Ginger & Smart

The runways were awash in fresh hues at Mercedes Benz Fashion Week, bringing welcome respite from the khaki/black/Bordeaux/navy of the A/W palette we've become so accustomed to. The Spring/Summer season traditionally signals the return to colour, but this season a definitive palette emerged from the catwalk. Bold, almost paintbox-bright tones of cobalt, marigold and fuchsia replaced last season's ubiquitous neon brights and pastels were back, albeit in powdered-back incarnations of sky blue, peppermint and the palest of pinks.

Of course there was black and white, but that (as we detailed in our mega-trend round-up) was worn almost exclusively together, and as part of a broader mod-inspired trend. A new set of go-to neutrals emerged with a modern, almost sci-fi edge; white (often worn head to toe), navy blue and high-shine silver provided crisp contrast to the vibrant brights or pretty watercolour hues. True, the temperature might be in decline but advance notice is always a handy thing! Get acquainted with the colours that are set to define the new season. 

Sometimes it's not simply the clothes, but more the way they're put together than can make a collection look all shiny and new. Fashion week brought with it a cascade of new season trends and colours (you've checked out our mega-galleries by now, right?), but in addition to all of that designers were employing some nifty styling tricks that we're keen to try too (read: blatantly steal). From the unexpected footwear at Dion Lee's exclusive presentation to the new school way of wearing your shirt at Watson X Watson — there's a slew of new school ways to wear. Let's go! 

We sifted throught the strongest trends and narrowed down the hottest colours from fashion week, so now it's time to get personal. Picking the ultimate look from a favourite show is like choosing between children! There was a slew of killer exits and inspired collections at MBFWA, so we've had to be ruthless to pick our absolute top ten. From Christopher Esber's roughed-up take on tailoring to Toni Maticevski's brave new look to the dreamy creations that wafted down Alice McCall's catwalk, see who made the grade. 

Alexander Wang kicked things off when he released his super-chic, pared-back Prisma tote. Sporting nothing more than little metal corners holding four panels of quality leather together, the tote bag was a lesson in how to do understated accessories with style. Last week, Ginger & Smart put minimalism back on the map, with their MBFWA models toting simple, structured, almost masculine clutches and shoulder bags as they hit the runway. After a few seasons of printed, quirky, misshapen styles, these clean, monochromatic bags are like a breath of fresh air. See our top 10 picks here!

Sore feet (and backs!) aside, fashion week left us with a tonne of new season inspiration. The big trends and hottest colours indicate that Spring/Summer 2013-'14 is going to be a very slick season, sartorially speaking, so I was keen to ask what pearlers from the runway made the most impact on our POPSUGAR editorial team. The actual threads may not be hitting stores until June/July, but that won't stop us from nabbing the new season looks now. Credit cards at the ready? OK, you're all set to shop the runway. 

The Ginger & Smart girls are known for their way with a tricked-up graphic, and their Spring/Summer '13-'14 collection stays strikingly true to this visual signature. Rainbow-prism patterns and placement lace prints took centre-stage, with a fresh palette of navy, turquoise, white, peach and pale salmon playing backup roles. Linear motifs gave a graphic framework to the lineup of colour-blocked separates and the theme continued via window-pane-over-floral prints, strategic pattern-blocked splicing and match-stitch devore silks all walking the line in one way or other. Slick suiting was a feature, as were the nipped-waist special occasion frocks — but for our money it was the cheeky cut-out bustier tops, monotone suiting and clever origami-pleatwork in lush silk-satin that inspired. 

• Colours: Navy, white, black, turquoise, peach, emerald green, grey and pale salmon.
• Trends: Graphic prints, trouser suits, crop tops, cut-out, colour-blocking, navy blue and graphic prints. 
• Key Looks: A striking three peice trouser suit complete with crop top got our attention, as did the double-breasted zip-front blazers, a luxe-looking pair of white leather jodphur pants worn with a navy silk crop top and the interesting back detailing on the cocktail frocks.
• Accessories: Colour-blocked platform leather sandals, dainty driving gloves, neat leather cuffs worn on each wrist and architecturally inspired rectangular box bags and clutches.

The Ginger & Smart woman is all about effortless nonchalance, and the hair and makeup for their collection showing this morning at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Australia speaks to it perfectly. Napoleon Perdis has gone for angular lines and graphic shapes to tie-in with the design duos' signature aesthetic, while Redken's Richard Kavanagh kept the hair undone and cool using a unique tonging trick. Ready for the backstage breakdown?

What a night! David Jones rolled out the red carpet last night for Sydney's style-set, with a slew of well-dressed celebrities, media-types and fashion designers frocking up to see the a runway preview of the department store's Autumn/Winter '13 collections. Of course ambassadors Miranda Kerr (clad in what she called a "biscuit coloured" Ellery frock and Valentino heels) and Jason Dundas were on deck, as were Megan Gale who got sexy in a Lisa Ho leather shift, Jesinta Campbell who looked slick in all-black Ginger & Smart, girl-about-town Isabelle Cornish who looked adorable in black lace Lover, and Emma Freedman who wore a sculptural Camilla and Marc frock. In short, it was this year's best-dressed crowd by a long shot. Want to see more? Step inside to zoom in on all the stylish details from David Jones' fashionable arrivals. 

Sisters Genevieve and Alexandra Smart have been at the designing helm of Ginger & Smart for ten (yes, really, ten!) years now — so they thought it was high time they added to their nuclear fashion family. Meet the AKIN by Ginger & Smart, the diffusion line aimed at a slightly younger G&S customer. The collection's focus on polished tailoring and head-turning print and colours have been clearly inherited from the big-sister brand, but AKIN has a distinctly flirtier and more youthful aesthetic. Genevieve explained, “We launched AKIN with the concept of designing a collection of youthful, playful pieces that are accessible to a younger girl. It’s about dresses to dance and have fun in.” We could definitely see those skater-skirts and cut-out frocks turning heads on the dance floor. Best bit is there's nothing that'll hit you for more than $300. The line hits racks today both in-store nationally at David Jones, and on the mainline brand's e-boutique. Get it while it's hot.