ASOS Blog

Exclusive Sneak Peek - High Summer Collection Preview

If you're wondering what you'll be wearing come high summer this year, then you're about to find out!

The great and the good from the ever-glamorous fashion media descended on asos.com earlier this month to view our up-and-coming high summer collection and share their views on what to buy for this years summer essentials.

In this exclusive insider video clip we give you a sneak preview of what’s due online in the coming months at asos.com. The high summer collection will be arriving on site throughout May - so start working on your wish list now!

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Paris Fashion Week Round-Up

Our eyes are droopy, bags are beginning to form and we’re most definitely feeling a little dazed and confused – yet, despite the Fashion Week Fatigue having set in long ago, we’re still committed to bringing you all the gossip and new trends from Fashion Week. How dedicated? This weekend saw the last of the Big Four wrap up – here’s all you need to know from the Parisian shows. Until next time..!

After seasons and seasons of femininity, the femme fatale is back with a vengeance. Black dominated the Paris catwalks - a glossy, sexy black - with leather, patent and satin upping the sex factor. At Yves Saint Laurent the models had ultra-glossy hair and black lips to complete the "don't mess" look. Meanwhile, over at Alexander McQueen, figure-hugging suits celebrated the female form in a thoroughly hard-edged way.

There may be a global credit crunch imminent, but you wouldn’t know it from the Christian Dior runway. Going in the completely opposite direction of the stark looks above, the Dior show was a jubilant celebration of all things extravagant – with the finest glossy satins in the richest and most regal of colours, complete with masses of blinging embellishment, Dior designer John Galliano showed all his usual flare. With just a hint of the 60s evident in vibrant prints and stark, mononchromal eye make-up, it was a thoroughly fun and frivolous affair – a welcome antidote to the doom and gloom forecast.

* Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, Claudia Schiffer and Rihanna at Chanel

* Lucy Liu and Monica Cruz at Christian Dior

* Rihanna, Kanye West and Lucy Liu at John Galliano

* Amy Winehouse rocked the Paris scene on closing night by performing to the 600-strong crowd gathered at the Fendi store to celebrate its re-opening. Backed by her full band, the London girl clearly felt over-awed by the occasion (well, she was hand-picked by Mr. Lagerfeld himself) as she announced to Kanye West, Jessica Alba, Rihanna and the rest of the audience "forgive my ignorance, but I don't know anything about fashion". Hmmm - wonder how her management company will like that comment, considering it's rumoured they're lining her up to introduce her own fashion line...

* Fendi weren't the only ones celebrating a store opening - Yves Saint Laurent also hosted an in-store party to toast opening the doors on a new shop. It wasn't quite as celeb-packed an affair however - it was left to guest of honour Lucy Liu to add some star-status.

Milan Fashion Week Round-Up

The fashion world said "ciao, Milano!" as the fash pack arrived in the Italian city last week for the third of the "Big Four" fashion weeks - only Paris remains. Read on for all the trend and celebrity news from the fashion front line...

Atten-shun! Military detailing was big news in Milan, which will reignite this age-old trend for autumn/winter '08. The smart military coats seen on the Moschino runway were more than a little reminiscent of The Beatles circa the Sgt. Peppers era, with masses of brooches and brocade (although we don't know how keen the Fab Four would have been on the cute sea horse emblems - we, on the other hand, love them). Meanwhile, Christopher Bailey went for a more muted, war-vet version at Burberry with neutral officers coats worn with woolly beanie hats.

We hate to use the word 'boho' (this term having been overused so massively back in 2005), but it looks as though the designers are intent on a resurrection - with a good dollop of Italian glamour, obviously. The models at both Gucci and Just Cavalli wore bohemian printed tunics, with the girls at the later show wearing wide-brimmed felt hats which more than hinted at the '70s.

* Fergie at Dsquared², Dolce & Gabbana (with Lindsay Lohan) and Versace

* Sheryl Crow and Naomi Campbell at Dolce & Gabbana

* Margherita Missoni and Suzy Menkes at Missoni (naturally)

* Neither The New York Times or Style.com received any invites to Monday's Dolce & Gabbana show, which set the tounges a-wagging. Rumour has it that the Italian duo were less than pleased with the reviews both establishments gave of their previous season's collection. Take note, editors...

* In a continuation of the 'handbags at dawn' theme, Giorgio Armani surprised those gathered to hear him speak at the launch of the Superheroes: Fashion and Fantasy exhibiton when he launched a verbal attack on American Vogue editor Anna Wintour, despite her being present in the crowd. Apparently reacting to Wintour's past comment that "the Armani era is over", the designer pondered why it was that so many people disliked her. Ouch - fashion just got tough!

