New year, new clothes. The AW13 collections are earlier than ever this season, as the second London Collections: Men begins on Monday ahead of Pitti, Milan and Paris, following the success of the capital's AW12 standalone schedule. As designers put the finishing touches to their collections; carry out castings, fittings and hair tests, we go on a series of studio visits to get a feel of what to expect...

Dazed Digital: What was the biggest challenge in putting the collection together?
Kit Neale: Christmas. It's very inconvenient.

DD: Favourite advice you've had from someone?
Kit Neale: 'Be the king of the world, not the king of Shoreditch'.

DD: Any tips for staying calm during fashion week?
Kit Neale: Drink lots of gin, neat.

DD: ...Or staying awake when there's so much work to do?
Kit Neale: Take lots of ginseng.

DD: What were the first pieces in the collection you designed?
Kit Neale: We always start with the prints. We do some sketches of designs, but they're often dropped. When we get the fabrics back and we start from scratch.

DD: What are you most proud of?
Kit Neale:Getting it done.

DD: What about the soundtrack?
Kit Neale:It's a clash between The Fall and Stravinsky's 'Rite of Spring'.

DD: What other shows are you looking forward to seeing?
Kit Neale: MAN, a very biased choice as I'm in the Fashion East bosom but it's always a highlight! Sadly, it clashes with my presentation so I won't make it. I can't wait to see what Craig Green presents, I love his work.

DD: What's your favourite look on a man?
Kit Neale: His own look, not one dictated for him.

DD: Who embodies the spirit of your collection?
Kit Neale: Michael Clark is this season's muse.

DD: Sum up AW13 in three words…
Kit Neale: Greasy, muppets, trippy.

DD: What difference does fashion make?
Kit Neale: It makes some people look good and others not so, but as long as they feel good and are happy, we've done our jobs. It contributes a great deal to the economy but apart from that, it's really not that important, is it?

New year, new clothes. The AW13 collections are earlier than ever this season, as the second London Collections: Men begins on Monday ahead of Pitti, Milan and Paris, following the success of the capital's AW12 standalone schedule. As designers put the finishing touches to their collections; carry out castings, fittings and hair tests, we go on a series of studio visits to get a feel of what to expect...

Dazed Digital: What was the biggest challenge in putting the collection together?
Lou Dalton: We had such a great response to the SS13 collection that I am constantly looking back over the collection and questioning whether it is as strong as, the challenge to put something out there that is as well received as before is a constant worry...

DD: Favourite advice you've had from someone?
Lou Dalton:My father always told me that I could have or achieve whatever I wanted if I kept my head down & worked hard. I pretty much live by this.

DD: Any tips for staying calm during fashion week?
Lou Dalton: Just write a to do list & stick with it, having all what you have to in front of you can be a little overwhelming however; to have in an order of sorts mentally keeps you on track of what you need to do.

DD: ...Or staying awake when there's so much work to do?
Lou Dalton: Coffee, water and lots of loud upbeat music, preferably a playlist by the fabulousness that is HORSE MEAT DISCO.

DD: What were the first pieces in the collection you designed?
Lou Dalton: The knitwear as this takes the longest to develop, I wanted to catch the rawness of the land in terms of terrain.

DD: What are you most proud of?
Lou Dalton: It's a little to early to say at the moment, I feel a strong connection to it all.

DD: What about the soundtrack?
Lou Dalton: I leave the music in the capable hands of of Jim Stanton, one part of Horse Meat Disco, his taste in music is sublime.

DD: What other shows are you looking forward to seeing?
Lou Dalton: Chris Shannon, James Long and Craig Green. Love the boys.

DD: What's your favourite look on a man?
Lou Dalton: A good shoe / boot, every man should invest in a good shoe, it can help carry the poorest of clothes.In terms of ideal man, I just want who ever where's the clothes to feel special & confident when wearing a bit of Lou Dalton.

DD: Sum up AW13 in three words...
Lou Dalton: Autumn Winter Thirteen.

