Autumn leaves black behind

God bless black: it sheds pounds, doesn't show dirt and looks expensive even when it's cheap. A black purchase will last you for seasons - which is why, season after season, we are so attracted to it.

This year, though, it is time to adjust your mindset. Autumn has spawned some of the most striking prints in years, and you'd be crazy to let a little thing like your lifelong devotion to black stand between you and printed heaven.

One of the leading print devotees is Consuelo Castiglioni at Marni. Bold, abstract prints lie at the core of the Italian label's aesthetic, and Marni consistently produces some of the most imaginative on the catwalk.

Much of their appeal lies in their childlike colours: for autumn, they come in a palette of yellow, orange, brown and purple. Make no mistake: these childlike clothes are worn by grown-up women, and Marni's clothes are very sophisticated indeed.

It's good to see so many print innovations coming from London, a trend that is set to continue well into next spring. Jonathan Saunders studied print design at Central St Martins before going on to consult for Alexander McQueen and Christian Lacroix. His recent show at London Fashion Week received rave reviews for its stunning, abstract prints.

Two more pioneers are the duo Mark Eley and Wakako Kishimoto, who, for autumn, sent out an Art Deco-inspired collection of swooping curved prints in turquoise, pink and black. Everything in Eley-Kishimoto land comes with a print, from sou'wester hats to velvet shoes. As well as being consultants for New Look, the duo also designs furniture, wallpaper and ceramics. "There is an essence of Art Deco in the collection, in the structure and the colour, but the prints aren't supposed to be derivative of a time," says Eley, who likens their prints to hand-writing. "Prints are a way of telling a story, and that's why we like them."

It is curious that prints have resurfaced now when clothes aren't so much flying out of the shops as trickling. In tough selling conditions, designers usually gravitate towards black more than ever: after all, it is the safest bet. So it's heartening that British designers are feeling so optimistic. "It's a reflection of the positive attitude that is about at the moment," says Saunders.

How to wear print? Forget your inhibitions. Admittedly prints can be scary after a life in monochrome, and people will stare at you more as their eye is drawn to the kaleidoscope of colour. But I guarantee you will garner more compliments than you ever would in black.

Black might make you look slim, but it doesn't make you look interesting.