I'm ashamed to say that prior to her collections for Topshop, Michelle Lowe Holder was not someone I had heard of.  It just goes to the show that for a fashion consumer, as opposed to insider, it is amazing how Topshop has given young designers their own mainstream spotlight in a way that stockists in highly respectable/fashionable but slightly off the beaten track boutiques, really are not able to do. 

However, now it is her main collection that I'm paying vast attention to.  Especially for her SS08 collection, as she has cleverly ridden the waves of the sheer and plastic trends by incorporating those elements with the MLH trademarks.   The trademarks being a monochrome floral graphic print over black and white stripes and making those prints look modern as opposed to twee and overly femmine.   Without meaning for this to sound like a fabric conditioner detergent advert, the black crysanthemum and dandelion printed over washed out colours of pale blue, beige, yellow make me want to stick to the sort of floral that I've always liked; which is the stark, delicate and graphic sort as opposed to the onslaught of acidic/neon florals in store for next season. 

Going back to the sheer and plastic trend surfing though, seeing as this collection is called 'Layer Cake', there's a bit more complexity to merely just adding sheer fabrics.  The shoulder pads, collars are adorned with more than 50 layers of sheer fabric, inspired by the swatches sent over by fabric manufacturers.  The coffee coloured plastic jacket over the floral print is a nice play on binding artificial and natural.  Another MLH trademark is bead smocking with pearl beads in cream/coffee sewn on tulle necklines making another layer cake detail.