How to get dressed

Casper shoe by Kurt Geiger

As of this second, shoes are officially at the pinnacle of their creative arc. It was touch and go for a while, what with bags stealing so much of the spotlight and the budget. But they are increasingly the most exciting part of a collection. Back in real life, we’ve got the good old high street. Except that when it comes to shoes, the high street is, curiously, not good. Just old. At the cheap end, it’s often quite nasty: “patents” that peel after two outings, anorexic soles, comfort not even a remote factor. Your mother was right – bargain accessories are fool’s gold.

Into this abyss treads what you could call top-end high street. At L.K. Bennett or Russell & Bromley you can easily part with £200, although both have shoes for considerably less. You will also find a point of view often lacking from the cheaper chains. Both do the safer reaches of high fashion, and L.K. Bennett also does classic elegance, Russell & Bromley a muted kind of bling.

Meanwhile, Kurt Geiger, its baby sister KG and, to an extent, the same group’s less exalted Carvela go hell for Italian leather with high, higher, give-it-to-me-baby highest fashion. And well they might, since it also runs the shoe departments of Harrods, Selfridges, Liberty and House of Fraser. This means Kurt Geiger buys all the designer ranges stocked therein, thus getting to see what the designers have come up with ahead of time. You follow my drift: two years ago, Geiger launched Fashionistas, a range of “statements” which were promptly snapped up by Madonna.

In a bid to be seen not just as a brilliant place for cheaper interpretations of luxury brands, Geiger has hired Michael Lewis, a shoe designer latterly at Gucci, Clements Ribeiro, Louis Vuitton and Burberry. Heady stuff for any label, but especially one that is much more widely available than the average designer one – since 2005, it has opened branches in Le Printemps in Paris and La Rinascente in Milan as well as in Birmingham, Glasgow, Edinburgh and Luton and Bristol airports (perfect for those last-minute purchases before take-off on easyJet – or the private jet).

It’s this span (KG prices average about £85, while last year’s Kurt Geiger crocodile stilettos weighed in at £450) that makes the brand interesting, along with its unashamedly high-fashion stance. This is not the place to come for ultra-sensible shoes, although Elise, its leather baseball boots (an “homage” to Emma Hope’s), £110, look enticingly comfortable. You won’t find kitten heels, but you will discover shoe boots, heeled and flat brogues and block-coloured tango shoes à la Prada. Other favourites include KG’s stretch jewelled pump; Harlem, a zippered sandal with a cylindrical heel; and Casper (right), a satisfyingly chunky-heeled sandal by KG. Unless we’re in for the mother of all recessions, top-end high street is a growth area (Banana Republic is set to swell its numbers here soon). It just needs a better name.

Grey Matters

Jacket £995 Burberry Prorsum

Jacket £1290 & trousers £375 Lanvin.

Jacket £670 Dolce & Gabbana

The newest neutral this season is actually an old favourite with the boys and one that can be worn with almost any other colour of the rainbow. But for Autumn many designers chose to work grey from head right through to toe. Grey doesn't have to be just boring old grey - it can be a plethora of different shades, from charcoal through to palest dove via battleship and marl, with texture and finish an important factor.

At Burberry Prorsum military detailing gives a wool jacket a vintage airforce feel with epaulettes and bellow pockets, while at Lanvin, sharkskin-hued tailoring is kept casual with soft shoulders and sporty styling.

Dolce & Gabbana's neat sports bomber is shiny and futuristic in quilted steely satin. Now are you ready to go grey?

The Luxe Factor

Jacket £2765 Bottega Veneta.

Jacket £690 Dolce & Gabbana

Jacket £2150 Burberry Prorsum

Fashion is turning up the luxury dial for Autumn, right up to number eleven! Sumptuous worked leather is key here, but so are reptile-skin textures, elaborately patterned fabrics and sheeny pieces in precious metal colours.

Bottega Veneta menswear arrives at Harvey Nichols for the first time bringing with it a rich mustard leather bomber, quilted to give an almost animal skin effect. BV Designer Thomas Maier knows how to do luxury and wearability in the right measures and so too does Burberry's golden boy Christopher Bailey who adds a sumptuous touch to military and work-a-day styles. He too quilts a leather jacket for a billionaire biker look.

Dries Van Noten, fashion's pattern king, prints his shirts with rococo golden swirls reminiscent of Gianni Versace in his luxe-loving heyday while Dolce & Gabbana's eveningwear is like shimmering liquid metal.

Pauric Sweeney large patent bag

Pauric Sweeney large patent bag £635

This naughty but nice bag combines a hot patent exterior with a sensibly roomy interior. The mock razor-blade keychain and silver buckles make this the ultimate bag for pulling off the new punk look, seen on catwalks from Burberry Prorsum to Giles.

Burberry revenue up 2nd quarter

Burberry on Wednesday announced its half year trading results, which saw total revenue increased by 19%. The company’s retail revenue went up 25%, with comparable store sales growth of 11%. Commenting on this performance, Angela Ahrendts, Chief Executive Officer, said: “We are delighted with Burberry’s 19% underlying increase in revenue in the first half of the year. Our new luxury outerwear, apparel and non-apparel collections, combined with our compelling marketing campaigns, have again driven demand in both our retail and wholesale channels. This performance is consistent with our profit expectations for the full year as we continue to increase our investment in the infrastructure of the business to support this strong growth.”

Burberry will release its interim results for the six months to 30 September 2007 on 14 November 2007. Accessories sales rose 35 percent in the fiscal first half as Burberry introduced Knight bags for £1,595 and Beaton styles for £1,095, said the chief financial officer, Stacey Cartwright. Burberry opened 11 stores in the first half to add to revenue from its outlets, which are more profitable than sales through wholesale customers like department stores.

Shares of Burberry fell 17.5 pence, or 2.63 percent, to close at 648.5 pence in London. The stock has added 20 percent in the past year.

Store openings expanded Burberry's selling space by about 12 percent in the first half as the company sought to catch up with Louis Vuitton, which has almost 50 percent more outlets. Burberry plans to open stores in Budapest, Copenhagen, Los Angeles, Florence and Venice during the second half.

Photo: Burberry AW08

Burberry launch pre-collection

Burberry has announced the introduction of the new Prorsum Spring Summer 2008 pre collection. Christopher Bailey, Burberry’s creative director stated:? The Burberry Prorsum pre collections are the indicators of the mood, look and feel for the upcoming men’s and women’s shows and crystallise our statement for the season across all ready-to-wear and accessories ranges. For spring/summer 2008, we have again looked to our history and saluted the contradictions between strict regimental military and more playful sport references and in women’s, the girlish romanticism that has become part of our signature. The pre collections include outerwear and tailoring, as well as dresses, knitwear, trousers and jersey items. Silhouettes are long and lean this season, with an emphasis on body consciousness. Layering is often used over lean silhouettes, as well as the introduction of empire waistlines and high-waisted skirts.

Known for its romantic and British quirkiness, for AW08 Burberry has chosen an edgier advertising campaign, featuring model of the moment Agyness Deyn, Lily Donaldson and Georgia Frost. Shot by Burberry regular Mario Testino, the images are more rock & roll than ever before. Reminiscent of a 70s Queen album cover, the images show a tougher and sexier side to the House.