The weather may be wintery and miserable outside, but my mind is firmly set in spring mode. Maybe it’s the post-fashion week blues or longer daylight hours that’s caused my seasonal clock to skip a beat, or perhaps it the flurry of new season stock arriving at my favourite stores? I’m inclined to think it has more to do with the latter and my desire to shrug off my dull winterey threads in favour of new pastels and prints.

Back in November I was invited along to Mint Velvet’s SS13 press day. Spring seemed a long way off then, but I still enjoyed the opportunity to browse through their delectable collection and indulge my post-BFAs self with a relaxing hand massage courtesy of the spa at the Sanderson hotel.

I’m already a huge fan of this brand and bought no less than three dresses from their AW12 collection. Needless to say I think I’ll be buying even more from their SS13 collection, I can see this becoming quite a costly business!

Amongst the MV pieces for Spring/Summer are their classic styles reworked with warmer colours and updated prints. Previous seasons has seen them stick to a more muted tone, but bright oranges and yellows abound this season making me dream of beaches, blue skies and summer days to come.

Favourites from the collection include the mosaic trench coat, the pleat bib dress (a shorter sleeved version of the black dress I bought last season) and the Zanthe print dress.

Is it wrong that I find myself willing the weather to cool down?! Not that we really had much of a summer anyway. But that complaint aside, my present-day desire to see the temperature drop a few degrees is unquestionably a result of AW12 collections like this from Reiss…

Reiss have nailed it this season, with shapes, colours and textures that take hold of every emotion. Their inspiration for AW12 was ‘the city’; dynamic and always exciting. Rich and luxurious heritage moments are referenced, but there’s no doubt this a thoroughly modern season. From the artistic and romantic affair of woodland influences to the strength and power of Forties icons, there’s also sexy, minimalist Nineties styling and playful pyjama dressing, which drench the season in utterly aloof glamour.

I simply cannot wait to pull on jumpers, cardigans, scarves and coats and snuggle up against the cold. My desire to throw on multiple layers of knitwear is quite surprising given that I never fully made the transition from my winter wardrobe to my summer wardrobe (cursed British weather!). But when admiring Reiss’ collection I simply cannot wait for the winter months to arrive!

Check out the Reiss AW12 womens campaign video below:

I selected a few of my favourite items from Phase Eight's AW12 Collection to share with you. All of the items feautred are available on the Phase Eight website, I've included the links below:

1. Petals Fit and Flare Dress - http://tidd.ly/de6afe9d
2. Rib Twist Dress - http://tidd.ly/a4240dcf
3. Penelope Shift Dress - http://tidd.ly/35e041be
4. Marta Cable Poncho - http://tidd.ly/a415ca45
5. Lace Fit and Flare Dress - http://tidd.ly/20b78e8a

The weather may have been abysmal for most of the summer, but that hasn’t stopped the wedding season from winding up into full swing. So far this year I’ve been to two weddings and I’ve got three more to go. Two of which are at that slightly awkward time of year where summer becomes autumn and the already unpredictable British weather becomes exceptionally erratic. Bearing that in mind I started to research suitable wedding outfits and came to the conclusion that a maxi dress is the way forward. Long enough to keep you warm in a cold breeze and loose enough to keep you cool whilst standing in the sun – the ideal wedding guest outfit.

The real genius of this idea is an upshot of stores releasing their AW12 collections featuring an array of beautiful maxi dresses and gowns; perfect for trans-seasonal weddings and further down the line, Christmas parties!

Although some stores are still in sale mode, many have already started to release their AW12 collections and I’ve selected a few of my favourite dresses to share with you.

1. Bastyan – Maeva Maxi Dress
Designed for Bastyan by Yong Fong, with the print by Vanessa Harrington, this is another of our exclusive limited edition pieces from our Collaborare range. Floor length elegance that is perfect for those special occasions. Beautifully made from silk-charmeuse with a contrast black bound lining.

2. French Connection - Spring Moiree Maxi Dress
French Connection lightweight crepe-chiffon maxi dress has a gorgeous marble-effect print, creating an ethereal feel to this dreamy gown. Wear with minimal accessories, just a pair of strappy sandals and a delicate chain bag.

3. By Malene Birger - Adalgisa Dress Soft Green
This stunning floor length Adalgisa dress from By Malene Birger is a signature piece from this season's collection and oozes breath taking elegance. This sleeveless style has a relaxed fit with an open back detail, removeable gold metal chain trim, invisible side pockets.

4. Raoul - Silk Georgette V Neck Wallis Gown
Radiate classic Thirties glamour in this stylish evening gown from the fashion pack's newest muse, Raoul. Simply stunning with only the addition of a few glittering jewels you cannot fail to impress!

5. Ted Baker - Curassi Printed Maxi Dress
Strapless with pleating detail on the bust and a hidden zip at the back.

The first in a new series of videos I'll be filming, showcasing and reviewing some of the top designer bags from Spring/Summer 2012.

The first bag I chose to feature was the gorgeous Anya Hindmarch Bruton tote, which was kindly lent to me by the wonderful girls at my-wardrobe.com. It's a true investment piece, with all the unique Anya Hindmarch detailing you'd expect.

If you're interested in purchasing a Bruton bag, my-wardrobe.com have both the white and the black versions in stock:

White - http://bit.ly/yukFqX
Black - http://bit.ly/y88Npw

If you've got any suggestions for other handbags you'd like to see a review on, then please let me know in the comments bar below.

Thanks!