From bold Bauhaus motifs to soft paintbrush prints, fashion is showing off its artistic side. Jaine Blackman takes a look at the trend and talks to an Oxford woman who wants you to wear her art on your sleeve

They say necessity is the mother of invention – and it certainly proved to be an inspiration to Oxford mum-of-two Bianca Elgar.

“In 2011 I went to live abroad for six months, and amid all of the rush and excitement I didn’t take many clothes,” says Bianca, of Osney Island.

“What clothes I did take were almost all black and I found that in order to add my own personality and style I ended up stretching what was possible, with an extremely limited wardrobe and a few colourful silk scarves.

“It was really this experience that made me realise what versatile and lovely accessories silk scarves can be.”

From that beginning, and further inspired by an “amazing silk kimono as beautiful on the inside as it was on the outside”, a new business was born.

Be Unlimited launched its bu collection yesterday, available online at thebucollection.

com.

“It offers an explosion of colour and fun, opening up a world of possibilities for any wardrobe,” says Bianca, 53, mum to two teenage boys.

Little black dresses feature innovative neckline loops to work with the brand’s scarves and tops.

There’s a range of versatile reversible and single layer silk tops and skirts, bolero jackets and sleeve scarves... and scarves, lots of scarves.

“I wanted to do something a bit different with them. In particular, I got excited about turning them into a more versatile style of clothing which could be used to express the wearer’s personality and individuality,” says Bianca, who wants to encourage women of all ages, shapes and sizes to “wear their art on their sleeves”.

Artistic and individual expression lie at the heart of Be Unlimited.

“I just love art. Especially colourful modern art which is slightly wacky. Something that makes you think and is a little out of the ordinary,” says Bianca.

Scottish designer Fiona McIntosh, of Tessuti, and Furphy Simpson, of London, who have previously co-created print designs for the likes of Yves Saint Laurent and Calvin Klein, have created the collection’s designs.

The luxury items have been designed, sourced and made in Britain and retail prices range from £50 to £350.

“I chose to go for the best quality, the best finish,”says Bianca. “We want to be the next Hermes.”

See thebucollection.com

Alongside all the ravishing red, fuzzy fur and fairy-tale gowns, a decidedly more intellectual trend emerged from the autumn/winter collections, with a gallery’s worth of artistic references on show.

From stark architectural lines to soft, painterly florals and novel pop art accessories, this is a truly diverse trend, with something to suit, whether you favour feminine shapes or a minimalist aesthetic.

So, before we start thinking about party season, get ready for arty season...

* BAUHAUS ROCKS

To balance out all the jolly sheepskin coats, at Prada, angular patterns were distinctly reminiscent of the Bauhaus, a movement founded in post-First World War Germany.

Traditionally rendered in black, white and primary colours, Miuccia Prada gave her geometric designs a multi-coloured makeover and the high street has faithfully followed suit, with dresses, skirts and trousers in similarly graphic fabrics.

With such busy tessellating textiles, it makes sense to keep the rest of your outfit on the minimal side, so pick one muted tone from your Bauhaus print – cream, maroon or khaki, say – and match block colour separates accordingly. A cashmere roll-neck is the perfect soft-luxe accompaniment to this art-meets-architecture look.

Red Herring Geo Print Dress, £35, Debenhams (debenhams.com, in store December) Topshop Glitter Jacquard Pelmet Skirt, £36 (topshop.com)

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* BLOOMING LARGE

Called The Bloomsbury Girls, Christopher Bailey’s collection for Burberry was influenced by painter Vanessa Bell, a member of the arty London set active in the first half of the 20th century.

Flowing Forties-style dresses and the brand’s ever-popular trenches became catwalk canvases, daubed with big, watercolour blooms and abstract, arty flourishes.

Take inspiration by day with a loose shirt dress in a blurred floral print, or a sporty flower-strewn sweater, lifting the look for evening with an eye-catching necklace. Steal another styling tip from the Burberry girls: drape a large square silk scarf round your neck, cinch under a skinny belt at the waist and let the ends billow artfully around you.

Wallis Floral Print Shirt Dress, £65 (wallis.co.uk) Burberry Brit Sweater, £350, Net-a-Porter (net-a-porter.com)

FAIR AND SQUARE

Founded by Pablo Picasso, Cubism was the forerunner to Bauhaus, an avant-garde movement that this season inspired the likes of Helmut Lang and British up-and-comer David Koma.

On the high street, Cubist touches are married nicely with the sport luxe look. Reach for irregular check shirts and printed trousers in black, white or navy to pair with a dark slim-cut blazer and gold accessories for the office.

Introduce winter pastels into your wardrobe with a midi or asymmetrical skirt, and pair with a long powder pink or blue coat.

As with Bauhaus, don’t mix your motifs – stick to a narrow colour palette and let the prints do the talking.

Next Swing Shirt, £28 (next.co.uk) TK Maxx Asymmetric Skirt, £39.99 (tkmaxx.com)

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* POP CHARTS

It started with Chanel’s supermarket chic – everything from milk cartons to grocery baskets, transformed into high-end arm candy – then Anya Hindmarch got in on the action with her sell-out Larder Collection of cereal boxes and biscuit packets reimagined in leather.

The autumn/winter pop art invasion continues apace, with everything from lipsticks to donuts and champagne bottles to chocolate bars flying off the shelves (in clutch bag form, of course). They may not be the most practical of accessories, but these poppy pieces are a fun finishing touch for a party ensemble, and give any all-black outfit a cool, arty edge.

New Look Black Chocolate Bar Clutch, £12.99 (newlook.com) Lulu Guinness Red Lipstick Clutch, £350 (luluguinness.com)

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