Blogging as a hobby means my weekdays have 2 distinct halves; 9am-5pm I’m found in a typical local government office and after work I head to some event or other. It can get tiring but is never boring – life can be a bit surreal. As I signed-in at the AllSaints press day I found myself writing my name next to representatives from ELLE, Harper’s Bazaar and Stylist.

We’ve all heard how ‘blaggers’ are only in it for freebies and have no grasp of the English language so it feels oddly-validating to be invited to press days. Does my lack of a journalism degree mean I have no right to attend events? I think not, and it makes me happy that it’s incredibly rare to encounter people who do hold this belief (none at this press day I must add!). So on Wednesday evening I wandered around a gorgeous open-plan studio alongside some of my favourite (faceless) writers and revelled in the atmosphere as much as AllSaints’ AW12 collection.

It appears that this British brand has grown up: all of the pieces I saw were instantly recognisable and typically AllSaints however this collection is sleeker than other recent offerings. Embellishment, leather, zips and draping still feature prominently, as does the dark and moody colour palette. But there are more flattering cuts, better quality fabrics, and a more runway-ready aesthetic.

Personal favourites are the Nikol wool coat, the Valley biker jacket, the Dash leather vest, and all of the ankle boots. Are any of these pieces making your heart beat faster?

The majority of this collection will be hitting stores, concessions and the web from August, although some pieces may be available from July.

Click to shop AllSaints!

Thanks to AllSaints and Affiliate Window for the opportunity to preview this collection.