Spring’s procession of pastel tones isn’t all sweetness and light: take your cue from Louise Goldin – whose inspiration for SS10 ranged from mid 90s Versace campaigns through to Baroque decadence - then marry your palette of sugary shades and baby doll dresses with tough touches like stiff box pleats and pointy cone-bras teamed with elaborate brocade prints. Goldin’s lip-smacking assortment of candy colours – pink, baby blue, lavender, lemon, violet, and mint green - were a far cry from AW09’s predominantly black collection. Pared down embellishment was a recurring theme, with bronzed models sent down the runway in futuristic ensembles including gold body suits, angular shapes and shoulder rods. With swishy skater skirts and sateen knickerbockers, the show’s styling was part Star Trek, part Louis XIV – and a touch of all-American cheerleader thrown in for good measure. The beauty was all in the impressive technical craftsmanship - something that this knitwear supremo does best: handling knit like undulating fabric to create beautiful drapery, ruching, layers and swirls. Her attention to detail is second-to-none; with the use of clever engineered techniques she was able to magically create contrasting lace-look edging and whimsical tulle inserts in a trompe l'oeil of sorts. Our favourites from the collection were the sleek, black leather bloomer shorts and the to-die-for Swarovski studded crystal shoes with spiked heels (versions hitting down at Topshop next month for £150): Goldin remains tight-lipped as to the inspiration behind her forthcoming AW10 collection. She does reveal that scientific research libraries have been a regular haunt, admitting, “I love looking into science: chemistry, biology and physics”. We thought the SS10 show was her strongest ever but are betting her next collection will continue to spearhead the British knitwear renaissance by pushing boundaries through manipulation of fabric and form. - Natalie Wall