London Fashion Week Round-Up

London calling! The British capital always promises a jolly good Fashion Week, and this time round we more than delivered. Fun, vibrant and oh-so-cool, find out who wore what where - and what the designers have in store for you come autumn...

The design world looked to Britain's roots for their A/W 08 collections, with traditional fabrics such as tweed, tartan and wool featuring heavily. Paul Smith produced outfits that inspired thoughts of your granny in the county, with cardigans and checked trousers worn with retro-cool headscarves. Paul Costelloe's collection featured tartan pencil skirts and coats in a muted grey, white and black colour palette, whilst Henry Holland brought the Scottish check slap-bang into the present with bright colours, statement shoes and his trademark printed tees at House of Holland.

Futurism was most definitely evident on the London catwalks. The girls at Louise Goldin had minimalist slicked back hair, and modelled outfits with bold futuristic graphics. Elsewhere, Krystof Strozyna plated with proportion, with oversized domed capes, sharp shoulders and rounded sleeves in ultra-white.

* Kelly Osbourne, Kimberly Stewart, Alexa Chung, Lily Allen and Jamie Winstone at Luella

* Peaches and Pixie Geldof at PPQ - the big celebrity draw of LFW. Click here to see all the pictures.

* Kelly Osbourne and Kimberly Stewart (again!) at Vivienne Westwood

* Dame Vivienne Westwood, the original Queen of Punk, made a triumphant return to London after 10 years of showing her Red Label in Paris. Girl-around-Camden Daisy Lowe took to the catwalk in her honour, modelling a collection that was as full of attitude as you'd expect. Dame Viv's return to the capital also coincided with an appearance on Friday Night with Jonathon Ross. Did you see her? All we'll say is what a legend.

* Model of the moment Agyness Deyn seemed to be strangely missing from the Fashion Week scene until she popped up on the catwalk at House of Holland wearing a mysterious tartan eye patch. The reason for her Scottish pirate look? Find out here.

* The party of the week was thrown by Elle, who hosted their 11th annual Elle Style Awards. Alexa Chung played host and was pretty in pink in a tiered Luella dress. Check out all the other outfits here.

New York Fashion Week Round-Up

You may not have even quite got to grips with your spring wardrobe yet, but the fashion powers that be have already determined what you'll be wearing by autumn/winter. In the first of our international runway reports, we take a look at the trends, celebs and stories of New York Fashion Week A/W 08...

Not in a casual sense – indeed, there was definitely more than a hint of tailoring on the runways - but most definitely in terms of simple, fuss-free dressing. Marc Jacobs showed the most basic of jackets, trousers, skirts and tops in a sombre colour palette of greys, blacks and creams with dull metallic highlights, whilst Francisco Costa sent minimal, sharp-cut dresses and jackets in navy blue and grey down the Calvin Klein runway on models with minimal make-up and slicked-back hair.

Fashion’s always looking to the past for inspiration, and autumn/winter 08 will be no exception – there was a distinctly old school flavour evident on many catwalks. Diane Von Furstenberg’s models simply oozed Marlene Dietrich 40s glamour, with formal coats, nipped waists and très ladylike gloves and retro hats. Elsewhere, the old school theme continued at Michael Kors, where the models had mini-beehives and wore outfits with either very elegant pencil skirts or full and fabulous skirts, again belted at the waist.

* Victoria Beckham (along with K-Fed!?) at Marc Jacobs

* Anne Hathaway, Chloe Sevigny, Mary-Kate Olsen and Milla Jovovich at Miss Sixty

* Joss Stone, Rihanna, Rose McGowan and Fergie at Max Azria

* Helena Christensen, Julianne Moore, Maggie Gyllenhaal and Kelly Rowland at Tommy Hilfiger

*Rock offspring Daisy Lowe and Sean Lennon at THREEasFOUR

* The fash pack let out a collective gasp as model Karen Elson disastrously fell whilst strutting down the Zac Posen runway. Fortunately, P Diddy - gentleman that he is - was on hand to rush from his front row seat and help the embarrassed maiden to her feet.

* Notably absent until the final few days, Posh more than made up for it - after attending Marc Jacobs' show as guest of honour, the Spice Girl nipped across to the Project Runway show (the American version of Project Catwalk) to join Heidi Klum in celebrating the finalists' work.

* The biggest and best event of fashion week? Without a doubt the UNICEF fundraiser hosted by Madonna and Gucci - click here for all the pictures.

Trend Alert! Special - Paris Fashion Week Round-Up

And then there was Paris. The last stop on fashion's whirlwind world tour. As usual, it didn't disappoint...

