This week's Gaurdian

By Rachel Holmes Where has Martin Margiela gone? For all of you who thought that Balmain was the first label to bring us the bold shoulder, think again. Avant-garde Belgian designer Martin Margiela (or the Monster Maker, as we like to call him) has been accentuating the shoulder since time began - well, since he was able to wield a pair of pinking shears, anyway. This is the man who gives Fashion Statement an excuse to applaud certifiable insanity (as if we needed one). His spring/summer 09 collection was wondrous indeed: the label's 20thanniversary show featured models with their heads on backwards (not literally), giant Cousin Itt wigs and a wedding cake with legs. As the programme notes said: 'This fashion show has almost more to do with a performance than a display of garments and outfits.' We were expecting more of the same for autumn/winter 09, but the show seemed strangely subdued: the oddities were still there, but they weren't as conceptually bonkers as before. Some of the magic had gone. So now we're a little bit worried. We shut our ears to the rumours circulating the catwalks last October that the 20th anniversary show would be his last, but then after the show in March this year critics started speculating that Margiela was no longer involved in designing for the label. They thought that his show was lacking the personal vision that usually made it so special. Now, after some asking around, JC Report is also of the opinion that Margiela has left the building. Investigating the matter recently, its reporter was told: "He has not been present since last season." Apparently Margiela is unhappy with Diesel's marketing approach and commercial distribution, which has changed since the brand acquired the label in 2002. Friends! We can no longer ignore the situation. A terrible thing is happening in the fashion world: boredom and inertia will set in if we do not get Margiela back. We'll have nothing to talk about at the Paris shows in the autumn. After a quick poll of the Guardian fashion desk, we think he is either: a) Lost in the minimalist section of Ikea. b) So reclusive that he's now living in a cave in the Pyrenees, dancing naked in the snow and surviving off roadkill and pine needles. c) Designing costumes for Cirque de Soleil. Or d) He never existed in the first place. You trusted reader, must get out there, find him, and bring him in. Send any sightings torachel.holmes@guardian.co.uk

BANG ON TREND A classic and versatile look for the summer on that yacht we'll never own. Best achieved with the peg leg shape for this season, and best teamed with a nice deck shoe, a towering heel, or pretty pumps (see - we told you they were versatile). For a very casual look, try Oasis's peg leg jean (which looks more like a rolled up boyfriend jean to us, but what do we know?) for £42. Helmut Lang does a cropped peg leg pair for £205, which would look fab with a strappy, embellished pair of heels and a plain vest top. If you want to tap into this season's safari look, go for Topshop's light grey trousers, £30. They're very Ralph Lauren with a high waist and wide waistband. Wear with a wide vintage leather belt. Warehouse has a fabulous pair of cotton striped trousers, which remind us of being on a rowing boat with the characters from the Wind in the Willows. We can't find them on Warehouse's own website, for some reason, but they are on asos.com for £40.

FASHIONISTA OF THE WEEK Rihanna The quiffed coiffure stepped out last week wearing a clinging Alexander Wang dress, which celebrated her curves. The strapless number looked gorgeous against her skin tone, showing us a different way to work our most-hated shade of nude. Lovely.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK "That first year, I remember partying so hard that I left a nightclub with a gigantic red bowl and walked home with it over my head." Stefano Gabbana admits to thievery and looking daft when he and Domenico Dolce threw their first party at Cannes.

FASHION GRAVEYARD Renaissance prints We're sending Taraji P Henson off to the graveyard this week after she wore a horrendous Roberto Cavalli dress to the MTV Movie Awards. From the front it looked to be a giant cameo brooch displaying some naked pre-Raphaelite ladies; from the back, it was a chicken's bottom.

SHOPPING NEWS We suggest a visit to the Loft Market (Powerscourt Centre) in Dublin to pick up some vintage or one-off designs this weekend. The market is a hotbed of new style and talent. While you're there, check out their latest craft workshops and fashion shows. In other news, we've had a flood of emails about Liam Gallagher's new fashion label, Pretty Green, which launches its debut collection today. Here's a quote from the man himself: "Clothes and music are my passion ... wearing top clothes and singing in tune are pretty important. They're pretty much the same thing". Check out the clothing at prettygreen.com

OUT AND ABOUT If you find yourself in London this weekend and are looking for somewhere to go on Saturday night, you could do worse than checking out the Blitz Party under the railway arches in Shoreditch. Coinciding with the 65th anniversary of D-Day, the venue will be transformed into an East End air raid shelter complete with sandbags, searchlights and bunk beds. Dress code for the ladies is red lippy, drawn-on stockings and parachute silk petticoats. For the gents, dust off those medals and don your braces. For more details and where to buy tickets, visittheblitzparty.com So your evening is sorted, but what to do in the day? Get yourself down to the Design Museum and check out the Super Contemporary exhibition,where they're celebrating London's creative thinkers with fifteen commissions from architects, fashion designers and artists. Tickets cost £5 if bought in advance. If you don't fancy visiting the museum, Covent Garden is hosting one of Paul Smith's new London rubbish bins as part of the exhibition. Designed in the shape of a giant rabbit, the ears light up every time you throw away some litter. Tidying has never been so much fun. If you're a wee bit further north, we have a date for your diary: the Scottish Fashion Awards take place on 21 June, and this year the tartan carpet will bear the heel prints of many a world-famous fashionista. Up for the Scottish Designer of the Year award are Christopher Kane, Graeme Black and Jonathan Saunders, as well as the lesser-known Topshop collaborator, Laura Lees. Holly Fulton, one of our favourites from London fashion week this year, has been nominated for the Young Designer of the Year award.

		OFF-CUTS Take a look at the best outfits on Advanced Style, a blog paying tribute to older hipsters.   Matthew Williamson returns to London fashion week. Classic retro sunglasses are this summer's hottest look, says Emma Sibbles. For the latest news, freshest looks and hot gossip from the world of fashion. Any news to tell us? Email: rachel.holmes@guardian.co.uk