Shock of the new: Anything goes this spring

The necklace: Dries Van Noten

Any signature ethnic or mildly herbaceous notion has flown out of the window at Dries Van Noten. Instead, the bohemian look for which this designer is well known is replaced with simpler, elegant silhouettes and proportions harking back to the early days of Coco Chanel. A harder edge than might be expected is all present and correct for accessories, too, and for jewellery: chunky silver and gold bell pendants hang from thick chain in place of the usual painted wooden beads. At Lanvin, Alber Elbaz colour-coordinates many of his necklaces with his clothing designs. Large Tudor–inspired beads lie upon same-hued silk creations for a demure and ultra-feminine look.

www.driesvannoten.be

The boots: Yves Saint Laurent

Of course, boots are not the most likely investment for spring, but look! In the hands of Yves Saint Laurent's Stefano Pilati they're full of holes, allowing feet to breathe easily. Of course, such practical concerns are unlikely to be the point. Instead, the cage motif is both graphic and modern: a geometric touch designed to toughen an otherwise gentle silhouette. Already becoming the most-desired accessory of the spring/summer season, this patent leather lattice boot with its square metal heel (yes, more geometry), is reminiscent of nothing more than a futuristic summer sandal. Pilati isn't the only big name preoccupied with mesh accessories, either. Calvin Klein's Francisco Costa used silver metal cages for the heels of his brilliant-white court shoes and Miuccia Prada's quirky mesh baskets, reminiscent of the late Eighties jelly bag, feature in her Miu Miu collection.

www.ysl.com

And Prada's new season...

Discerning eyes are focused on models' feet at the biannual Prada womenswear show in Milan. Prada is the patron saint of innovative footwear, and everything out of the ordinary from the square toe to jarring colour combinations and beyond, has its roots here. Given that this designer is never one to parade a woman's sexuality in an obvious way, it should come as no surprise that the vertiginous, platform-soled sandals seen this time are designed to be worn with nothing more glamorous than a pair of elasticated socks. Like the collection, the shoes are a play between the primitive and highly elaborate, featuring more exotic skins than an animal rights activist might choose. Prada favours snake – which inspires a computer-generated pixel print on clothing.

www.prada.com

The hat: Burberry

Trust quintessentially British brand Burberry to adopt a pragmatic approach and put the humble rain hat on to the catwalk. Weather forecasting aside – and it may be safer to leave it to fashion to predict such things than the Met Office – these tiny tweed hats are sweetly naive with their scruffy patchwork, and highly desirable. Elsewhere, headwear is definitely suited to the Mad Hatters among us. Stephen Jones has reached a peak in his career, with flattened shallow hats good enough for the practically perfect Mary Poppins at Marc Jacobs and oversized tricorns and pantomime dame mop tops for John Galliano. So it's with anticipation that we await for this milliner's brilliance to be displayed in its entirety at his forthcoming retrospective exhibition at the V&A, London, in late February.

www.burberry.com

The bag: Balenciaga

Clutched in the hand of every model on the Balenciaga catwalk was a small, perfectly formed square bag. Given that this is one of the world's most influential labels, one can only presume that, in the handbag department at least, small but perfectly formed is the way forward for spring. Balenciaga's can be simply black with metal edging, some with chains from which they might dangle prettily should their owner so require; others boast coloured clasps or have rigid metal handles. Perhaps the most upscale and scene-stealing of them all, though, is an iridescent crocodile version designed to be carried when wearing a perfectly charming, and even more twinkling intergalactic fairy dress. Get the look if you dare. Changes are also afoot at Chanel, meanwhile, with Karl Lagerfeld turning the classic quilted 2.55 bag on its head to create this season's "upside-down" bag. The upturned rectangle hangs lengthways from the customary gilt chain.

www.balenciaga.com

The sunglasses: Dolce & Gabbana

More is more, according to Italian superpowers Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana, whose sunglasses this season are not only super-sized but also super-fierce – leopard, tiger and zebra prints grace retro-style heavy frames. They're part Jackie O, part Raquel Welch in One Million Years BC with – but of course! – a touch of La Dolce Vita thrown in. At the other end of the timeline are Calvin Klein's futuristic wraparounds; the nickel-framed visor shape chimes perfectly with the futuristic space age looks seen on catwalks this season.

www.dolcegabbana.it

The belt: Louis Vuitton

Take your lead from Alexander McQueen this season and create a Victorian hour-glass silhouette focusing on the waist in particular and also expertly demonstrated by Marc Jacobs's sculpted leather corset belts. For Louis Vuitton, meanwhile, America's most fashionable designer decrees that our waists should be cinched with obi–style versions in muted metallic hues – plus animal print highlights – all of which work perfectly with the season's heavily accessorised and eclectic aesthetic. A more delicate treatment of the waist was to be seen at spring shows for Chloé and Prada where ribbon-style belts ensured that otherwise slouchy waistbands are held sufficiently high.

www.louis vuitton.com

The shoes: Christian Dior

Just when you thought shoe design couldn't possibly become any more extreme... They become even weirder! Top of the list where this is concerned is that quintessential English eccentric John Galliano, past creator of shoes so high the models needed escorting down the catwalk by muscle-bound walkers. For the esteemed house of Dior this season, the designer has excelled himself with the world's first ever Fertility Shoe. Yes, a sculpted goddess, stark naked and complete with pregnant belly, graces the heel of towering gladiator sandals this time around. At the Paris show, she appeared dangling from models' ear lobes and indeed as a pendant hanging from a long gold neck chain. Things are not all that they seem at Dolce & Gabbana, meanwhile, where only the heel and ball of the foot are supported by a sole, leaving fashionable arches high and dry. Finally, and tapping into fashion's current love affair with all things inspired by the natural world, at Hussein Chalayan, peep-toed platforms are held up in place by what look like gnarled twigs.

www.dior.com