Is it a bit weird that I beamed to myself when I saw that Emma Cook was back on the schedule at London Fashion Week?  After two seasons of presenting a lookbook collection because of pregnancy, Emma Cook returned to the catwalks with a collection that was far more impactful than her previous two collections (though a white leather appliqué dress is my current lust item... the combo of salmon and white is intriguing the hell out of me...).  They even admitted they went a bit ‘crazy’ for their return.  Crazy in a good way thank god!  Thank you to the Independent for highlighting the fact that every Emma Cook collection has been named after a different vision of ‘Susan’, an imaginary character that Emma has concocted in her head.  ‘Suzy Styrene’ and ‘Right On Susan’ were the names of her previous collections.  Though under no circumstance should I be called Susan (I literally bristle if people call me that because there is no way that I see myself as a ‘Susan’....) her latest AW08-9 collection is called ‘Lonesome Susie’.  I therefore feel dutybound to love the collection and thankfully, it didn’t take a lot of convincing!  Lonesome Susie is apparently ‘an Italian exchange student doing Dolly Parton.  She’s a country-song Susan, all a bit tragic, widows and veils, a bit depressing.’  Ok a tad specific but if we graze over that and skip to the clothes, I think I’m happy to be that Italian exchange student doing Dolly Parton, except without the cleavage... 

Those trademark ways of prints, texture and surface are brought to life with tie dye latex, different tie dye techniques that form almost geometric patterns and an utterly beautiful hand drawn lace pattern.  Last week, as I saw the collection in the airy, light-filled offices of Relative PR, all those detailed ‘surfaces’ really came alive and I just couldn’t stop being mesmerised by that lace pattern especially because it is hand drawn.  Emma Cook is also responsible for designing the first pattern featuring stars that I officially like.   It’s the stars interwoven with webs. (I don’t have many dislikes but patterns with ‘stars’ and ‘rainbows’ just make me go ‘Ugh’ in a way that I can’t explain.)  The different shapes tops and floaty dresses in the lace patterns are all seriously covetable. 

The more stable denim/solid pieces have a great shape to them would be good to buy in to add a certain robustness.

I’m convinced about the tie dye but others may not be.  Still the softest cottons and wearable shapes puts that contemporary spin on tie dye that I think would work.

Webby mesh laced ankle boots are what I need.  Seriously.