

Here come the touristy photos...

How much do we love Urban Outfitters?! I picked up a black tassel bracelet, leopard print pouch and gorgeous double-finger silver gem and chain ring, all in the sale.

Also I may be biased but...I <3 Topshop.

For my last night in Manchester, Tiger Tiger (rawr).

After this weekend...I can honestly say that I love Manchester!

THE BEAUTIFUL BUSINESS

Why does fashion week superstar Fern Mallis love working in the business of fashion? Because...

See the rest of the answers at businessoffashion.com

TOPSHOP TEES

With New York Fashion Week well under way, the whirlwind that is fashion month is about to hit London. To coincide with the start of London Fashion Week and celebrating 10 years of NEWGEN, past winners of the prize have collaborated with their sponsor Topshop to produce a diverse range of t-shirts for the high street heavyweight.

From Erdem's delicate blue and white China print with a lace collar to Meadham Kirchhoff's bold blonde-haired blue-eyed girl, this collection reads like a who's-who of emerging fashion. Mary Katrantzou, Louise Gray and Mario Schwab are on their way to becoming names in their own right, while Christopher Kane earned his sartorial stripes seasons ago.

Erdem

Mary Katrantzou

Christopher Kane

Designers include Ashish, Michael Van Der Ham, Peter Pilotto, Gareth Pugh, Peter Jensen...and so on. Take your pick; with so many talented alumni, you can't go wrong.

The 20 t-shirts will go on sale on Friday in stores and online here retailing at £30. £7 from each t-shirt will go to Centrepoint, making the items good for both your closet and your conscience.

HAIL MARY

By now the collaboration between up-and-coming designer Mary Katrantzou and established French luxury goods company Longchamp is hardly breaking news. But the partnership between the two fashion forces is too exciting not to mention.

Mary Katrantzou is the new master of print, her 'S/S 12 collection a mix of deco paint strokes, oceanic scenes and bold, almost dip-dyed florals. But the theme for these classic Longchamp totes? "When East Meets West".

Mary adorns the collection of seven handbag styles with a dreamy oriental scene of lanterns and orchids set against a geometric background of buildings and blue sky. The image is reflected back on itself, giving a print that is as striking as it is skillful.

The collection is out now, and while I can't afford it a girl can dream! Check it out via Colette here

BE MY BABY

This week, we saw a softer side to the fashion heavyweight that is LVMH. The parent company of French luxury house Celine announced that the A/W 12 runway show, due to be held on March 4th during Paris fashion week, has been cancelled, replaced instead with a low key presentation.

The reason? Creative director Phoebe Philo is seven months pregnant with her third child. As Marco Gobbetti told Women's Wear Daily, 'a runway show is a very demanding and personal engagement for a creative director', and while she will attend the presentation to promote her new collection, a full-on catwalk show would put too much of a strain on the designer.

With an asset like Philo, who has turned Celine into one of the most desired labels of the minute in just a few seasons, it is unsurprising that LVMH want to do everything they can to keep her happy and healthy. Her new minimalist aesthetic has captured the attention of fashion editors across the board, with Philo winning International Designer of the Year at the 2011 CFDA Awards.

FASHION FORWARD

Four of fashion's most exciting young talents have today been announced as the recipients of Fashion Forward sponsorship for two consecutive seasons. Henry Holland, Louise Gray, Mary Katrantzou and menswear designer James Long (the first menswear designer to receive this support) all win cash prizes to help with showing their collections in London, the creative capital of the world, and access to business support from the British Fashion Council.

Founded six years ago to provide funding for emerging British talent, Fashion Forward has previously been awarded to Christopher Kane, Erdem, Meadham Kirchoff and Peter Pilotto. These designers are now fully established in the fashion industry, and judging by their success, the future looks bright for Henry, Louise, Mary and James. 

These four designers have really begun to make their mark on the fashion world with their imagination, creativity and flair for colour and print. I can't wait for Fashion Week! Until then, look back at S/S '12

 

Henry Holland

James Long

Mary Katrantzou

Louise Gray

MARVELOUS MARC

How supercool are these Marc by Marc Jacobs S/S 12 campaign photos? Alice Dellal and Erik Andersson are shot by Juergen Teller in relaxed yet sumptuous designs.