EMERGING TRENDS

* Florals - Romance (yes, again), but this time they said it with flowers. At Balenciaga peony, rose, gladioli, violet and gardenia prints flourished, while at Galliano it was all roses, chiffons and light-as-air softness. Stella McCartney and Christian Lacroix also got in on the act. Glorious.

* Stripes - If florals aren't your bag, other prints were still prevalent. Particularly visible were stripes at Chanel and Dior, and a good smattering of animal print elsewhere.

SPOTTED FRONT ROW

Dita Von Teese, Victoria Beckham, Kanye West, Courtney Love, Kirsten Dunst and Chloe Sevigny all made appearances on the last leg of the fashion marathon, with the Chloe show proving to be the big celebrity pull. They came, they saw, the quaffed champagne. Until September daahlings...

Trend Alert! Special - Milan Fashion Week Round-Up

The Fashion Week journey continues, with Milan wrapping up at the weekend. The arguable style capital of the world certainly put on a good show, as we reveal...

EMERGING TRENDS

* Romance (again) - pre-empted by the London shows, Milan continued the emerging romance theme. The Dolce & Gabbana show featured dresses made of reams of delicate gauze in the prettiest of hues, decorated with oversized bows and flower motifs. Even the likes Roberto Cavalli got in on the act - gone was his trademark full-on glitz and glamour, with feminine chiffon frocks in their place.

* Graphic Shapes - there seemed to be optical illusions incorporated into the shows at Emilio Pucci and Fendi. Heading up Pucci, Matthew Williamson went wild with an assortment of angular and intricate shapes in the brightest, whilst Karl Lagerfeld at Fendi went for circles within circles within even more circles in monochrome and pastels on maxi dresses, skirts and belted tunic tops alike.

SPOTTED FRONT ROW

* Naomi Campbell and Tara Reid at Cavalli

* Anna Wintour and Winona Ryder at Alberta Feretti

* Elle MacPherson at Belstaff

FASH PACK'S FAVOURITES AND GOSSIP

* Sienna Guillory played role reversal with the paps - hanging out with Rosario Dawson front row at Moschino, she was approached by one of the photographers, only to be asked if she'd mind taking his and Rosario's picture! Fair play to the girl, she happily obliged.

Trend Alert! Special - London Fashion Week Round-Up

They came, they saw, they quaffed champagne. This year's London Fashion Week was the best it'd been for a good few years - read on as we report from the fashion front-line...

EMERGING TRENDS

Oh, how we love a trend! Of the looks you'll be working come spring next year, London will be responsible for the following...

* Geek Chic - you may be a fabulous fashionista, but that doesn't mean that you don't engage in a touch of comic book browsing or Wikipedia reading every now and then. Sound like you? Then there's good news, as geekz ruled in London. Luella Bartley's collection was littered with cardigans and plaids, with the models wearing thick-rimmed glasses, whilst some of Peter Jensen's models could have been Daphne from Scooby-Doo's younger (and funkier) sister.

* Romance - love was most definitely in the air in London, floating down the runways in all shapes and sizes. Christopher Kane's collection was remarkably romantic, considering his previous ranges, with ruffles a-plenty and a soft colour palette of light greys, baby blues and clean whites. Giles Deacon meanwhile produced nipped-waist full-skirted prom dresses that Carrie Bradshaw would squeal in delight at (apart from the Bambi-with-blood-squirting-from-her-neck motif - interesting to say the least).

SPOTTED FRONT ROW

* Lily Allen at Luella

* Tara Palmer-Tomkinson at Ben de Lisi

* Erin O'Connor, Trudi Styler, Daisy Lowe and Prince (Prince!) at Matthew Williamson

FASH PACK'S FAVOURITES AND GOSSIP

* Peaches Geldof added "model" to her impressive CV (which already boasted "writer", "TV presenter" and "professional party girl" in the Work Experience section) by taking to the catwalk for PPQ.

* Naomi Campbell did her bit for charidee with her "Fashion for Relief" show which, amongst others, featured Lily Cole, Leah Wood and Fergie (the former royal, not of Black Eyed Peas fame).

* But the absolute highlight had to be Matthew Williamson's jubilant return to the London catwalk with a show that was elegant and unmistakably Williamson - oh, and Prince leapt on stage halfway through to perform his hit U Got The Look. How wonderful.

Look out for our Milan Fashion Week Round-Up next week.

Trend Alert! Special - New York Fashion Week Round-Up

Ok, ok, we know our New York round-up is a little late in coming, but hey - it's a tiring business this Fashion Week malarkey. Still, better late than never as they say - read on to find out who sat front row at who, all the hot gossip and what those in the know will be wearing next spring...

