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Browns Fashion Week Windows

What’s the next best thing to a humongous splurge in the shops? Window shopping. You can look, you can admire, you can salivate – but girl, you can’t touch. But can you resist the temptation of the beautiful men on show at Browns on South Molton street this week? Fashion Week Windows is running for four weeks to coincide with the fashion shows, and sees the fashion world’s finest male designers working their magic behind the scenes – or rather glass. Including cheeky portrait shots of Alexander McQueen, YSL’s Stefano Pilati and the svelte figure of Dior’s Hedi Slimane, plus Oscar de la Renta’s fairytale dress at Browns Bride. It’s enough to detract from all the goodies inside.

Designer style at Topshop

So we all know about Celia Birtwell’s line at Topshop, and the furore over Stella Macartney’s range at H&M, but did you know that London Fashion Week’s wildest child Gareth Pugh was touted as a possible contributor to the exclusive Topshop Boutique range? Yes it could have been poodle suits and balloons all over the high street.

But luckily, Topshop has opted for a much more chic option in Richard Nicholl – the man who has sexed up the shirt – and Ann Sophie Back - one of London’s finest exponents of the dress. From Saturday – just one day before the Topshop Unique show kick starts fashion week – you can buy pieces from their specially designed collection for Topshop boutique, including a silk artist smock from Nicholl, £75 and a Body Conscious dress from Back, £75 (both pictured).

Go to www.topshop.com for details and check out the website's brand spanking new look format as it launches internationally to coincide with fashion week. Featuring live podcasts from fashion week as well as fashion features and style blogs this is the new fashion bible. 

It’s all happening at London Fashion Week

Paris Hilton might have been prowling along the catwalk in a skintight leopard print dress at New York Fashion Week, but London had her first; or rather Julien Macdonald did as his bride at his show last February. Anyway Paris is passé next to Tom Ford, who will be judging the London Fashion Fringe competition, Biba’s first catwalk show since their 60s heyday and Beyoncé strutting her stuff for Giorgio Armani’s music and fashion extravaganza. It’s all happening at London Fashion Week.

For catwalk and backstage coverage, gossip, photos and video footage, all updated throughout the day, Times online from Monday is the next best thing to the front row.