Roksandra Ilincic, if I asked nicely would you send me a dress?

Its not even September and I'm already dreaming about an advent season cocktail dress. Its not my fault I swear! I just keep seeing beautiful gowns and dresses!

If I had the funds, my 'go to' designer for a dress right now would be the amazingly talented Roksandra Ilincic. The season's fascination with block colouring and fantastic materials such as satin and silk are encapsulated within her designs especially her evening wear. Whilst there are many very reputable American designers I always get that little bit more excited when it is a European label that is doing so well; possibly because its a bit closer to home but also because European designs have a certain character that bodes well in the UK. Roksandra Ilincic is Serbian.

I'm not the only one that is noticing and loving her designs. The Duchess of Cambridge, Kate Middleton, has been photographed wearing Roksandra Ilincic. She looks absolutely stunning in that subtle shade of pale grey. Just yesterday I read that recently the Serbian designer has been collaborating with Debenhams and will be releasing a range with "Edition" at far more affordable prices than her main collection.

The Silk Scarf

Whilst I was in Beijing I had a bit of time to do some shopping. As you might gather the fakes market over there is huge! The handbags weren't bad, you could get a real leather well made fake Mulberry for around £50-70. I would avoid buying clothes in the market though, haggling them down to a reasonable price is just exhausting and often a lost cause when they've sewn in a fake 'Miu miu' or 'Chloé' into the collar.

Among the items that are worth buying in China are things like pearls (because they're cultivated so easily there and cultivated pearls are so so cheap) and silk. Once you know how to make sure you're actually buying the real McCoy you're off but beware as much of the silk on show outside the little stalls is polyester - learn to feel the difference before buying!