EMERGING TRENDS

Of all the 78 shows that took place, some very wearable key trends emerged - notepads at the ready, ladies...

* Simplicity - fuss-free fashion was the big story in New York, with clean lines, tailored silhouettes and simple layering gracing many a catwalk. Calvin Klein, a label renowned for its simplicity, had a distinct air of androgyny with fitted jackets over skinny trousers and basic t-shirt dresses, whilst Preen took to the New York stage for the first time with a utilitarian theme - cue oversized and tucked in roll-sleeve shirts, roomy jumpsuits and belted shirt dresses.

* Colour - for the third season in a row, colour was key on the catwalks, and not just the usual pastels and lighter hues generally associated with spring/summer - we're talking an explosion of Starburst brights. Vera Wang's collection featured satin aqua, purple and strawberry red, whilst Zac Posen sent his girls out wearing frocks in shocking shades of turquoise, orange, yellow and deep blue.

* Land and Sea - whether you're heading out to the desert or taking to the high seas, the design world has you covered. Derek Lam showed a safari-inspired collection with animal print dresses and skirts, plus coats and dresses in shades of khaki. Meanwhile, Tommy Hilfiger went all nautical with stripes and his trademark colours of red, white and blue.

SPOTTED FRONT ROW

* Demi Moore and Lucy Liu at Zac Posen

* Emmy Rossum, Diane Kruger, Rosario Dawson and Michelle Rodriguez at Tommy Hilfiger

* Demi Moore, Mischa Barton, Maggie Gyllenhaal and Hilary Swank at Miss Sixty

* And the one they all wanted to see - Victoria Beckham, Mischa Barton, Carmen Electra, Elisha Cuthbert, Helena Christensen and Sheryl Crow at Marc Jacobs

FASH PACK'S FAVOURITES AND GOSSIP

* The crowd at the Marc Jacobs show was left less than amused after having to wait for two hours after the scheduled start time to see the first model strut her stuff. Word has it Marc was supping in the hotel bar, although he strongly denies this...

*Gwen Stefani's L.A.M.B show was a resounding success, with the songstress taking her bow with son Kingston on her arm - the collection featured lots of trademark Stefani checks, stripes and high-waists.

Look out for our London Fashion Week Round-Up next week.

Trend Alert! New Season Coats

Now that September is here, it's time to turn your attention to the most important decision you'll make this season - choosing your winter coat. Good job there's plenty for you to choose from than, and to help narrow your search we've picked our four favourite coat trends...

Military

The classic military-style coat comes around every few seasons, making it a sound style investment - you'll be able to dig out again in a few years time, we promise. But back to this season, military coats were big news on the catwalks, including those of Roberto Cavalli and Aquascutum. The usual neutral shades are timeless, as modelled by Jessica Biel, but don't be afraid of mixing things up with colour - Pucci did them in bright hues of orange and pink.

Jacket

Whilst a full coat will serve you well once winter's chill sets in, for the autumnal transition from summer to winter it may seem a bit much, which makes the jacket an essential item. Peaches Geldof has already got in on the act, making this sweet Peter Pan collar jacket the focus point of a recent outfit. We're big fans of this bright coral mini-mac, which is versatile enough to wear with jeans for a casual look or over a killer dress to add a jolt of colour for a night out.

Leather

Sienna obviously knows that a leather jacket is the quickest way to add some rock chic kudos to your outfit, as she's already onto this trend. No surprise then that her exciting new Twenty8Twelve collection (which she co-designed with sister Savannah) features a great version. Fitting well with the new season's love affair with all things dark and delicious, leather jackets were big news at Just Cavalli, where they were worn with plenty of gloss and edge. And the good news? The older and more battered it gets, the better it'll look...

Voluminous

Big shapes were a massive runway look this season, with volume seen on everything from dresses to sleeves to skirts, and investing in a voluminous coat is one of the easiest ways to wear this tricky trend. We love this Bubble Hem Parka from TFNC, which nails the trend but remains casual, making it incredibly wearable. Alternatively, make like Paris and opt for a full skirted mac. Whichever way you choose to wear the trend, emphasise the volume by cinching the waist of your coat with a belt - a great way to add some block colour to the look too.

