ISSA
OK so it was yesterday but sadly too late for our round up. However it was a case of all aboard the Trans-Siberian Express as Russian came to a very chilly London.

Issa AW 12

Head-to-toe prints, elegant evening wear, fur hats and flowing maxi shapes made up the collection that was inspired by the journey from Moscow to Beijing. ‘The collection is very Russian-inspired and then there is Mongolian fur and Chinese influences that lead to art deco’, said Daniella Helayel post show of the collection. Happily, it still managed radiated her signatures (and best sellers) through silk jersey dress and floor-length lace gowns.

Back in November British Vogue asked all budding fashion designers to design a dress made entirely from paper as part of Online Fashion Week. In the weeks that followed over 200 applications were submitted to Facebook and the judging panel that included our very own Ruth Chapman and the Matches team were faced with tough decisions to make.

But there can only be one winner (drum roll please) and a huge congratulations go out to Aina Brence for her dress entitled Lady Like.

The winning dress

It seems some of our designer friends can’t help but collect accolades and awards lately, and rightly so. Our heartfelt congratulations must first go to Mary Katrantzou for her Emerging Talent award at the star-studded British Fashion Awards last night. Her show was one of the highlights of London Fashion Week for the Matches team and we are looking forward to the S/S 12 collection and amazing new prints launching in store and online soon.

Behind the scenes at Mary Katrantzou's S/S 12 show

Not even the torrential rain outside could dampen sprits at Thursday night’s preview of Roksanda Ilincic’s exclusive collection for Matches at No.23.

“I can feel my heart racing,” said one lucky customer heading off to the changing room with a Lovina dress in each colour. “It’s just such an exquisite collection.” She bought the Lovina – in both colours, no less – and was going to slip in to one later to go to a big event that very evening. “I just don’t know whether to wear the blue or the purple.”

Roksanda helps out