BILL CUNNINGHAM

There are few places in the world that have the same allure as New York. Home of Carrie Bradshaw, Lady Gaga and everybody in between, the city that never sleeps is renowned for its mix of Paris' bourgeoise scene and the underground scene of London. Fascination with the residents of this legendary city is well-documented, mainly through the lens of Brandon, founder of Facebook group and cult phenomenon Humans of New York. But before Brandon there was another man with a camera; although he was less interested in transcribing the stories of the people of the streets, fashion icon Bill Cunningham managed to visually portray the story of some of the city's best-dressed dwellers. The 201 documentary "Bill Cunningham: New York" tells us the story of the man behind the New York Times' fashion page; it's a story that is as heart-warming as it is eye-opening, and it's a reminder that fashion photography is only as brilliant as it can be when executed without restraint. 

3.1 PHILLIP LIM A/W 2013

It only takes one look at the shows from New York Fashion Week to realise that the Big Apple has an aesthetic all of its own. All of the highlights were similar in their feel, epitomising the slick brand of city chic that New Yorkers do so well. The 3.1 Phillip Lim collection was no different - heavily centered around luxe leather and soft fur, the collection stood out by showing classic pieces that were well-executed. 

As is to be expected from Lim, traditional pieces were injected with shots of fluorescent colour - take, for example, the opening look, a beautifully-engineered coat with rounded shoulders and a colour palette of cream, black and neon pink. Lim succeeded in making outerwear interesting again, using interesting silhouettes and his own take on the tribal print in order to make the coats the focus of the collection. Leather mini-skirts and soft cocoon shorts were also seen in the same hot pink hue, yet the designer smartly paired them with neutrals making them look surprisingly wearable and exceedingly chic. 

ALEXANDER WANG A/W 2013

A strange thing happens in fashion when a successor is announced - attention turns swiftly away from the designer's talent and focuses instead on speculation and hyperbole. This was certainly the case when it was announced that Alexander Wang would be taking the reins from Nicolas Ghesquière and stepping into the role of creative director of fashion powerhouse Balenciaga, so the Alexander Wang A/W 2013 collection was his chance to focus the attention back on the sleek aesthetic and incredible talent for which he is so hugely respected. 

As usual, the collection centered mainly around the idea of futuristic sportswear - sleek silhouettes engineered in high-sheen fabrics, contrasted with slouchy jersey basics. The collection also presented a few nods to the world of boxing, namely the cute furry boxing gloves that added a playful element to the collection. The air of luxury was also prominent in the materials used - soft suede patches, shaggy mohair and slick leather were the fabrics of choice, seen on a variety of fitted coats and jackets that personified the "sport-luxe" niche that Wang embodies so well. Emphasis was placed on keeping warm, with models having their ears snugly covered by hooded mohair turtlenecks and knitted caps, whilst Wang dispelled the rumour that winter clothes have to be bulky to be cosy by showing a range of pencil skirts and fitted trousers in soft fur.