Reiss S/S13

The irrepressible rise of Reiss began in 1971 with its first flagship store opening in London. Since then the brand has grown to an international status with multiple awards and accolades being passed its way. For this brand defined by its unusual shapes and innovative designs (as well as it's superb black dress offering) it has easily made the transition from high street to high end with famous faces such as Kate Middleton and Olivia Palermo wearing Reiss' designs. So with this chic high street shop making designer style accessible to the populace, we couldn't wait to see the new S/S13 collection… NEW SEASON BANDAGE The body-con dress has become a wardrobe staple in recent years and us women curvy and petite, tall and short have learned to embrace this surprisingly one-style-suits-all dress. So it stands to reason that Reiss would offer their own version. And they have certainly done a good job with this lace Alexie dress. With the bandage detail which wraps around and cinches the dress in at the waist and the diagonal stripes to accentuate your curves this is one of those going out dresses your Saturday night wardrobe really can't do without. Team LBD recommends: Add black pearls and sultry make-up for a deadly sophisticated evening look. Buy the dress: Reiss Alexie Stripe Black Lace Dress, ¬£149. SPRING LEATHER Leather can be a tricky one to pull off if you're not a size six, six foot model. Often in our forays into this tough material we have come off more Hell's Angel than Victoria's Secret! Thank God then Reiss have created a dress that makes this persistent trend manageable for the bovine masses with a leather t-shirt style dress. By taking inspiration from this season's shows (think Michael Kors and Alexander Wang), the androgynous but spring-friendly shade of dark olive makes this leather dress wearable day and night while the body sculpting seam detail suits all body-types. Team LBD recommends: Soften your leather dress with a lightly tailored jacket and kitten heels. Buy the dress: Reiss Eugenie Dark Olive Leather Dress, ¬£275. SEVENTIES STYLE Yet again the fashion hierarchy is delving into the past and selecting the seventies as the fashion decade du jour. Don't feel though that this means you have to get out your flower head-band and start a prayer circle — the 70s in 2013 means a nod to the decade with a contemporary edge, so black dresses are a go. This Hawn dress from Reiss is the perfect example with the scoop neck and flared skirt which reflects the cut of the era while the jersey fit nipped waist and simple black colour keep it relevant. And did we mention, extremely flattering? Team LBD recommends: If you want to push the look further you can dress it with a headband and centre parting. Groovy baby. Buy the dress: Reiss Hawn Black Jersey Flare Dress, ¬£110. MINIMALIST CHIC Reiss have certainly stuck in the shadows this season with a great deal of the S/S collection sticking to this deliciously dark shade, something that plays into the monochrome fixation that was huge on the catwalks this year. Taking a break from the light and fluffy pastels and flowers that are dominating fashion land right now Reiss experiments with severe architectural design with the Pepper dress. Severely simple and modern on first impression, the square edges are offset with a frill gathering to the back which softens the look for spring. Team LBD recommends: Keep your look sparse and clean with minimal accessories and add a killer pair of heels. Buy the dress: Reiss Pepper Black Frill Back Dress, ¬£159. CLASSIC CONTOURS Androgyny featured heavily in the SS13 shows this season in styling and design — typically Givenchy's looks were centred around the theme while fashion houses like Paul Smith dabbled with masculine tailoring. Here Reiss acts like a catwalk filter giving us a dose of boyish style in the Ambrose shift dress, for a high street price. With deep front pockets, flattering sleeves and fitted shift features you can experiment with androgyny with a dress that is perfect for smart occasions. Team LBD recommends: To really play with the masculine look wear this shift with flats and a scraped back ponytail. Or if you're a girly girl who just wants a pinch of the boy-girl trend add a floral corsage or fuchsia heel. Buy the dress: Reiss Ambrose Black Curved Seam Shift Dress, ¬£179. Shop all Reiss dresses at LittleBlackDress.co.uk here.