Autumn/Winter 13/14...Lanvin

I've been thinking a lot lately about occasion dressing. It may be the 60s feel of Spring Summer 13, finding inspiration in images of impeccably made up ladies wearing kitten heels and shifts, carrying neat little bags and smoothing their beehives with gloved hands. It may be my recent foray into Fashions on the Field, the most ladylike of competitions. Whatever the reason, I find myself wanting a break from my usual uniform of leather pants and denim shirts in favour of something more feminine.

Lanvin's collection struck a chord with me for this reason. The Lanvin lady this season stormed the runway in everything from cinched waist utilitarian coats to pieces embellished with flowers and jewel encrusted insects. She chose either a smoky eye or a stained lip, she layered chunky chains and medallions on her neck and wrists and paired her princess tiara with her brogues. The looks were impeccable, flamboyant and ultimately wearable.

'There was a youthfulness to it,' Barbara Atkin of Holt Renfrew told Vogue. 'I think he (Alber) is appealing to a whole new generation, that really wants to just wear those clothes everyday with their little Oxfords. Why not?"

Why not indeed. I dare you to try it. Go out in your best, fully made up, for a weekday coffee with a friend. Drop into the supermarket to pick up some milk wearing your best jewellery, you will undoubtedly also pick up some admiring glances from fellow shoppers. Be what Olivier Zahm saw at the Lanvin show 'A woman that you want to meet or want to know.'

Images via Vogue