On the Run - the Boden A/W '12 press day - but did I get to meet the man himself?

Alas not, no, I didn't get to meet the man himself, Johnnie Boden, because I needed to get home to make sure that my little man was OK, after having been off school ill. Nevermind, hopefully I will get another opportunity to meet him some time in the future.

So, as to the Boden press day! As you know, I am a fan of Boden - I think that the amount of boxes in this post demonstrates that point fairly well, together with the shrine to Boden that I created in this post

The first person I met on walking through the door was Jilly Murphy, the stylist who styled me for the Woman & Home article. It's always nice to see a friendly face and she is lovely and down to earth, so it was nice to say hello to her again.

I then had a whizz around the room before going back and starting again with the assistance of Lisa Field, the PR Manager at Boden, who explained the different "stories" to me.  I was really pleased to hear that all of the catalogue was shot in the UK - apparently it has only been done in the last few weeks, with some parts still to be finalised - so I can imagine that there was a lot of rain dodging.

Boden didn't show case all of their clothes, instead selecting a few well chosen pieces for the press to view. This year, the clothes, (I am told) were presented in a much simpler format - hung on rails, so that they could do the talking, with little use of props or Boden prints as in previous years. 

Just to set the scene.....

As to the clothes, this season there are four different stories:

• Shoreditch is a heritage story with a cool, fashion edge. Lisa explained that this is their most modern and contemporary story with clean, sharp, lines.  It is less floral, with only two colours per print and it includes fitted knitted tops, a midi skirt and (amongst other things) a navy velvet trim coat which has an androgynous look about it.  This story is a slight departure for Boden, which is reflected in the promotional material. The models are more static, less smiley, and the shots are styled more along the lines of a "look book" as per Jigsaw, or Toast  (as in the brand, not the food). 

I think that it is fair to say that with this story, Boden is flexing its fashion muscles.  I get the impression that it hopes to be seen by the press as a brand which caters not only for its traditional and established market but that it has something more cutting edge to offer too.

• Another story is "pared down pretty" - probably one of my favourite stories, it is all about casual glamour.  The pieces are said to be "simple but sophisticated - quietly sexy - clothes for a woman who appreciates a relaxed sense of style."  There is effortless layering, muted colours and understated prints, as you can see from the rail below. 

Here are a few of my favourite pieces from this story - although to be honest I liked all of it. There's lots of sparkle in it too.  This is the Florence dress, which is inspired by the 1940's.

This is the dress in the flesh...

Probably one of the brightest items in the story - a lovely pink jumper which would look great styled casually or with a statement necklace.

I love the print on this top, which, if I remember correctly is a print from Boden's archives - great because it won't need much accessorising.

This Georgette top was designed to be dressed up or down and I can imagine it doing both jobs very well being worn with jeans in the day or smarter trousers, heels and a blazer in the evening.

And here is this top in the flesh. I felt that the print was a bit Celia Birtwell(ish).

This is a lovely shaped top - looser it will hang beautifully and cover a multitude of sins. The sparkle adds a lovely touch to it.

Within this story, Boden has also done a selection of LBDs, or in this case a LND. I love the fact that it has got long sleeves and the lace overlay adds a pretty, feminine, quirky touch to the dress.

Another LBD - with a beautiful bow across the front of it. It's not going to be for everyone but I think that this will look stunning on. I am tempted to give it a go just to see...

• The next story is called "Northern Lights." It was shot on the Northumberland coast using the great outdoors as a backdrop for Boden's most casual styles. Autumn is celebrated less with prints and more with seasonal colours.  Here are a couple of pieces from the Northern Lights story. I think that it is fair to say that I haven't quite captured the range of colours from the story but these were the pieces which, style wise, caught my eye. The brogues come in another colour, as do the skinny trousers.

• Finally, there's the heritage story which references Yorkshire tweeds, checks and prints and which showcases Boden's Westminster print, which features throughout the whole of the Boden ranges, to include menswear and children's clothing - and also on a piece of furniture.

I can see where Boden are headed with presenting their collection in this way and I hope that it appeals to the press.  I also hope that the Shoreditch story is well received and that not only does Boden retain its existing and very loyal customers but that it also attracts a new type of customer too. I for one can't wait to see the new catalogue.  The new collection will be available at the end of July.  Thanks to everyone at Boden for making me feel so welcome.