PRE VIEW: REISS AW 13

Reiss lifted the lid on their Autumn Winter 2013 collection this week and I was lucky enough to be attend the press day. Reiss is one of the few British labels that deftly balances luxury, high end quality with much more affordable prices.

My preview of the new collection started off with a Reiss benchmark: fine tailoring. I really liked the modern, slim fit silhouette for the season, cut in a variety of luxe fabrics and colourways. I was immediately drawn to a soft grey three piece suite in Prince of Wales check, styled with a matching houndstooth military overcoat. It's just quintessentially British and totally on trend when you look at some of the other great winter collections. The colour palette for tailoring and the collection as a whole expands to include deep, inky blues, crisp wintry whites and rich shades of brown and green.

My favourite part of the collection has got to be the outerwear. It's usually the backbone of any great winter collection and Reiss really knocked it out of the ball park with their offering. It's a great mix of formal overcoats and trenchcoats to more casual options like quilted biker jackets and this year's breakout wardrobe favourite, the bomber jacket all presented in fresh contemporary cuts and fabrics.

Aside from the clothes, I was really impressed with the new fragrance line from Reiss. It's made up of two perfumes, Black Oud for men and Grey Flower for women. The fragrances were created by Reiss founder, David Reiss and perfumer, Azzi Glasser. I tried both of them and I think they are truly a feast for the senses. As much as I love both of them, I preferred Grey Flower. The scent is surprisingly musky for a women's fragrance. It's not flowery or frou-frou but quite mature with a spicy kick. The perfume range took over two years to develop and from what I can tell, the outcome was worth the wait. they've got the look and feel of luxury and decadence without breaking the bank. Look out for Black Oud and Grey Flower when they launch in September.

Looking back at the collection it's clear that Reiss are looking at creating timeless pieces. Pieces that will sit well in your current wardrobe and transcend seasons without looking dated. With so much disposable fashion at both ends of the scale it's great to see a brand that understands what true style is all about.

The Owls: Agi & Sam x Topman Collection

Over the past three years, British design duo Agi & Sam have succeeded in injecting the landscape of British menswear with their unique sense of style and humour. When I started seriously considering starting up my own blog a few years ago, Agi & Sam was one of the first British labels I was instantly drawn to. Seeing the models come down the runway clad in those vivid digital prints that have become part of the Agi & Sam signature was a really captivating sight. The ladies might cling to their Mary Katrantzou and Peter Pilotto prints but I’m pretty sure Agi & Sam have been really instrumental in making print cool again for menswear. 

Three seasons on and the buzz surrounding the East London designers is phenomenal. Releasing an exclusive collaboration with high street powerhouse, TOPMAN is a stroke of genius. With London Collections: Men fast approaching, this is the perfect time to introduce their label to a much wider audience. 

The designers took inspiration from their East London neighbourhood and the sporting spirit of the 2012 Olympics as the starting point for their 20 piece collection. What better place to start than Britain’s favourite sport? Yeah we’re talking football! The duo created a complete kit for their imaginary team, ‘The Owls.’ Watercolour feathers, speckled egg shells and owls are motifs used across the entire collection. I really love the way they’ve taken a stereotypically masculine idea of sportswear and supercharged it with their tongue-in-cheek humour and expertise in print and colour. Aside from the sportswear, the collection boasts a strong range of suits and shirting in slick silhouettes. 

As a HUGE fan of the watercolour ducks and chickens that punctuated their AW12 runway collection I’m chuffed that they've added a charming avian touch to this new capsule collection. I’m totally obsessed with the white, owl print football jersey and that double breasted suit in the speckled egg print. ‘The Owls’ collection launches on June 4th.

Side Note: It took me ages to find out the name of the handsome brunette modeling this collection. For anyone who cares, his name is Tom Middlehurst. I love his boyish charm, chiseled cheekbones and freckles...definitely my male model of the moment!