RE goes to London

Liberty always have an eye for the brightest and best in everything from fashion to perfume, so it's great to hear that they've picked up on the North East's finest, RE. A perfect partnership. If you're in London over the next few months, nip in to Liberty and discover the RE pop-up shop (from 6 April to 17 August). We've raved about RE's products before - from their sell-out paper Christmas decorations (see post Star in the North, 24 November) to their gorgeous homewares. I love their chunky American green glass bowls, jugs and cakestands (now also in pink) in particular, but you'll also find everything from traditional wooden deckchairs in fresh candy stripes to photographic print vegetable bags, from £16, bearing graphic pictures of courgettes or asparagus. Everything manages to be both beautiful and useful, and the store itself (in a village outside Newcastle) is always quirky and appealing without being twee. If you can't wait til April look at www.re-foundobjects.com.

Swan song

Florence Welch in Givenchy at the Grammys, February 2011

Bjork wearing Marjan Pejoski, 2001

All the buzz about Black Swan has put ballet centre-stage this season. But beyond the leg-warmers and ballerina pinks, the swan itself is taking flight as a motif. Florence Welch of Florence + the Machine stole the show in this Givenchy swan dress at the Grammys the other night; though dramatic, it's certainly a more subtle look than the infamous Marjan Pejoski version that Bjork sported to the 2001 Oscars, which is more Rod Hull and Emu than Swan Lake.

The swan is prettier than the bright fruit and loud flowers going around. I've mentioned Tucker's fabulous swan-print blouses and dresses, below, in a previous post (22 Jan). Other takes on the trend include Markus Lupfer's beaded and sequinned swan T-shirt dress (£195) and Emma Cook's Sea Swan print T (£155), both at asos (Cook's swan dresses are available at Harvey Nichols). Aurelie Biderman's swan feather earrings are as delicate as they are pricey (£780); a cheaper alternative is Ridley & Dowse's stainless steel necklace (£38.50) from notonthehighstreet.com. And Tory Burch's swan wedges have a quirky charm about them for summer.

Swan-print blouse, £239, by Tucker

Markus Lupfer embellished swan dress, £195, asos

Swan-print wedges, £155, Tory Burch

Sea Swan print T-shirt, £95, Emma Cook at asos

Dilys swan necklaces, £38.50 each, Ridley & Dowse

Gold-dipped swan feather earrings, £780, Aurelie Biderman

Edition at Debenhams

Black spot-print mini dress, £45, Jonathan Saunders/Edition at Debenhams

Debenhams gives its image a right old dust-off this week as a shower of young British talent bursts into its stores. Edition is their just-launched collaboration with the brightest of fashion names, including Preen, Jonathan Saunders and Jonathan Kelsey (with Roksanda Ilincic, her best-selling Whistles line already under her belt, joining in the autumn). The collection is available instore, online and, for a limited time, at a pop-up shop in London's Newburgh Street (just behind Liberty).

High fashion/high street collaborations are so common now, and although surely reached a peak with Lanvin for H&M, are still hugely welcome. H&M's coups are certainly hard to beat – as well as Lanvin, big guns have included Stella and Jimmy Choo – but Debenhams have been bold and streetwise poaching Saunders and the rest to pep up their spring offering. Kelsey's shoes, from flats to sexy courts and wedges, look more catwalk than high-street, but it's Saunders' range that really stands out, particularly the bold floral maxi dress at £85 and the sassy 1960s-style print minis.

Edition is well worth keeping an eye on over the following months, as the designers are involved for a minimum four seasons. What a welcome change from the rather tired Matthew Williamson range and its endless butterflies and peacocks. In Debenhams' home range, the Lisa Stickley homeware is worth a look; her cups and plates have a retro, Orla Kiely-type appeal and quirkiness, at a fair price.

You can get 20% off on fashion until tomorrow (although the downside is that you have to buy a copy of the Daily Mail. On second thoughts, it's really not worth it).

Dark grey skinny jeans, £38, Preen/Edition at Debenhams

Shoes by Jonathan Kelsey/Edition at Debenhams

Flower power

Erdem spring/summer 2011

Lanvin

Turquoise floral shirt, £85, Liberty

Floral Letters cotton shirt, £250, Paul Smith

This season, florals are not just confined to usual suspects such as Monsoon and Laura Ashley. From Chanel to Jil Sander and Marni, Christopher Kane and Jonathan Saunders (see below) to Etro and, of course, Erdem, the catwalks simply sang with colourful blooms, a bright welcome to a new season after a long cold winter.

Once you hit a certain age, florals start to sound like a rather dodgy proposition. A floral dress might look young and fresh on a 20-something, but does it become a little grannyish rather than breezy and bright as you get older? I think the answer is that a little flower power goes a long way. Liberty is always a good place to start for a well-cut floral shirt. Topshop's one-piece vintage floral swimsuit (£30) is fun, and their cream floral dress (£38) has an appealingly simple cut and would have a great vintage feel teamed with a little cardigan. Flowers are everywhere from brooches (see Lanvin's, above) to hats (at Reiss). Soon to be copied on a high street near you are Dolce & Gabbana's floral canvas shoes (as beautifully shot in this month's Red magazine, styled by Nicola Rose). I'm also drawn to the loud Paul Smith floral shirt in that shoot, above; a statement shirt for sure, and wearing it has to be uplifting. Red's tip is to team busy florals with cool Breton stripes – they seem to complement each other nicely.

