SO the mayhem that is London Fashion Week (and Paris, New York and Milan) is finally over!  Always a funny time of year for me this - as much as I live, breathe and eat fashion, it does seem a bit odd to be thinking about what we’ll be wearing next Summer, when i’m only just getting round to accepting the fact that Winter is on its way!!  Oh well, us fashionistas always like to be one step ahead.  I suppose it is good in one way, in that if I am going to be spending money on a big purchase, like a leather jacket, it’s easier to do if I know it’s going to be something I’ll wear into next season too.

So, what do the movers and shakers in the fashion world predict we are going to be wearing next summer?

Well, prints are definitely the way forward for summer next year, and you can take your pick really of which direction to go in! Many of the designers explored their wild side with animal prints showing up on nearly all the catwalks - especially leopard spots and zebra stripes! Another key print collection which we haven’t seen for a while is the Hawaiian look - but think tropical rather than boho. Keep the colours strong and the exotic floral and fern motifs over-sized and you’ll have this trend nailed. Following on from this theme is the fantastical collection of prints with butterflies, flamingos and parrots featuring heavily in strong candy colours such as parma violet and bubblegum pink!

Boxfresh Mingle Dress (2499) is a great way to pick up on next season's trend for bold prints.

If the thought of wearing a parrot print shirt is bringing you out in a sweat, then don’t worry there are other options. Florals continue to play a key part for summer next year, but to freshen them up many designers plumped for painterly florals rather than little ditsy flowers. We also saw florals on more wearable shapes, such as wrap dresses, long sleeve tops and cowl necks. Another easy to wear print trend is the graphic optic look - think geometric print and pixelated designs with abstract monochrome patterns featuring strongly. Checks also appeared to be popular again, with many designers opting for an American heritage inspired pattern with Western inspired blue and red colourways appearing on many items including dresses.

Miss Sixty's Velvet Detail Top (1125) picks up on the trend for oversized floral prints.

Colour-wise it looks like spring/summer 2010 is going to brighten our wardrobes - any colour in the rainbow is acceptable it seems - apart from black!! Brights include coral, egg yolk yellow, raspberry, purple, lipstick red, royal blue and bright bubblegum pink. But there are other options too - some of the designers went down a more muted route with colours such as cafe au lait, seal grey, tan, lemon and peach. And of course with it being summer and the designers being optimistic about the weather as they always are, there was lots of white and ivory!!

Embellishment is also a strong theme for SS10, with particular attention being paid to the neckline. Think tone-on-tone jewel stones,  embroidery, crochet, applique and smocking - just not all at the same time and on the same garment please!!! Remember the age old adage - less is more!!

Nautical detailing also reared its head again, as it tends to every summer, but the designers did try and make it fresher by using Breton stripes and pinstripes on summer dresses, and adding empire line bows for a bit of fun detailing. Blazers are still an easy way to add this theme into your wardrobe especially if they are striped or have piping detailing - or alternatively you can really shake things up and go for a cropped double breasted blazer. Not everyone’s cup of tea - but there will be some skinny minnies out there who can get away with it!

Henleys Stoke Cardigan (2115) is an easy way to add a Nautical feel to your wardrobe.

For the majority of us, if you’re anything like me, you’ll breathe a sigh of relief that the Maxi dress shows no sign of waning in popularity! It covers a multitude of sins, and always looks like you’ve made a huge effort, when it fact it took about two minutes to put on!!! There is a move away from the block colours we saw last summer though, so try and incorporate some of the prints I talked about previously, such as oversized florals, repeat leaf prints or mini fruit patterns!! Have a bit of fun with it!!

Leather jackets continue to be popular for next spring/summer, especially in the London shows where the designers are more aware of how changeable our weather can be!! Mix it up a bit by throwing them over your little summer dresses, or maxi dress and you’re ready for any weather!! Black is still an option but many designers freshened up the jacket for summer by using coloured leather such as royal blue, seal grey or cafe au lait!

And last but not least, the little black jacket seems to be replacing the little black dress for summer next year!! Many designers sexed it up though with lots of focus on detailing. We saw studs, pleats, ribbons, rivets and beading, sometimes all on the same jacket!! The good thing about this is that you can’t really go wrong with a black jacket - they go with everything and you can wear them to the office with a sharp pair of trousers or a pencil skirt, or down the pub on a Saturday night with a pair of jeans and a sparkly top!

So, that’s my first look at what we’ll be wearing next Spring/Summer - keep it in mind whilst you’re adding things to your winter wardrobe and you might just be able to stay on trend for two seasons rather than one!!