Layers over a lightly constructed and a body-conscious silhouette is what Bibhu Mohapatra showed for Spring. The dresses in this collection that celebrated women explorers and travellers, were formed from beautiful striped silks, lace and ramie linens over which were layered bustiers which referenced obi belts and featured bodices with flared skirts, trimmed in lace. Almost all of the dresses had modest hemlines and had straps that cris-crossed the body. Sleeves and shoulders were left exposed or covered in the sheerest lace. The collection ended with a series of heavily beaded and embellished gowns, all subtly sexy and certainly very elegant. 

We have been absent for a while - apologies for that off the bat. We have been working on some new and exciting projects that we hope we will be able to share will you soon, but as a result our work here has had to be sidelined. It has been difficult; we have missed posting regularly and fashion week has always been one of our busiest times. This year, it has also been the impetus to get back into writing again. As such, we are taking a running jump to catch up with the weeks and shows that have already taken place in New York, London and now Milan. Hopefully by the end of Fashion Month we will be back to our regularly scheduled programme, but in order to do so, please brace yourself for a veritable tidal wave of posts over the next few days. 

First up is Tibi, where designer Amy Smilovic showed tailoring and suiting in a light grey Prince of Wales check that was modernised with the use of vinyl corsets. She showed a number of pantsuits, some with short trousers and often low-slung that, as with the corsets, appeared designed to emphasise the waist. The 1980s influences were clearly seen in the loose shoulders and paper bag trousers. There were tailored jumpsuits and a few denim pieces with perpendicular fastenings. The collection closed with a series of Spring-like fluid dresses with high necklines in lilac, chartreuse and navy.

We don't love everything Simone Rocha does, but her collections are always breathtakingly beautiful and we feel it would be remiss if we failed to feature her.

Over the next three weeks, tennis pros and fans from around the world will descend on Flushing Meadows' Arthur Ashe Stadium for the 2017 US Open Tennis Championships. And just in time for the annual tournament, musician Pharrell Williams has teamed up with Adidas Originals to release a collection of tennis clothes and footwear that is inspired by the personal style of 1970s-era tennis superstars like John McEnroe and Björn Borg.

French department store collette has collaborated with several designers to celebrate the summer holidays with Paris-based fashion PR Lucien Pagès. As part of the pop-up space, each designer was tasked with creating a selection of covetable pieces that embody the spirit of the Parisian press office.

Designed to show off the natural beauty of the ebony wood from which they are made is the Ink and Wash collection of card cases, lamps, rulers, and paperweights by designers Jerry Huang and Eva Zhou who go by the name E-Y Products. Ebony is considered a rare wood commercially and is often used in the manufacture of musical instruments and fine furniture. Here, the designers were inspired by the forms apparent in the black and yellow, irregular shape of each recycled ebony wood offcut which, to their eyes, resembled traditional Chinese ink-and-wash paintings. The wood was carefully honed to show the grain and set in a lightly inked resin in a silicone form. Air bubbles created naturally during the manufacturing process add to the effect and no two pieces are alike.

The card case has a built-in slot which holds the cards firmly in place and a U-shape design that makes it easier to pull them out. Convenient and beautiful, it can hold business cards at once. The irregular piece of ebony scrap used to make the ruler is balanced with the resin, taking the shape of a mountain landscape, whereas the dense wood of the circular lamp in its brass holder when illuminated from the rear against the transparent resin, creates an image of mountains, creeks, and clouds.

This gorgeous, sculptural item elevates one of the more mundane household tasks to the sublime. Broberg & Ridderstråle’s Svante watering can is made of brass.  Manufactured by Swedish design collective Klong, who believe in unusual products that are made to last and inspire feeling, the watering can is handleless and has a long, sleek spout making it a streamlined tool. The sleek lines are a wonder to behold and turn the vessel into an object d'art rather than one that is purely functional.

The Svante watering can is also available in burnished copper.

The F(loat) barstool from designer Chuang Chi-Hong appears to do just that from certain angles; the gap being designed to hold magazines, books and other objects. The F barstool is made from steel and comes in grey, black, pink, dark blue, and mint green.

If you like your tea with a twist, you'll love this artistic take on High Tea that is being offered by Rosewood London. Their Art Afternoon Tea is inspired by London's vibrant and energetic art scene. Served in the elegant Mirror Room, it includes a selection of mouth-watering finger sandwiches, freshly baked scones and loose leaf teas accompanied by an art-inspired pastries created by Executive Pastry Chef, Mark Perkins and inspired by five of the most iconic modern artists currently represented in London: Yayoi Kusama, Damien Hirst, Alexander Calder, Banksy and Mark Rothko. The interpretations are clever. Banksy’s Girl With a Balloon cake consists of a white chocolate cube filled with vanilla cream choux, cherry jelly, hazelnut caramel and chocolate crémeux while a tiny replica of the artwork marks the finishing touch. The Kusama cake has a sablé biscuit base topped with milk chocolate mousse, passion fruit crémeux and chocolate feuillantine on a bright yellow glaze.