Alongside florals are some seriously bold fruit prints, such as Stella McCartney's acid brights. And what's with those Miuccia Prada banana earrings? Priced £150. I had an identical pair in the '80s, wooden, bought no doubt in Miss Selfridge for a quid or two. How ageing it is to have worn something the last time they were around! I'm really not sure what makes them say 'high fashion' as opposed to 'Pat Butcher' now. I guess simply that Ms Prada has decreed it. Well, it has to be a good thing to be able to turn to fashion for some fun and frivolity – and, yes, a touch of the ridiculous – in times of such greyness and wintery moroseness.

Floral swimsuit, £30, Topshop

Floral print stretch-silk gown, £1,350, Jonathan Saunders

Erdem

Sarah Murray, owner of Edinburgh boutique Jane Davidson, sure stole a march on Harvey Nichols by stocking one of the very hottest designer names of the moment, Erdem. Although available online and at Browns in London, with Erdem's stunning prints and sumptuous fabrics you really want to see them in the flesh. The even better news is that Jane Davidson is currently holding a fairly dramatic sale – but not for much longer, so be quick – including discounts of up to 80 per cent. The nude lace Lavinia dress by Erdem above is £517 down from a stonking £1,725, while the Angelica swallow-print dress, hot off the autumn/winter 2010 catwalk, is £274, also 70 per cent off. There are also silk Tucker blouses (see post 22 January) from around £70 and some leather-look J Brand Agnes cropped jeans for £88 instead of the hefty usual price of £295. When's the next train north?...

Too cool for school

For a touch of nostalgia, the newly re-released Dr Martens leather satchel is hard to beat. The fact that it's so Alexa Chung may or may not put you off, but one thing's for sure, it's a whole lot cheaper (£125) than the Mulberry bag named after her, as well as being rather refreshingly old-school. There are only 350 made across five colours – cherry-red (above), black, white, green and navy. If you buy online, next-day delivery is free (over £50). Practical, roomy and even better when battered around a bit. Stickers and graffiti optional.

I admit to having a soft spot for DMs that goes back to my stomping-around teenage years. The chunkier versions in bright reds and yellows may be a bit strong on attitude for those of us over, say, 20 – but then, eye-wateringly bright colours are big on the radar for spring. And there are plenty of less in-your-face alternatives, such as the Pascal boot in grey (£75), below, that look pretty good with a maxi skirt and come into their own when there are inches of snow/mud/rain en route.

Tucker

King of Kings Dress, €169, tuckerwebshop.com

Story of Passion Tie Neck Dress, €169 (was €222), shopbop.com

Purple dress, £81 (down from £270), theoutnet

Blouse, £265, Net-a-porter

Back in 2005, Gaby Basora realised that all the compliments she received about the silk blouses she made herself could kickstart a whole new career. A year later, her blouses were flying off the rails at Barneys New York, and by 2010 she was being stocked in more than 200 top stores around the world. Last September she collaborated with retail giant Target, one of the biggest retailers in the States; previous designers to be involved include Alexander McQueen, Jean Paul Gaultier, Anna Sui and Mulberry.

Now stocked everywhere from Net-a-porter to Harvey Nichols, Tucker is clearly one of those labels that's quietly going from strength to strength. So what's all the fuss about?

I first saw Basora's silk blouses and shirt dresses in Seagreen boutique, Dublin, standing out from choice pieces by Paul & Joe, APC and J Brand. It's no surprise to read that Basora admires the prints and textures of Dries van Noten – the vibrancy of her prints, from antique-style florals to bold plaids, brings the brilliant Belgian designer to mind. The light yet sensuous silk blouses and tunic dresses have a simple elegance and insouciance, and seem right in tune with the Isabel Marant/L'Agence/Acne mood of the moment. Because the silk is the perfect weight and texture, each dress is neither flimsy nor transparent but has an unfussy effortlessness about it.

Her collections are pared down, consisting of a few carefully edited shapes that work, described simply as the tunic; the dress; the camisole. The prints, on the other hand, have romantic, rather florid titles such as Elodie's Grand Mere and Winnie's Flapper Floral Dress, hinting at the inspiration behind them. If, like me, you struggle to find the perfect summer dress – something that's light and cool yet ageless (not too girly or revealing), I reckon Basora's are right on the money. They convey an instant relaxed chic, and this cool wearability is what's making this label so desirable right now.

Check out Basora's website – www.tuckerbygabybasora.com – to see more of her collections, with star sale buys including the Vintage Tucker Long tie Dress (€274) in vermillion silk, a bold and brilliant shade that will see you through spring/summer 2011's block colour trend, something that even the most committed black-wearers among us are going to find it hard to resist.