One of our favourite trends of S/S09 is colour-blocking which comes courtesy of Lanvin, Josh Goot, Richard Nichol and L.F Markey’s stunning catwalk collections. Layering bold block colours makes for a killer statement look which screams confidence. It is however possible to go wrong, hence these five simple rules which will have you catwalk-ready in minutes:

1. Three is the magic number
Stick to two or three colours, anymore than that and you might end up looking like a Rubik cube. Two’s fine but three makes for a more interesting and effective contrast.

2. Don’t be afraid to clash
The normal rules don’t apply here, don’t be afraid to combine colours you usually wouldn’t, pinks and reds work well!

3. Keep it in the family
It’s also effective to contrast two tonal variations with a more contrasting jarring colour, for example pinks and purples against a vibrant lime green.

4. Be loud and proud
This trend is all about bold bright colours and works best with the most vivid shades.

5. Keep it simple
The look works best with plain neutral accessories; break up the colour blocks with cream, black or grey shoes/belt. Never attempt to introduce prints or patterns.

If all else fails the king of colour blocking; Richard Nicoll has included a number of colour-block dresses in his S/S09 collection which make achieving this look even simpler.

Richard Nicoll Color block dress, $480 available at Net-a-Porter