I don't need to reiterate the 'big' story that has come out of this A/W 10-11 season.  Supposedly, we're all simultaneously growing up into our 30s, we're all looking to minimise, pare down, clean up and go for head to toe simplicity.  This 'new minimalism' we're talking about seems to have been taken at complete face value which is quite hilarious to think that come September, all ruffles, prints, shapes and frou frou will be completely shed in one sweeping action to be replaced by this so-called 'new minimalism'. 

Of COURSE I didn't go to the show as most peeps know, Balenciaga is a fortress that most people won't ever conquer.  Buuuuut... and I'll maintain this, a resee of the collection in the showroom is pretty awesome too, not least because touching the fabrication feats that Nicholas Ghesquiere pushed in this collection is pretty crucial to understand what the heck all these domestic textures are all about.  I snapped some of my favourite bits and bobs from a collection that had so many strands going on that it's basically a fabric fetishist's joy to go through on the rails...

>> What would be the perfect accompaniment to the anemone-esque beading of Dean Quinn?  Why, a heavy dose of ostentatious accessories that completely goes against the grain of the season's desire to pare back and tone down that ALSO happens to be inspired by the movements of anemone wafting in the sea, courtesy of Heaven Tanudiredja's new A/W 10-11 collection...

STOP!!  HOLD THE PRESS!! (Not sure what holding-of-the-press I'm referring to there...) Sandra Backlund, whose extraordinary knits have been around the internet and press block so much so that her lookbook images may be up there in the collections circulation chart, has not got any chunky hand knits in her new collection.  And.... *draws deep breath* she has used...fabric, NOT knits to create her sculptural pieces.  Do you need some water?  Something to fan you down perhaps?  I may be jesting but when I went to her showroom today, Sandra did tell me some people were quite physically shocked.