mbfwa

The runways were awash in fresh hues at Mercedes Benz Fashion Week, bringing welcome respite from the khaki/black/Bordeaux/navy of the A/W palette we've become so accustomed to. The Spring/Summer season traditionally signals the return to colour, but this season a definitive palette emerged from the catwalk. Bold, almost paintbox-bright tones of cobalt, marigold and fuchsia replaced last season's ubiquitous neon brights and pastels were back, albeit in powdered-back incarnations of sky blue, peppermint and the palest of pinks.

Of course there was black and white, but that (as we detailed in our mega-trend round-up) was worn almost exclusively together, and as part of a broader mod-inspired trend. A new set of go-to neutrals emerged with a modern, almost sci-fi edge; white (often worn head to toe), navy blue and high-shine silver provided crisp contrast to the vibrant brights or pretty watercolour hues. True, the temperature might be in decline but advance notice is always a handy thing! Get acquainted with the colours that are set to define the new season. 

Oh yes, there's more Australian fashion week news for you! While backstage covering the hair and makeup looks for shows including Ellery, Suboo and We Are Handsome, we also bailed up a hair and makeup artist or two and asked: What's your best beauty tip? We've narrowed it down to our five favourites, you know what to do.

Sometimes it's not simply the clothes, but more the way they're put together than can make a collection look all shiny and new. Fashion week brought with it a cascade of new season trends and colours (you've checked out our mega-galleries by now, right?), but in addition to all of that designers were employing some nifty styling tricks that we're keen to try too (read: blatantly steal). From the unexpected footwear at Dion Lee's exclusive presentation to the new school way of wearing your shirt at Watson X Watson — there's a slew of new school ways to wear. Let's go! 

It's time! Are you ready? Because we're about to distil five days of fashion week madness and 30 plus runway shows into one super-fast, easy-to-click trend gallery. The strongest shapes, the key pieces, the newest looks — they're all here. From sculptural frills that fanned out from the body like 3D waves at Karla Spetic to the sophisticated take on the crop top at Ginger & Smart, to the sexiest skirt shape as seen at By Johnny — if you weren't on the ground at Mercedes Benz Fashion Week Australia, consider this as your one stop shop. Everything you need to know about Spring/Summer 2013-14 awaits you inside . . . 

If you have a thing for bags and shoes, have we got a treat for you! We've painstakingly gone through our runway round-ups from Mercedes Benz Fashion Week Australia with a fine tooth comb to pick out the very best new season shoes and bags from the Spring/Summer offerings. Many local designers out-sourced their accessories to chain store brands this year, which is great news if you want to make these runway wheels yours!

Tony Bianco provided those killer lace-up boots for Alex Perry, as well the 'Cambridge' wheels for Camilla and Marc, the 'Dice' and 'Libby' heels at Ellery, the 'Lolita' pumps at Toni Maticevski, the 'Ashley' platforms at Rebecca Vallance and the ankle-strapped heels for Bec & Bridge. ASOS was all over the catwalks too, supplying Christopher Esber with his 'Hostage' heels, Talulah with their flirty tie-up sandals and We Are Handsome with their metallic 'Hackney' stilettos. And those fantastical Romance Was Born creations? They came courtesy of Shoes of Prey. It's time to let your fingers do the walking. . . 

Leila Yavari knows fashion. As the fashion director for luxe e-tailer Stylebop she is charged with the envy-inducing task of attending fashion shows around the world and deciding on the key trends, and must-have pieces, to hit the (online) shelves. Munich-based Leila was in Sydney for Mercedes Benz Fashion Week Australia, so we politely asked to pick her brains. She happily obliged, sharing her top five absolute favourite Aussie shows, and the three key trends that she thinks are well worth investing in. Ready to get schooled? 

Backstage at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Australia we spotted more than a few beauty trends, but we also kept a tally of the most-used products. Session stylists and makeup artists work hard and fast behind the scenes, and it's the "heroes" that become their multi-tasking, fix-all, use everywhere and on everything products. If you're wondering what your next beauty purchase might be, step this way.

Last week at POPSUGAR Beauty, we watched hundreds of models get primped and primed for the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Australia runways. We spoke to countless hair and makeup artists and watched everything from intricate braiding to lip gloss being applied to eyelids! But a week on, it's time to dissect the beauty trends. Skin was a major player in the backstage beauty stakes, with many designers opting for a more natural makeup look, instead playing up bone structure and shape with contouring. Dewy is out and matte skin is in, but makeup artists still used highlighters to get that "pop" on the runway. There's also some interesting part lines, sexy hair and ethereal eyes. Let's go!

We sifted throught the strongest trends and narrowed down the hottest colours from fashion week, so now it's time to get personal. Picking the ultimate look from a favourite show is like choosing between children! There was a slew of killer exits and inspired collections at MBFWA, so we've had to be ruthless to pick our absolute top ten. From Christopher Esber's roughed-up take on tailoring to Toni Maticevski's brave new look to the dreamy creations that wafted down Alice McCall's catwalk, see who made the grade.