DD: What difference does fashion make?
Lou Dalton: Fashion allows you to lose yourself, to be creative, to inspire to be inspired. It makes the world are far more colourful and exciting place to be...

Mariacarla Boscono is one of the faces from the Dazed fashion team's always and forever board. That's to say she has an enduring look and personality that continues to shine, year after year. A part of Riccardo Tisci's world since the designer presented guerilla shows in Milan under his own name, featuring supermodels BMXing in tulle gowns and life-size crucifixes, when he took the reins at Givenchy in 2005, Boscono went with him, becoming an ambassador on catwalks and in campaigns, from ready-to-wear to the first Tisci-directed fragrance, Dahlia Noir. Giving birth to daughter Marialucas last August, after a few months' time out Boscono is back to reclaim her throne at Givenchy, lensed by Mert & Marcus in the SS13 campaign alongside Kate Moss, Marina Abramovic, matador Jose Maria Manzanares and artist Jared Buckhiester. We spoke to Boscono about life since Marialucas – and discover she's a natural on set.

Dazed Digital: How has motherhood affected your outlook?
Mariacarla Boscono: Now everything makes sense.

DD: You're back as a face of Givenchy, with Marialucas. Has the dynamic changed at all?
Mariacarla Boscono: It is always an honour and a pleasure to work with Riccardo, not just because he is my best friend but also because he is an incredibly talented artist. Of course this time my focus was on Marialucas. I was curious to see how she was going to react. But Mert and Marcus are exceptional people. They are already like family to her. So she was totally content of her iconic role, actually so content that when I had to feed her I had to bring her back on set... She couldn’t be away from the set.

DD: You have a special relationship with Riccardo. Were you best friends instantly?
Mariacarla Boscono: We were best friends at first sight. And we hold each other's hands always, in personal life and work. We have millions of amazing stories; from family reunions to incredible vacations. Every day is an adventure for us. We enjoy life and each other’s company.

DD: Would you encourage Marialucas if she wanted to model in the future?
Mariacarla Boscono: I'll encourage Marialucas in any dreams she will have. But I think she has too much of a wild soul to go into modelling. We'll see.

Photography Mert & Marcus

Al Smith is a formidably talented young dramatist, writer and director. Smith founded his own production company,Kandinsky, dedicated to investigating the links between theatre and sciencein 2005.Smith has already won a number of awards and seen his plays performed at theatres both in London and New York, but more recently the young writer has been backed by the BBC with his plays commissioned for BBC Radio 4. He recently was awarded the Wellcome Trust's Screenwriting Prize, and his latest script, David Attenborough's Africa, is currently viewable on iPlayer.Al Smith is apioneering british talent andinspired byConverse Boots' Yescampaign, we asked Al what he sees as an important moment in his career so far.

Al Smith: I've had a lot of help and support - I'd not have got anywhere alone. If I had to pick one moment, I'd pick the "yes" from the judges on the Wellcome Trust Screenwriting Prize. It's a film prize dedicated to supporting writers who tell stories with a scientific bent. Nearly all of my plays for theatre have revolved around scientific ideas and I've always loved the cinema, so to win a supported opportunity to mix the two is a big deal for me.It's tough to know what specific choices have value - I guess I just try to make the best choice with whatever's in front of me at the time. Maybe this is either too obvious or ambiguous, but I do remember consciously choosing to read more scripts rather than just going to the theatre. I'm seeing two or three plays a week, but you never get closer to learning about the choices writers make than when you get stuck into their scripts. Trying to get to grips with the craft of writing seems invaluable to me. An individual whose support started to open doors for me was,without hesitation, John Yorke at BBC Drama. He was at the Edinburgh Fringe in 2005 and came to see the first play I wrote, "Enola". Off the back of that play he offered me a place on the BBC Writers Academy. I cut my teeth on those shows and got my break as a working writer. So him. He opened the first door.

Photography Bafic