If you think black is boring, think again. Fall 2012 brings all things dark out of the shadows with a neo-Gothic twist. Channeling the love of dark fairytales that's dominating the zeitgeist, clothes as dark as night can make you fade into the background or stand out more than ever - it's just up to your imagination. Read on for the full trend report.

While most of us don’t push weights in Hermes accessories and fishtailed Calvin Klein skirts, we’re also bright enough to realise such editorials as this one aren’t meant to be taken too literally. Candice Swanepoel‘s stylish activities range from fencing to tennis, football to baseball, but ultimately it’s a nod to the returning theme of sportswear as fashion – a returning theme that coincides neatly…

There’s a scene in Die Another Day where James Bond fights the villain the old-fashioned way: in a fencing duel. It involves all of the usual elements of the James Bond formula – a girl, a diamond, equal parts action and suspense, and the ultimate triumph of good over evil. That scene inspired Akin Abayomi to create Spy Game, a shoot he both styled and…

Fashion can’t help but draw from the events happening around it, be they in the past or the future. With the Olympic Games cartwheeling their way into London next year there’s little surprise that athletic wear has formed the basis of many a spring 2012 menswear collection. Count Nicole Farhi’s offering amoungst them. Inspired by traditionally English sporting disciplines like rowing and fencing, Farhi’s looks…

I touched on it our review of Burberry’s spring / summer 2012 catwalk: the skill that a select group of fashion designers have that enables them to see not just where the fashion forwards’ tastes lie but where they’re likely to end up. These designers put before us collections that are undoubtedly ahead of the pack, but collections that are also firmly rooted in any…

No sooner do I consider re-taking up fencing as a sporting pursuit that the fashion industry immediately jumps on board. Milkshake’s recent issue gave us a taste of fashionable fencing and now Elle Italia has followed suit showing Australian model Jessica Hart coming to grips with the point of the sport (terrible pun, I know) while looking every bit chic in Gucci. Admittedly it’s not…

In my days of thrusting foil and sabre I can assure you that not once have I encountered female fencers dressed as such. But such is the rise of sports fashion, and such is the break down of traditional boundaries, that such a look mightn’t seem out of place. And if it weren’t, I suspect it would be a far more popular sport.

Sportswear as a fashion trend has been evolving for the past few years. For spring 2013 it continues on the direction of sleek, minimal and luxurious, making itself ripe for new interpretations. Read on for the full report.