Hurrah!  I finally have gotten hold of clear images that won't give migraines trying to pick out the details.  Yes, call me a Topshop flocker.  Yes, call me a high street sheep.  But as Hadley Freeman puts it in her new book (an extensive review later...) about label representation for each city 'Marc Jacobs for New York, Topshop for London, Prada for Milan and Chanel for Paris', I, amongst others flock for a reason.  Reason being the fabbiness of the range of designers that they are funding/supporting/collaborating with and also because the results of these collaborations are actually rather good.  (I'm so reclaiming the word 'good' because when I say it, I really mean it...).  So to the clear images we go, and to Topshop.com and a few selected Topshop stores we head over the next following weeks.

The first drop lands on 22nd January and consists of some seriously cleverly colouful offerings from Louise Goldin and Jonathan Saunders.  Saunders has reproduced a retrospective of his prints in a taunting array of colours.  I especially love the geometric patterned dress which I hope to wear in a very bare/unembellished way, letting the print do all the talking.  If the Jonathan Saunders for Target rumours are true, then I very much hope he produces something of the same ilk as these pieces.  No individual prices as such so a price bracket will have to suffice... £65-£85

I'm impressed that Louise Goldin has designed her Topshop collection so closely related to her SS08 collection using Intarsia knit with that familiar palette of juicy Starburst colours.  £85-£95

Then the mega mega drop happens a week before London Fashion Week on the 5th Feb.  Incidentally, I will be in New York at the time so on the night of the 4th (East Coast time...), I'll have to distract myself with noctural activities to stay up in time before it hits the Topshop website.  The time difference is likely to cause my brain to malfunction and then burn out so I'll be setting off all sorts of bizarre alarms on my phone and using hotel gadgetry to help me out. 

Not a slew of images available yet but here's another Christopher Kane dress that echoes the corset detailing of the pieces I posted about on Sunday.  The Scarlett O'Hara and Rambo as inspirations of the AW07-8 mainline collection are used here which explains a few things.  I'm still set on the grey dress though.... £65-£250

Marios Schwab is THE Topshop collection I was waiting for me and he hasn't disappointed as the key word here is 'statement'.  The off the shoulder black zip-up cotton dress coat is the only image I have but I'm having fantastic visions of the geometric printed dress with elastic straps and a hexagonal quilted high-shine jacket that means my money is on them for sure.  £65-£100 (thankfully sub £100...yay!)

I didn't realise Husam El Odeh who has collaborated with Marios Schwab on accessories on the catwalk, would also be doing some stuff for Topshop.  Good thing too as I've always wanted to wear a cigarette box on a necklace.  Does it matter that I don't smoke?  Lots of silver plate which I'm guessing means I'll have to loosen up the purse strings because I'm bewitched and fixated by a silver plated cigarette case hanging around my neck.

Me thinks Richard Nicoll fans will be loving this cleanly feminine collection that is inspired by make-up shades of nudes and slates.  I think the pieces lack the oomph for me but I can see them as being ever so useful.  £50-£95

Todd Lynn's offerings are also functional in the form of a black tux jacket with cut-off tails but alas, I'm sans image.  I imagine this is one of those jackets that would be a throw-on-and-go type garment.  £55-£95

So yes, you'll probably roll your eyes at my dedication to these capsule collections but like I said, I do so very much like to torture myself with in-store and online drop dates and the like.