They say you should never judge a book by its cover, but we think that fashion week invitations are a reliable barometer of what to expect from the respective shows. This year’s batch came in an array of designs and materials. Some designs were pleasingly pared back, while others were exuberantly coloured, but all were, without exception, as meticulously executed as the clothes they represented.
A kaleidoscopic collection of all our favourite invitations from the S/S 2011 Womenswear Collections
Acne (front) sent out a thick black-foiled invitation card.
On the reverse of the Acne invitation card, our fashion director’s hand-written name was underlined with purple foil.
Jil Sander’s fluorescent invitation reflected the sizzling-coloured collection.
Jil Sander's invitation opened to reveal a shocking-pink interior.
Pringle of Scotland’s white-foiled card featured a stylised negative image of a scene from the label's latest advertising campaign, shot near Nairn.
Pringle of Scotland (reverse).
Fendi’s invitation appeared scorched – as did the collection - thanks to dyed, laser-cut organza.
Versus’ floral offering echoed both the micro-prints and the abundance of geometric shapes in the collection.
Versus' invitation (reverse).
Richard Nicoll’s invitation was screen-printed on vinyl with the print appearing in retro typewriter typography.
From Emilio Pucci came a piece of tan stitched leather with gold embossed lettering.
Marni sent out a simple, glossy and sunny card.
Versace
Versace
Giorgio Armani’s blue, fabric-covered invitation set the tone for a marine-coloured show that was big on texture.
Margaret Howell sent a fold-out poster that opened out to reveal the crinkled surface of a shirt.
The inside of Margaret Howell's folded invitation was patterned with a shirt's crinkles.
Church’s stiff-board invitation was decorated with the pattern of a brogue shoe embossed with silver-foiled bubbles.
The stiff-board invitation to Sass & Bide's 'Papa Sucre' collection was capped by a tangle of crinkly raffia straw.
A nondescript cardboard exterior folded open to reveal Prada's deep blue invitation.
Gucci's rigorously duo chromatic invitation.
Giles Deacon's invitation came on a label attached to a paper version of his trademark sunglasses
The reverse of the label featured a cheeky cartoon character
Céline's double-paper stock invitation was reinforced by thick card
Céline
Fendi's black and gold offering
On the reverse, guest performers Duran Duran's name came emblazoned in a thick, fluorescent glossy print
Chanel's floral offering
Chanel
Emanuel Ungaro's embossed logo adorned triplexed board with a subtle pink rim
Emanuel Ungaro
The designer's first name was spelt out in fluorescent elastic bands on a thick silver card, with purple edging, on the Stella McCartney invitation
Junya Watanabe's delicate tissue paper offering
The Miu Miu invitation featured bold, embossed blocks of fluorescent yellow...
...as did the envelope
One side of Loewe's extra thick, gilt-edged card had a leather-like texture...
...while the other featured simple, printed pink paper
Wunderkind's multi-paper stock invitation came erratically stapled together
Givenchy by Riccardo Tisci's offering incorporated a dye-cut, detachable woman's face in leopard print...
...while the reverse featured a rocky beach scene
Louis Vuitton's gold-foiled fabric card invitation
Louis Vuitton
Hermès sent out a leather invitation with a hole-punched logo and debossed lettering
Ackermann's invitation came emblazoned with a super-glossy, blue paint logo, with black debossed show details
Once again, Neil Barrett made the envelope a feature by outsizing the card
Neil Barrett
John Galliano's canvas invitation featured a moody sketch of a woman's face
The show details came printed on the back
At first glance, the Yohji Yamamoto invitation looked like a simple, glossy back card with a mysterious dye-cut strip...
...but, when you pulled on the subtly protruding back strip, it revealed a glittery blaze of colour
The Hermès and Colette collaboration invitation incorporated images of their limited edition scarves
The reverse came printed in the style of an old-school label maker
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‘I wanted to create a sanctuary’ – discover a nature-conscious take on Balinese architectureUmah Tsuki by Colvin Haven is an idyllic Balinese family home rooted in the island's crafts culture
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‘Concrete Dreams’: rethinking Newcastle’s brutalist pastA new project and exhibition at the Farrell Centre in Newcastle revisits the radical urban ideas that changed Tyneside in the 1960s and 1970s
