Twice a year, all eyes focus on the fashion capitals’ catwalks, but we’ll let you on a little secret – it’s two months later that the clothes you’ll actually wear next season are seen by the fashion editors at the high street’s press days.

These have an industry-only guest list, but Stylist was so impressed by the gems on Marks & Spencer’s rails, we asked them very nicely if you could have an exclusive first glimpse of the range.

The collection ticks off all the key trends that emerged from the s/s 2012 catwalks, explains Neil Hendy, Marks & Spencer’s women’s and accessories head of design.

“We could see that candy pastels and eclectic prints would be strong for 2012, along with sports-luxury,” he says. “Traditional florals have been given the digital treatment, and elegant shapes have been updated with kitsch prints and artisan detailing.”

You’ll have to wait until February to get your hands on the collection, but it will be well worth the wait. Until then, scroll down the page to see some of the collection highlights close-up. If you're anything like us, we can guarantee you'll forget winter, and start dreaming of next season's wardrobe after seeing these pieces...

First Look: M&S spring/summer collection