The charm of London Fashion Week lies in its diversity. With a parade of British beauty one moment, a tantalizing Turkish bazaar the next, this season in London was all about embracing both culture and creativity.
It is easy to lose track during Fashion Week, so here is our LFW breakdown. From the soundtrack to the sandals, this is London Fashion Week in a nutshell... Or, should we say, a suitcase.
Best Soundtrack
Runway shows are all about atmosphere; therefore the soundtracks are every bit as important as the collection itself.
Temperley London's set includes the likes of MS MR, Disclosure and London Grammar, while Antipodium gave us a blast from the past with hot 90's and noughties numbers from Gwen Stefani, Britney Spears and Garbage.
Here are our top fashion-forward tracks to get you in the SS14 spirit.
Best in FROW
Love him or hate him, teen heartthrob Harry Styles was arguably the face of LFW... Just ask Twitter!
His first appearance was at the star studded Burberry Prorsum show, where Mr. Styles sat pride of place between Burberry veteran Sienna Miller and fashion darling Suki Waterhouse. With other names to note including Alison Mosshart, Paloma Faith and Gabriella Wilde, Burberry Prorsum was certainly our Best in FROW.
From Blush to Bronze
For SS14, designers have given the English Rose a new lease of life.
At Burberry, the make-up team went for classicism with a touch of the contemporary. With polished skin and petal hued cheeks, this look is all about the eyes with a delicate pink shadow blended over the socket and eye line. Feminine but modern, this is a great everyday look for SS14.
Topshop Unique ,however, went for a different take on British Beauty. With a distinct morning-after aesthetic, Unique's look is all about deeply bronzed skin, glossy smudged lids and sunkissed lashes. Keep your eyes peeled for the ultimate make-up bag staple: Topshop's matte cake bronzer.
Time to Shine
Be it a subtle sheen or full-blown gleam, SS14 is all about shiny pretty things.
A far cry from futuristic metallics and hard-edged PVC, this season designers have gone for a softer approach. Particularly appealing were the iridescent pleats at Antipodium, where light reflecting sheers were layered over black triangle bras for a striking look.
Tom Ford kept things suitably glossy in perforated leather and plush satin, while Felder Felder opted for aquatic translucency and JW Anderson embraced new femininity with inky shimmering skirts. With so many variations, everyone can find their time to shine this season.
Brighten Up Buttercup
Bright yellow is sure to lift your mood, whatever the weather, and this sunny shade is back in a big way for SS14.
Preen by Thornton Bregazzi paired lemon with bold prints and patent silver, while Roksanda Ilincic's collection saw sunflower shades broken up by blocks of black and grey for a pop-art effect.
Colourful and creative, Peter Pilotto incorporated yellow into his signature digital prints of aqua and lime, while Mary Katrantzou's neo-floral prints saw citrine sitting pretty with electric blue.
Turkish designer Bora Aksu took a softer, traditional approach, rounding off his celebrated collection with a procession of crocheted dresses in buttercup yellow.
Sheer Beauty
Gone is the overt sexuality of seasons past: for SS14, London's leading designers have embraced a sophisticated approach to sensuality, with soft sheer fabrics from top to toe.
In some cases it was wonderfully pretty. Burberry proposed buttoned-up blouses in handcrafted lace; Mulberry showed sheer striped shifts in flesh tones and JW Anderson impressed with barely-there crop tops and gathered organza skirts.
Still, nobody does pretty quite like Erdem, whose monochrome collection was classic with a touch of sheer brilliance. This season's evening gowns fall to translucent silken skirts, while his trademark shift dresses appear in wafer thin silk with brocade and devoré.
The key to this look is to keep it subtle. A little sheer goes a long way...
Location, Location, Location
Fashion shows should always have an element of the spectacular, and London never fails to deliver on this.
The standout was Roksanda Ilincic's show. Inspired by the Brazilian art movement Neo-Concretism, the showspace was bright and airy, in keeping with the bold precision of the collection itself. Celebrated for her fun, flirtatious footwear, Sophia Websters' show was bound to be a treat. Set in the Secret Garden in Regent's Park, guests escaped the inevitable downpour to browse the garden inspired collection beneath a waterproof canopy.
Last but not least, the Burberry Prorsum show delivered a fabulous floral finale to compliment a collection of unrivaled prettiness.
Words and Images by Shona Wallace on behalf of Serena Guen
Twitter: @SWfashion_