Simon Mo AW19

The set of Simon Mo's AW19 presentation reminded me somewhat of my secondary school's science department; plain walls converging on an interactive whiteboard, yellow laboratory stools, enough potted plants to fill a small greenhouse, and desks cluttered with science journals and plastic measuring cylinders. All that was missing was the accidental scorch mark on the ceiling, courtesy of my Year 7 chemistry teacher.

But there are no school uniforms or white lab coats to be seen among Mo's "Crazy Herbalist" collection. Instead we are presented with smart winterwear and sports-luxe in shades of red, mint green, beige and dusty pink. Velvet tops and metallic dresses provide a drop of shimmer, but it's the oversized check and dogtooth patterns that really draw the eye, occasionally supplemented by a large pom-pom perched atop a likewise oversized hat.

Hellavagirl AW19

Hellavagirl is the avant-garde label of Helen Woollams, whose AW19 runway at Fashion Scout opened with an expressive performance layered with religious imagery - a dancer, adorned with a golden crown embellished in jewels and red roses, casts away her blue velvet cloak at the sound of chiming bells to expose her vulnerable figure; modesty barely granted by red jewelled nipple pasties shaped like the Christian cross.

Following then this curious introduction, the "Wolves In The Walls" collection advances confidently through the Vestibule of Freemasons Hall, flaunting Woollam's opulent designs. Glitter and sequins bring sparkle to rich colours, while structural silhouettes are decorated with feathers and flowers. The collection is a far cry from the familiarity - and perhaps mediocrity - of commercial fashion, but isn't that precisely the point of avant-garde design? With exaggerated forms and theatrical nature at the heart of Woollam's brand, Hellavagirl represents eccentric fashion and its finest.

Bora Aksu AW19

Among my favourite shows this AW19 season was that of London-based Turkish designer Bora Aksu, whose demi-couture collections have graced the London Fashion Week runways since 2003. Yet this is only the second time I have had the pleasure of seeing his work afresh; the first having been his SS13 runway at Somerset House, in which I remember relying on my grandad's telephoto lens to shoot from the very back row. Gratefully on this occasion, I could capture the show from a more favourable position.

Bora Aksu AW19 is inspired by the Russian cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova, who in 1963 became the first woman to travel in space. Maintaining Aksu's signature romanticism, a nebula of pastel colours dominates much of this undeniably elegant collection, in which floaty dresses adorned with ruffles and iridescent chiffon sparkle beneath the spotlights like an aurora. And where Tereshkova may have worn a space helmet, the cosmonauts of this show equipped themselves with handcrafted "Flutter-By" sunglasses from British jewellery label Halo & Co. Frankly unsuitable for a stroll on the moon, but certainly this collection is a beauty to behold here on Earth.