Trend Alert! Hi-Ho, It's To The Hoisery Department We Go

You should all be well-versed in next season's key trends by now (if not, watch out for our A/W trend round-up - coming soon!), and have gauged that block colour is going to be huuuuge. Well, here's our top trend tip (notepads at the ready...) - invest in a pair a coloured tights. Whether you wear them with your old faithful LBD or choose to mix things up and opt for clashing hues a la the Emilio Pucci collection, this is the easiest and most inexpensive way of wearing this trend. Bold ladies, such as Lizzie Jagger and Kimberly Stewart, will be daring and choose luminous hues, whilst the more conservative amongst you may opt for more muted shades like the lovely Fearne Cotton, or why not plump for classic grey in the style of Dasiy Lowe (the neutral shade for the season, FYI). And if you're feeling really brave, you could always dare to bear those legs and opt for socks with your heels as a cute, individual way of working the look. Aren't we helpful?

Trend Alert! Sequins

If there's one sure-fire way to guarantee all eyes are on you and only you, it's sequins. It's something the undisputed King of Glamour, Roberto Cavalli, is only too aware of judging by the dazzling sequinned tops and dresses he sent down his autumn/winter runway. And the good news is that sequins are no longer exclusive to evening wear, with sequinned boleros, tees and even hats adding glamorous touches to the most casual of looks - make like Paris and wear them with jeans. Where they make most impact however is on evening wear - whether you opt for a splattering of sequins like Scarlett Johansson, or full-on sparkle in an all-over sequin dress like Jade Jagger and Eva Mendes, the effect when light hits them is more striking than even the whitest of white Hollywood smiles. Go on - give 'em the old razzle dazzle.

Trend Alert! Hats

If this isn't a winning trend we'll eat our hat...celebs everywhere are donning the hottest of hats, and we know why. From hiding not-so-perfect hair on days when an extra 20 minutes in bed is much more appealing than the rigmarole that is washing your hair to keeping the sun off your face to simply adding an extra edge to your outfit, hats have a multitude of uses. And with so many style to choose from, it would be impossible to tire of this trend. Having featured heavily on the catwalks of Proenza Schouler, DKNY and Ralph Lauren, current celebrity favourites include the slouchy beanie, seen on The OC chums Rachel Bilson and Mischa Barton, cowboy hats à la Ashley Olsen, good old baker boys, favoured by Posh, and the ever-popular trilby, as modelled by Mischa (she loves a good hat, that girl). Invest in a hat or three and you'll have yourself a perennial style staple - and (forgive us) hat's no joke.

Trend Alert! Fashion Goes Bib-lical

We always knew that we were inherently stylish - how else do you explain the fact that we were wearing the latest hot celeb trend when we were still in nappies? And then again when we were 14? Granted, the first time round was to avoid any stray spoonfuls of baby food spoiling our nice new baby-grow and the latter time was in PE at school, running around a netball court like the adolescent maniacs we were. But still, that's beside the point.

Guessed what it is yet? Yes - bib front tops and dresses are all the rage at the moment. Seen on the Chanel spring/summer '07 catwalk, celebs everywhere have been quick to catch-on to this trend. From Nicole Richie's subtle bib detailing, Mischa's folky florals, Chanel-inspired black and white like Michelle Williams or full-on embellishment in the style of our very own Cat Deeley, a bib front is a classic way of adding an edgy element to the simplest of outfits.

Trend Alert! Pockets

There is a trend that has slowly been gaining momentum in Celeb Land in recent months, and has absolutely exploded of late - that trend is pockets.

Pockets have been everywhere recently, on tops and tunics and dresses. We're not sure exactly what it is about this trend that we love so much. Perhaps it's because it's keeping our hands warm in these not-so-summery months. Perhaps it's because it gives us an extra place to store our mobile / lip gloss / ipod / chocolate... or perhaps it's just because they look so darn sweet. Whatever the reason, celebs everywhere - from Cameron to Lindsay to Eva - are onto this trend already, jamming their hands into their pockets at every given opportunity. We have serious pocket envy...

Trend Alert! Summer Jackets

Not fair, not fair, not FAIR! We are getting seriously peeved at the distinct lack of summer going on at the moment - especially seeing as though we spent pretty much all of April getting excited about the impending sun, meticulously planning our summer wardrobe, gazing out of the window at the rain and knowing one day, not too far away, we would be sunning ourselves in parks, enjoying bar-be-ques with friends and would be able to throw on a dress and flip flops in the morning without giving a second thought to "should I take a coat just in case?".

Well, the weather's gone a put a spanner in the works of that fantasy. But it's not all bad news, for the doom and gloom appears to have kick started a hot new trend - summer jackets. Perfect for throwing on over that sun dress you are absolutely determined you will wear, with just enough substance to ensure you don't catch a chill, celebs are going cuckoo for short and sweet jackets at the mo. Whether you go for cheerful, bright shades like Sienna Miller and Victoria Beckham or more classic styles à la Cameron Diaz and Fergie, a good summer jacket will see you through the summer months and into the autumn. And we can only image what the weather will be like by then...