The soundtrack at Dries Van Noten has always been emotionally stirring in the past but this time, it properly clued you into the show. 'Night and Day' and 'Cheek to Cheek' were classic oldies twisted into a mix. Exactly what Van Noten served up in this masterclass of a collection, teaching us all how the masculine and feminine can co-habit in pure harmony. Starting out with menswear elements such as straight-legged trousers (sometimes with an added kilt skirt), mannish Crombie coats, Savile Row fabrics and old world collegiate stripes. He then in his own words "invaded" them with feminine frou frou, derived from ice skating and ballroom dancing as the relationship between Fred and Ginger played its way into the collection. No dodgy sequins or spandex here. Instead, there was love in the air. "It’s about the love between men and women and in the end it becomes one!," explained Van Noten backstage.

Embroideries that were deliberately too bright, crystals were oversized and there was an abundance of ostrich feathers that swept their way in to adorn traditional menswear attire. Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers would collectively nod their heads at a ballroom ready ostrich feather skirt and top in contrasting candy pink and acid yellow as well as a more demure trouser suit with a paisley embroidered jacket. You could tell Dries had a riot of a time coming up with these articulate gender clashes and every time Van Noten commits himself to whatever contrast he is playing around with he manages to propose a modus operandi of dressing that is difficult to resist.The waves of "Bravo!" echoing in the stately L'Htel de Ville at the end proved that once again, he had a hit on his hands.

Precision and optical illusion defined the Iceberg show. As the collection unfolded, it told the story of geometric possibilities – opening with sharp leather lines that formed across on the body, before moving onto stripes, block coloured sleeves and closing with a finale of vivid prints.

Within the strict linear regularity of the collection, colour burst onto designs. It was used to dramatic effect, highlighting these ordered shapes by offering one white and one yellow sleeve on a black jumper, or by combining yellow, beige and white stripes on a woollen dress. By the end of the collection, it has reached a new extreme when psychedelic acid prints emerged on dresses, or featured as beaded as sequins on oversized knitwear.

Models pictured: Cara Delevingne (@Caradelevingne), Zuzanna Bijoch (@BijochZuzanna), Daria Strokous (@DariaStrokous), Julia Nobis (@JuliaNobis1), Bette Franke (@Bette_Franke), Hanne Gaby Odiele (@hannegabysays), Ava Smith (@Avakattos)

Katie Eary created a new breed of vampire on yesterday's runway. Models emerged with fangs, slicked back hair and wearing bold prints - all to a heavy soundtrack of A$AP ROCKY. Yet this season Eary looked to the past to create her contemporary vision of undead beauty. “I started by looking at eighteenth century paintings of banquets,” she explains; a reference that manifested itself in her use of hypnotic pink floral prints and blue lobster designs, which were taken from the compositions and rich colours of these paintings. These bold tones stood in contrast with her more muted garments. Particularly a series of inky blue and midnight black tailored jackets – something that could have been taken from a contemporary Dracula film. With horror in mind, we caught up with Eary backstage to talk slasher movies and how the collection came about:

“Horror is something I am constantly obsessed with. I love the 90s Scream movies. We all had sleepovers and watched Scream movies and loved it. I started by looking at eighteenth century paintings of banquets. I was looking at the food actually and then I thought what if there were bodies amongst it – this idea of eighteenth century gore. The prints came about as they were always covered in flowers and with lobsters – because that was the food of the rich. In terms of tailoring, I wanted to show that I can do it. I gave it my own twist. London can be quite slack and everyone gets on their high horse and thinks they are a tailor. Actually it is really not that difficult.”

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...