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The alternative side to London fashion week; a pick of our favourites from the show

This February saw the eleventh season of London fashion week open, with the Autumn/Winter collections on show both on the catwalk & throughout the extravagant rooms of Somerset house for the exhibition. Such a rare opportunity to talk to the designers direct is always welcomed, being able to find out about the inspiration for their designs, and get a sneak preview of what's to come later this year.

Browsing through the four floors of exhibition space that London fashion week has to offer I took in plenty of inspiration, but several designers really stood out from the pack. With their unique concepts, stand out designs, & stunning imagery; here's my pick of the A/W 11 exhibition areas.

Louise Gray; part of the NEWGEN section of the catwalk & exhibition area, Louise Gray's signature bold colours, & print techniques have made her designs stand out.

Her A/W collection featured metallic foils, offset with polka dots on the most elaborate knee high welly boots I've ever seen. With a clash of prints; tartans on stripes, polka dots & colour blocks; to metallic foil notes. One of the most eye catching stands of the show with balloons in abundance.

Yang Du; Another designer from the NEWGEN fold, Yang Du's whose trademark bold colours & animal prints have stood out from previous On | Off shows bringing her work to the LFW show. Her A/W collection instantly stood out with a quirky mix of knitted accessories, puppet fingered gloves, elephant scarves & hats, in an adorable feast for the eyes; winter surely won't be boring with her cute range.

French sole; No self respecting lady should be caught without at least one pair of flats in her vast shoe collection. The saviour of my wardrobe so it's no surprise that French soles ballet flats caught my eye. Known for their chic ballet flats, their A/W collection had a real vintage feel; with designs based on classic 1930's shoes with Antoinette and Duchess styles; through to classic kitten heels.

JC De Castelbajac; part of the Place Rouge showroom, Jean-Charles de Castelbajac has been a star of French fashion for thirty-five years, meshing high fashion with popular culture that Andy Warhol would be proud of; with the likes of Paloma Faith sporting his trademark designs.

Notes of Disneyana were in abundance across his A/W collection, with the Snow white print bubble frock, & classic '20's minne mouse flats being stand out pieces.

Clemency London; vibrant 'rock couture', Clemency London's ready to wear collection caught my eye for not just their polka dotted mannequin, but their inventive twist on vintage style. Classic vintage looking pieces, with leather gloves adorned in glittering costume jewellery pieces, to 60's style frocks with a modern twist.

Tatty Divine; how could I not include them?! Tatty divine's signature colourful acrylic jewellery has been adorning many an alternative wardrobe for years, as well as sparking the diy revolution in alt jewellery when their trademark pieces were first unveiled. Their A/W collection features a cute woodland feel, with the usual pops of colour and textiles.

Paperself; paper art for your eyes, Paperself launched in 2010 as the worlds first & only eyelashes made from cut-paper; intricate detailed designs are fashioned into gorgeous couture lashes to die for.

Each of the lash designs are filled with character inspired by the art of Chinese paper-cutting; with a symbolic meaning behind each design from Peonies for fortune, to Horses for success. Both pretty & artisticly stunning, with a new collaboration with dj's Broken hearts on show.

Of course there was plenty to feast your eyes on across the floor with other notable designers including Albion Tinketry, Neurotica, Bebaroque, Dr Noki, Lu Flux, & Felder Felder; with decadent notes of dandyism, to couture feathers.

We're barely into spring yet, & autumn looks set to be a real eye popping season, with plenty of nods to classic '30's style, topped off with quirky accessories.

Be sure to grab a copy of our Spring/summer edition of Alt fashion magazine due out in April for a full report of London fashion week!

A full gallery of the A/w 11 show can be found on our gallery section & over on our Facebook page