For an industry that spends so much time fratenising with musicians, few designers ever admit to being primarily influenced by the music industry itself. Electronic Poet are an exception.

Made up of fashion industry extraordinaire Asim Khan (Excuse My French and Kounterfeit) and legendary music promoter Steve Banks (Asylum and Technique). Electronic Poet is a label that rips all the culture out of the gritty Leeds late night, electronic ethic and stitches it into your brand new clothes. You won’t have to look far to find a good hoody here, with slim fits, quilted fabrics and hoods which don’t make your head look tiny, or misshapen. All this is based on a palette of monochrome and navy and reflects the British fashion vibe at it’s very best. Following on the trail of the MTWTFSS line, there will be surely be plenty of antiheroes traversing the city backstreets, confusing other generations with their stylishly skinny cut rebellion.

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Highly unwearable but aesthetically riveting, Nova Dando is making killer waves in the notoriously hard to crack London fashion scene. Perhaps the reason she is so visible is that her collections are consistently outrageous, exceptional and innovative showstoppers. Her latest, inspired by a disco den, stands out from the pack for it’s blanket use of black, verging away from the stalwart shade only to hint at silver occasionally. It’s a refreshing take on an old favorite of the fashion underground, even more so after last season’s visual abomination of fluoro. An expert when it comes to that line between costumes and clothes, Nova Dando excels when making clothes that will perform, and for the dancefloor set, they won’t find a more impressive way to stand out. Nor will they likely find a more appropriate dancefloor to practice their performance art than Nova Dando’s herself, where she pairs with Lou Hayter of New Young Pony Club to become Lou-Nova.

While I feel I am not alone in breathing a sigh of relief over this season’s purging of fluoro, in retrospect there was a lot to be learned from the experience: don’t wear all fluoro, or don’t wear fluoro at all. And we slowly trudged back to black, which, despite what other colors may think, will always be the new black. But just when you thought you were safe from the neon, here’s a designer bringing it back, and doing it so well, neon seems nostalgic. David Saunders, a fine artist in a past life, has brought his impeccable eye for color to an industry still recovering from its excesses. And he pulls it off with aplomb. Placed in London’s exclusive, Dover Street Market, his kaleidoscope collection manages to go beyond the youthful addiction with standing out, and makes fluoro impossibly sophisticated. It’s an exciting collection from a methodical designer who has a keen grasp of humor. As he says, ‘the design process and the print process begin to collide. There is a wedding, we have cake, and then there is a bit of dance. But the courting is where things come together.’

It’s Christmas time for the fashionist youth circuit as Vice releases it’s annual Fashion issue. I’d say the best thing about this magazine is that it’s free, but that would be a lie because the lack of monetary exchange is only one part of the tapestry of awesome you’ll find, in full, online. With all it’s trademark snark, Vice continues to both cover accurately and mock soundly every treasured facet of fashion, surely much to the delight of every person connected to fashion. It’s not quite what what we’re all thinking, but it’s definitely what we’d be thinking if we had the wit, irony and blanket of knowledge Vice bestows upon readers. Plus, it’s always nice to read nasty things about the fashion styles of Stockholm, Paris and Helsinki. Add to this Christopher Bollen’s brilliant summary of a generation’s uncomfortable relationship with capitalism through consumption or Tracie Egan’s equally insightful, distaste for the hungry gurus of fashion. Or add the divine photoshoot featuring everybody’s favourite porn star, Sasha Grey. With all these ingredients, Vice’s Fashion issue is quite like the 4am red wine-vodka-rum-beer cocktail mixed in a giant bowl with a shoe that we all enjoy annually. Only the next day there’s a pounding sense of superiority instead of a headache, and the only thing you’re vomiting are quotes.

Cheap Monday are arguably one of the biggest revolutions in denim since Levi’s. They’re pretty much the uniform second skin for the music totin’, cons scuffin’ youth of today. Add to this the latest collection by those clever Swedish folk and you can jump on your stolen bike straight to the nearest Weekday store to buy a new anti-hero wardrobe. Sticking with it’s core themes, MTWTFSS doesn’t just pay homage to the calendar week but the same ethos of monochrome colours and skinny cuts. Also, much like the jeans, there is nothing flashy or pretentious to be seen. This is just good old-fashioned rebel wear. Every piece teeters on being a basic, but through precision fitting becomes something else entirely. The only thing to note is that although the collection is unisex where the female parts veer heavily into androgyny, it’s usually easier (and better looking) to cut out the middleman and head straight to the menswear. Other than that, for all your late night, back alley way misdeeds there is no better clothing than the ultra hooded MTWTFSS psyche.

