04.12.2012- River Island Christmas 2012

With the weather now heading towards the freezing side of the thermometer, things are feeling decidedly festive, don't you think? Having said that, shopping for Christmas and New Year fashions is something which is a (very stressful!) minefield in and of itself, and I for one am always on the lookout for pieces which are a little bit different from the abundance of glitter, sequins and sparkle which seem to take over the shops at this time of the year. A few months ago, I popped along to the River Island Christmas Press Day, held to showcase the best of their festive range, and fell in love with their gothic inspired take on winter:

Throughout my time working at River Island when I was at uni, there were only a few pieces which I really loved- predominantly in the shape of their shoes and handbags. Typically, now I've left they've been producing consistently strong mainline collections, making me massively regret waving goodbye to my staff discount! For the festive season, the design team have created a range with a really high fashion feel- think gothic lace, baroque brocading and opulent quilted details. Crucially though, this collection is something which feels really wearable, consisting of separates which are oh so easy to work into your existing wardrobe and range of statement accessories which will make any of your existing pieces feel really current. My highlights were the coats, dresses and abundance of gold- perfect for looking cool as the temperatures plummet!

(Image credit: Sarah Farrell, please do not reproduce without permission.)