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Ninety percent of the time, you can pick a Scandinavian brand from a metric mile away, which is not necessarily a bad thing considering that the Scands have such a refined, clean approach to thinking about clothes. Ivana Helsinki, however, is not someone you can define easily. Her clothes may be elegant, but there’s also a dark thread running through them that flirts with some eerie, disco retro fitted theme. Add to this the indulgent, textural fabrics that wrap the body in every imaginable manner, from empire lines to drop waist to bubble, swing, micro hems and you have a robust line to suit all tastes. The only trends in sight are the ones that slipped in with the rest of her gauntlet of design choices. Ultimately, with a 54 piece line, there are several hit and miss items. But as a whole, the skirts are flattering and quirky, the shirts functionally pretty and the dresses highly wearable ice breaker kind of items.

Cool name, even cooler clothes. Apparently Karen Walker isn’t the only good thing about New Zealand’s fashion scene. There’s also Jason Gitmans (of Gitmans Knitwear) and Kylee Davis of The Stitch Ministry. This label is only in its second year and has already produced three stellar collections. Beginning with The Pallbearers (Winter 07), and then following up with Lolita and the Serpent Man (Summer 07/08), and now, their latest, Wild Ones (Winter 08). There are strong narratives and a cohesive thread running through these clothes. Composed of dark fabrics with hints of colour, and creative lines that would be flattering on any body shape, this label is most definitely a keeper. The good news is, not only are retailers falling over themselves to stock them, but there’s also an online shop with a clearance section from the older lines.

Can you ever really get sick of red plaid pants? Geography defying brand, Mjolk certainly doesn’t think so and looking at their Autumn/Winter ’08 collection, it’s hard not to agree. The brainchild of Lars Stoten and John Clarke, the label was born and bred in Sweden, but transplanted to Australia, which accounts for the slight, but pleasant sense of displacement that reverberates through the range. It’s a label about lines; about messy, unexpected, striking, splashes of colour; blood red, canary yellow and fun details; and, most memorably, a keyboard tie. Spurred on by evangelists like Franz Ferdinand, it’s not hard to see why Mjolk is starting to make waves in menswear. And unlike the plethora of divine Gatsby lines purring out this season, they’re doing it their own way.

Anytime you find Houndstooth and Hoody in the same sentence you know it will be a good day. Well, today has been a great day and New Dandyism, the lovechild of a conglomate of lusty designers — Sons by Obedient Sons, wood wood and Call of the Wild — is the reason. It’s a surprisingly coherent and articulate project for one cooked up in a kitchen filled with chefs. In their own right, all of these designers have an illustrated vision, but together it is a pleasure and a joy to find such a clear and defined voice in making great clothes together. Their design is so clean, so effortless and so modern; when they say ‘Dress Like You Mean It’ they’re not kidding. They’re the sort of clothes that require a heavy hand on the iron, but unlike traditional dandyism this is bricolage and would both make or compliment any style, any form and any situation you put them in to.

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Ben Lee upped the label a while back, but Band of Outsiders is still probably the best label you’ve never heard of. They’ve had celebrity endorsements from the likes of Steve Buscemi and Jason Schwartzmann, been featured in Vogue, GQ and In Style and are a prominent feature of the Opening Ceremony store. And yet, they seem to be remain steadily under the radar. If, like me, you haven’t been able to get enough of the old world varsity trend, then you are going to love the dressed down sartorialism of this collection. Skinny ties are worn loose, tailored jacket unbuttoned, high tops make frequent appearances. The whole collection is a modern and rugged take on the one of the greatest historical styles in menswear, and in a season dominated by high level Gatsby, a clear standout. Their website styled as a Polaroid Photography Blog is a must see.

Perhaps the reason men are not known for their shoe fetishes is because when it comes to mens shoes in general, there are really only two must have varieties: vintage street wear and sartorialist leather. Which makes it so refreshing to find Opening Ceremony’s new line of old world casual shoes. Simple enough to go with anything, they are nevertheless a focal point for any outfit. While the patent aqua blue sneakers are unfettered signature style, even the more subtle grey and beige toned shoes are the sort that would leave any willing person — male or female — happy enough to rip them off your feet. During a season, when the trend to deconstruct is consuming, the subtly placed laces and evenly wraped fabric make these shoes the ultimate counterbalance.

What a wonderfully grown up ethos of punk is to be found in the latest effort by New Zealand’s Stolen Girlfriends Club. I saw sequin, lace, leather, denim, tulle, rhinestone and what appeared to be heshen, breaking all the rules of taste but nevertheless making me very, very happy. It’s been quite obvious lately that the price of fabrics has risen considerably, but while other designers are trying to cut corners by disguising cheap fabrics in a blur of textures, Stolen Girlfriends Club is one of the few who have managed to pull off the mix-match style. That’s not even mentioning the clever shirt designs which stand out from the rambunctious pack of the faux wit t-shirts. Two designers with a clear vision, and articulate sense of design, Marc Moore and Luke Harwood could definitely be forgiven for any trasngressions with your girlfriend.

Boxfresh is a British streetwear company notable for its emphasis on DIY fashion. Their Boxfresh vs Series, a collection of collaborations ranging from straight fashion into the bicycle arena, has just launched their latest battle — between Boxfresh and Pete Fowler, of Super Furry Animals artwork fame. The collection is a predictable if not workable meeting of the minds. As much as Fowler’s bright, anthropomorphism style compliments the Boxfresh fringe aesthetic, it’s not like anyone is surprised. The hoodies and cardigans are a savvy and signature addition to any wardrobe, but overall this is just another line of predictable strongly coloured, slightly ill fitting street wear.

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Much like layers, when it comes to menswear, Old World Gatsby never really goes out of fashion. All tapered straight leg pants, boat shoes and fitted cardigans, ‘The Swing of the Pendulum’ collection by Our Legacy is one of the best uses of old money style I’ve seen. And just adding to the charm of the clothes is the story that goes behind them, a narrative of an Oxford boy travelling to Paris to be appropriately impoverished and intellectual and where, his stylised clothes get all ‘rough around the edges’. That clothes are only as good as the life that they’ve travelled through is really a cornerstone of the way that fashion translates to the real world, whether it’s the wearing in of shoes, the just washed fit of jeans or the thumbholes in a sweater, a sense of style if all about the way that they’ve changed by the person who wears them.

She may have designed for Ralph Lauren, but it’s hard to believe that Brandy Lunsford’s first two collections have been of this calibre. If your wardrobe were to be bought entirely from one collection, you could not go wrong filling your hangers with her sophisticated and cohesive fall 2007 line, a vintage equestrian dream from the Deep South. Her latest, spring 2008, is a fresh illustration of her versatility, embodying an angled, mod Herve Ledgesque collection that is both elegant in its simplicity and maturely detailed. [see also Wundervoll]

If the juggernaut of fashion weeks were a high school, then Paris would be the popular kid. Beautiful, snobby and maybe a little bit of a slut, she puts on a good show, but rarely surprises. Luckily for Paris, layering, structure and tactile fabric never really go out of fashion. Aside from the usual, there was the deliciously creepy Devastee, designers Ophelie Klere and Francois Alary developing an amazing gift for clothing design out of a love for cemeteries and indifference to fashion. Their Sweeney Todd high school ensembles in black, white and blood red would be a marauding preppy armies dream. The spinning trend wheel has also thrown up another healthy and welcome dose of everyone’s favourite androgyny, this season’s take ranging from the uber-sophisticated Bruno Pieters to the Stateside Isabel Marant.

As pretty as couture lingerie can be, it’s an inexpensive foray into an impractical world. Trends sweep in and out, but, for the whole, lingerie stays frilly, lacey and visible below clothing, forcing women to mark a clear line between underwear (in it’s most literal sense) and lingerie. But the new line by Berlin designer, Matthias Jaschke is something else entirely. Grounded by clean lines, subtle detailing and minimalist fabrics, Wundervoll makes sexy, functional -as if it wasn’t already. There is an undertone of Betty Grable throughout, however it is cleverley subdued, keeping each piece modern and refined.

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As if this season’s dresses weren’t delightful enough, here’s another reason to liquidate some stock and ruin your credit rating. First Prada and James Jean, now the top end retailer, Nordstrom: the exploration of art by fashion is long overdue, but well worth the wait. The Nordstrom campaign brings together three great things: the Cuban illustrator Ruben Toledo, the fashion photographer Ruven Afanador and the elvin Jenny Sweeny. Just looking at it makes me want to wrap myself in Cavalli and paint my walls bone shell white.

A lover of all things geek ironic, Peter Jensen was a highlight of the Copenhagen Fashion Week. A designer with plenty of mileage under his belt this 24 piece men’s collection was one of his finest. Returning from the catwalks of London to his home country the show was unforgettable, each piece infused with his delightful sense of humor. Pants were tailored just above the ankle, shorts just above the knee, socks were high and Camper shoes many. It was an ode to geek, well received.

*We agree. Those Swiss lambskin military pieces in Paris this year were sensational. You should sign up for our free weekly newsletter*

It is utterly exhausting to follow London Fashion Week. The designers there tend to be a different breed; more risks, greater tragedies, bigger rewards. Like a rampaging herd of wild buffalo they rip through the city trampling trends, expectations and many people’s will to live. Things to fear for the next season include a resurgence in shoulder pads and general unflattering power padding, stunning dresses ripped (no doubt on the buffalo horns) into quasi art school fashion major pieces and tiny, inefficient jackets. London gets cold, so expect to see a lot of people with frozen kidney’s should the impractical micro jacket take off. Things to lust over include giant lapels, the brilliant coupling of structure and knitwear and the long awaited return of the almighty cape. Put it all together and you have a padded superhero fresh from a fight with a giant mechanical razor blade.